diff --git a/internal/counter/file.go b/internal/counter/file.go
index aef6309..1fac726 100644
--- a/internal/counter/file.go
+++ b/internal/counter/file.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 
+	"golang.org/x/mod/module"
 	"golang.org/x/telemetry/internal/mmap"
 	"golang.org/x/telemetry/internal/telemetry"
 )
@@ -136,19 +137,7 @@
 		return
 	}
 
-	goVers := info.GoVersion
-	if strings.Contains(goVers, "devel") || strings.Contains(goVers, "-") {
-		goVers = "devel"
-	}
-	progPkgPath := info.Path
-	if progPkgPath == "" {
-		progPkgPath = strings.TrimSuffix(filepath.Base(os.Args[0]), ".exe")
-	}
-	prog := path.Base(progPkgPath)
-	progVers := info.Main.Version
-	if strings.Contains(progVers, "devel") || strings.Contains(progVers, "-") {
-		progVers = "devel"
-	}
+	goVers, progPkgPath, prog, progVers := programInfo(info)
 	f.meta = fmt.Sprintf("TimeBegin: %s\nTimeEnd: %s\nProgram: %s\nVersion: %s\nGoVersion: %s\nGOOS: %s\nGOARCH: %s\n\n",
 		begin.Format(time.RFC3339), end.Format(time.RFC3339),
 		progPkgPath, progVers, goVers, runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH)
@@ -163,6 +152,24 @@
 	f.namePrefix = filepath.Join(dir, prefix)
 }
 
+func programInfo(info *debug.BuildInfo) (goVers, progPkgPath, prog, progVers string) {
+	goVers = info.GoVersion
+	if strings.Contains(goVers, "devel") || strings.Contains(goVers, "-") {
+		goVers = "devel"
+	}
+	progPkgPath = info.Path
+	if progPkgPath == "" {
+		progPkgPath = strings.TrimSuffix(filepath.Base(os.Args[0]), ".exe")
+	}
+	prog = path.Base(progPkgPath)
+	progVers = info.Main.Version
+	if strings.Contains(progVers, "devel") || module.IsPseudoVersion(progVers) {
+		// we don't want to track pseudo versions, but may want to track prereleases.
+		progVers = "devel"
+	}
+	return goVers, progPkgPath, prog, progVers
+}
+
 // filename returns the name of the file to use for f,
 // given the current time now.
 // It also returns the time when that name will no longer be valid
diff --git a/internal/counter/file_test.go b/internal/counter/file_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e1ac90f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/counter/file_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+// Copyright 2023 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package counter
+
+import (
+	"runtime/debug"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestProgramInfo_ProgramVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		in   string
+		want string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "(devel)",
+			in:   "(devel)",
+			want: "devel",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "empty version",
+			in:   "",
+			want: "",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "prerelease",
+			in:   "v0.14.0-pre.1",
+			want: "v0.14.0-pre.1",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "pseudoversion",
+			in:   "v0.0.0-20231207172801-3c8b0df0c3fd",
+			want: "devel",
+		},
+	}
+	type info struct {
+		GoVers, ProgPkgPath, Prog, ProgVer string
+	}
+	buildInfo, ok := debug.ReadBuildInfo()
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("cannot use debug.ReadBuildInfo")
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			in := *buildInfo
+			in.Main.Version = tt.in
+			_, _, _, got := programInfo(&in)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("program version = %q, want %q", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}