diff --git a/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/BUILD b/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/BUILD
index 6e4cd58951e1..7c0c33890368 100644
--- a/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/BUILD
+++ b/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/BUILD
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 load("@rules_pkg//pkg:mappings.bzl", "pkg_files", "strip_prefix")
 load("@rules_pkg//pkg:tar.bzl", "pkg_tar")
+load("//:protobuf_version.bzl", "PROTOBUF_RUST_VERSION")
 
 pkg_tar(
     name = "protobuf_example_crate",
@@ -16,8 +17,15 @@ pkg_files(
     strip_prefix = strip_prefix.from_root("rust/release_crates/protobuf_example"),
 )
 
+genrule(
+    name = "gen_cargo_toml",
+    srcs = ["Cargo-template.toml"],
+    outs = ["Cargo.toml"],
+    cmd = "cat $(SRCS) | sed -e 's/{{VERSION}}/{0}-beta/g' > $(OUTS)".format(PROTOBUF_RUST_VERSION),
+)
+
 filegroup(
     name = "srcs",
-    srcs = glob(["**/*"]),
+    srcs = [":gen_cargo_toml"] + glob(["**/*"]),
     visibility = ["//rust:__subpackages__"],
 )
diff --git a/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/Cargo-template.toml b/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/Cargo-template.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1ea0b0264a04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/Cargo-template.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[package]
+name = "protobuf-example"
+version = "{VERSION}"
+edition = "2021"
+
+[dependencies]
+protobuf = { version = "{VERSION}", path = "../protobuf" }
+
+[build-dependencies]
+protobuf-codegen = { version = "{VERSION}", path = "../protobuf_codegen" }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/Cargo.toml b/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/Cargo.toml
deleted file mode 100644
index e95d55900dd5..000000000000
--- a/rust/release_crates/protobuf_example/Cargo.toml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-[package]
-name = "protobuf-codegen-example"
-version = "0.1.0"
-edition = "2021"
-
-[dependencies]
-protobuf = { path = "../protobuf" }
-
-[build-dependencies]
-protobuf-codegen = { path = "../protobuf_codegen" }
\ No newline at end of file