diff --git a/scripts/releases/versioning.py b/scripts/releases/versioning.py
index f90c986023..aacd559fef 100644
--- a/scripts/releases/versioning.py
+++ b/scripts/releases/versioning.py
@@ -67,6 +67,42 @@ def version_from_tag(ref: str) -> str | None:
     return ref[1:]
 
 
+# The ref grammar only anchors; ``version_from_tag`` owns the version shape.
+_ATTEMPT_REF_RE = re.compile(r"rc\.(?P<attempt>[1-9][0-9]*)-(?P<tag>v[^/]+)")
+_MARKER_PREFIX = "abandoned-"
+
+
+def parse_attempt_ref(ref: str) -> tuple[str, int] | None:
+    """``rc.<N>-vX.Y.Z`` to ``(version, N)``, or None for anything else.
+
+    The attempt comes first so the ref can never read as a SemVer prerelease
+    of the version it claims.
+    """
+    match = _ATTEMPT_REF_RE.fullmatch(ref) if isinstance(ref, str) else None
+    if match is None:
+        return None
+    version = version_from_tag(match.group("tag"))
+    return (version, int(match.group("attempt"))) if version else None
+
+
+def parse_marker_ref(ref: str) -> tuple[str, int] | None:
+    """``abandoned-rc.<N>-vX.Y.Z``, the record that clears one attempt."""
+    if not isinstance(ref, str) or not ref.startswith(_MARKER_PREFIX):
+        return None
+    return parse_attempt_ref(ref[len(_MARKER_PREFIX):])
+
+
+def attempt_ref(version: str, attempt: int) -> str:
+    ref = f"rc.{attempt}-v{version}"
+    if parse_attempt_ref(ref) != (version, attempt):
+        raise ValueError(f"invalid attempt ref: {version!r} attempt {attempt!r}")
+    return ref
+
+
+def marker_ref(version: str, attempt: int) -> str:
+    return _MARKER_PREFIX + attempt_ref(version, attempt)
+
+
 def _claim_version(tag: str) -> str | None:
     if isinstance(tag, str) and tag.endswith("-rc"):
         return version_from_tag(tag[:-3])
diff --git a/tests/scripts/test_release_version_from_ref.py b/tests/scripts/test_release_version_from_ref.py
index 3151b5a7b3..fa264747f1 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/test_release_version_from_ref.py
+++ b/tests/scripts/test_release_version_from_ref.py
@@ -27,6 +27,46 @@ def test_non_final_refs_are_not_versions(ref):
     assert version_from_tag(ref) is None
 
 
+def test_attempt_ref_carries_version_and_attempt():
+    from scripts.releases.versioning import parse_attempt_ref
+
+    assert parse_attempt_ref("rc.1-v0.21.5") == ("0.21.5", 1)
+    assert parse_attempt_ref("rc.12-v1.0.0") == ("1.0.0", 12)
+
+
+def test_marker_ref_names_the_attempt_it_clears():
+    from scripts.releases.versioning import parse_marker_ref
+
+    assert parse_marker_ref("abandoned-rc.1-v0.21.5") == ("0.21.5", 1)
+    assert parse_marker_ref("rc.1-v0.21.5") is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("ref", [
+    "v0.21.5-rc", "v0.21.5-rc.1", "rc.01-v0.21.5", "rc.0-v0.21.5",
+    "rc.1-v2026.9.21", "v0.21.5", "abandoned-rc.1-v0.21.5",
+    "rc.1-v0.21.5+canary.20260922T001400Z", "rc.1-v0.21", "rc.-v0.21.5",
+])
+def test_attempt_ref_rejects_other_shapes(ref):
+    from scripts.releases.versioning import parse_attempt_ref
+
+    assert parse_attempt_ref(ref) is None
+
+
+def test_attempt_and_marker_refs_round_trip():
+    from scripts.releases.versioning import attempt_ref, marker_ref, parse_attempt_ref, parse_marker_ref
+
+    assert parse_attempt_ref(attempt_ref("0.21.5", 3)) == ("0.21.5", 3)
+    assert parse_marker_ref(marker_ref("0.21.5", 3)) == ("0.21.5", 3)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("version, attempt", [("2026.9.21", 1), ("0.21.5", 0), ("0.21", 1)])
+def test_attempt_ref_refuses_what_it_could_not_parse(version, attempt):
+    from scripts.releases.versioning import attempt_ref
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        attempt_ref(version, attempt)
+
+
 def test_claim_advances_the_line_but_is_not_a_final_tag():
     assert version_from_tag("v0.21.5-rc") is None
     assert derive_next_version(published=None, claims=["v0.21.5-rc"], bump="patch") == "0.21.6"