diff --git a/generate-stackbrew-library.sh b/generate-stackbrew-library.sh
index c370158ef..9119eb29e 100755
--- a/generate-stackbrew-library.sh
+++ b/generate-stackbrew-library.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ set -Eeuo pipefail
 
 declare -A aliases=(
 	[8.4]='lts'
-	[innovation]='latest'
 )
 
 defaultDefaultVariant='oracle'
@@ -14,6 +13,10 @@ declare -A defaultVariants=(
 self="$(basename "$BASH_SOURCE")"
 cd "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$BASH_SOURCE")")"
 
+# add the "latest" alias to the "newest" version (LTS vs innovation; see sorting in "versions.sh")
+latest="$(jq -r 'keys_unsorted[0]' versions.json)"
+aliases["$latest"]+=' latest'
+
 if [ "$#" -eq 0 ]; then
 	versions="$(jq -r 'keys | map(@sh) | join(" ")' versions.json)"
 	eval "set -- $versions"
@@ -64,8 +67,18 @@ join() {
 for version; do
 	export version
 
-	defaultVariant="${defaultVariants[$version]:-$defaultDefaultVariant}"
-	fullVersion="$(jq -r '.[env.version].version' versions.json)"
+	if ! fullVersion="$(jq -re '
+		if env.version == "innovation" and keys_unsorted[0] != env.version then
+			# https://github.com/docker-library/mysql/pull/1046#issuecomment-2087323746
+			# if any explicit/LTS release is *newer* than the current innovation release, we should skip innovation
+			# (because we pre-sorted the full list in "versions.sh", we just need to check whether "innovation" is first 🚀)
+			false
+		else
+			.[env.version].version
+		end
+	' versions.json)"; then
+		continue
+	fi
 
 	versionAliases=()
 	while [ "$fullVersion" != "$version" -a "${fullVersion%[.-]*}" != "$fullVersion" ]; do
@@ -78,6 +91,7 @@ for version; do
 	fi
 	versionAliases+=( ${aliases[$version]:-} )
 
+	defaultVariant="${defaultVariants[$version]:-$defaultDefaultVariant}"
 	for variant in oracle debian; do
 		export variant
 
diff --git a/versions.json b/versions.json
index a5a5e0d9f..a1ad17ea0 100644
--- a/versions.json
+++ b/versions.json
@@ -1,57 +1,57 @@
 {
-  "8.0": {
-    "debian": {
-      "architectures": [
-        "amd64"
-      ],
-      "suite": "bookworm",
-      "version": "8.0.37-1debian12"
-    },
-    "mysql-shell": {
-      "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-tools-community/el/8",
-      "version": "8.0.37-1.el8"
-    },
+  "8.4": {
     "oracle": {
       "architectures": [
         "amd64",
         "arm64v8"
       ],
-      "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-8.0-community/docker/el/8",
-      "variant": "8-slim",
-      "version": "8.0.37-1.el8"
+      "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-8.4-community/docker/el/8",
+      "version": "8.4.0-1.el8",
+      "variant": "8-slim"
     },
-    "version": "8.0.37"
-  },
-  "8.4": {
     "mysql-shell": {
       "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-tools-8.4-community/el/8",
       "version": "8.4.0-1.el8"
     },
+    "version": "8.4.0"
+  },
+  "innovation": {
     "oracle": {
       "architectures": [
         "amd64",
         "arm64v8"
       ],
-      "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-8.4-community/docker/el/8",
-      "variant": "8-slim",
-      "version": "8.4.0-1.el8"
+      "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-innovation-community/docker/el/8",
+      "version": "8.3.0-1.el8",
+      "variant": "8-slim"
     },
-    "version": "8.4.0"
-  },
-  "innovation": {
     "mysql-shell": {
       "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-tools-innovation-community/el/8",
       "version": "8.4.0-1.el8"
     },
+    "version": "8.3.0"
+  },
+  "8.0": {
+    "version": "8.0.37",
+    "debian": {
+      "architectures": [
+        "amd64"
+      ],
+      "suite": "bookworm",
+      "version": "8.0.37-1debian12"
+    },
     "oracle": {
       "architectures": [
         "amd64",
         "arm64v8"
       ],
-      "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-innovation-community/docker/el/8",
-      "variant": "8-slim",
-      "version": "8.3.0-1.el8"
+      "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-8.0-community/docker/el/8",
+      "version": "8.0.37-1.el8",
+      "variant": "8-slim"
     },
-    "version": "8.3.0"
+    "mysql-shell": {
+      "repo": "https://repo.mysql.com/yum/mysql-tools-community/el/8",
+      "version": "8.0.37-1.el8"
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/versions.sh b/versions.sh
index 10aaa1ae2..8c0f57ebd 100755
--- a/versions.sh
+++ b/versions.sh
@@ -172,4 +172,16 @@ for version in "${versions[@]}"; do
 	json="$(jq <<<"$json" -c --argjson doc "$doc" '.[env.version] = $doc')"
 done
 
-jq <<<"$json" -S . > versions.json
+jq <<<"$json" '
+	# sort entries in descending version order so that it is easier to determine later (in "generate-stackbrew-library.sh") if "innovation" should be included or not, and which entry to give the "latest" alias to (the first one!)
+	# https://github.com/docker-library/mysql/pull/1046#issuecomment-2087323746
+	to_entries
+	| sort_by(
+		# very rough "sort by version number"
+		.value.version
+		| split(".")
+		| map(tonumber? // .)
+	)
+	| reverse
+	| from_entries
+' > versions.json