diff --git a/tools/package-release/src/commands/prepare/index.ts b/tools/package-release/src/commands/prepare/index.ts
index 62a73797ad9..661a7989885 100644
--- a/tools/package-release/src/commands/prepare/index.ts
+++ b/tools/package-release/src/commands/prepare/index.ts
@@ -2,15 +2,18 @@
  * External dependencies
  */
 import { CliUx, Command, Flags } from '@oclif/core';
-import { readFileSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs';
+import { writeFileSync } from 'fs';
 
 /**
  * Internal dependencies
  */
 import {
-	getAllPackges,
+	getAllPackages,
 	validatePackage,
 	getFilepathFromPackageName,
+	getPackageJson,
+	getComposerJson,
+	getPackageType,
 } from '../../validate';
 import {
 	getNextVersion,
@@ -66,7 +69,7 @@ export default class PackagePrepare extends Command {
 		}
 
 		if ( flags.all ) {
-			await this.preparePackages( getAllPackges() );
+			await this.preparePackages( getAllPackages() );
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -105,6 +108,7 @@ export default class PackagePrepare extends Command {
 						writeChangelog( name );
 					} else {
 						if ( initialRelease ) {
+							// @todo: When the composer.json versioning is "wordpress" as is for plugins, this value needs to be 1.0
 							nextVersion = '1.0.0';
 						} else {
 							throw new Error(
@@ -138,16 +142,28 @@ export default class PackagePrepare extends Command {
 	 * @param {string} version Next version.
 	 */
 	private bumpPackageVersion( name: string, version: string ) {
-		const filepath = getFilepathFromPackageName( name );
-		const packageJsonFilepath = `${ filepath }/package.json`;
 		try {
-			const packageJson = JSON.parse(
-				readFileSync( packageJsonFilepath, 'utf8' )
-			);
-			packageJson.version = version;
+			const filepath = getFilepathFromPackageName( name );
+			const packageType = getPackageType( name );
+			let jsonFilepath;
+			let json;
+
+			if ( packageType === 'js' ) {
+				jsonFilepath = `${ filepath }/package.json`;
+				json = getPackageJson( name );
+			} else if ( packageType === 'php' ) {
+				jsonFilepath = `${ filepath }/composer.json`;
+				json = getComposerJson( name );
+			} else {
+				this.error(
+					`Can't bump version for ${ name }. The package does not exist.`
+				);
+			}
+
+			json.version = version;
 			writeFileSync(
-				packageJsonFilepath,
-				JSON.stringify( packageJson, null, '\t' ) + '\n'
+				jsonFilepath,
+				JSON.stringify( json, null, '\t' ) + '\n'
 			);
 		} catch ( e ) {
 			this.error( `Can't bump version for ${ name }.` );
diff --git a/tools/package-release/src/commands/publish/index.ts b/tools/package-release/src/commands/publish/index.ts
index 9a12656244d..cdf3775bada 100644
--- a/tools/package-release/src/commands/publish/index.ts
+++ b/tools/package-release/src/commands/publish/index.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { execSync } from 'child_process';
  * Internal dependencies
  */
 import {
-	getAllPackges,
+	getAllPackages,
 	validatePackage,
 	getFilepathFromPackageName,
 	isValidUpdate,
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export default class PackageRelease extends Command {
 		}
 
 		if ( flags.all ) {
-			this.publishPackages( getAllPackges(), flags );
+			this.publishPackages( getAllPackages(), flags );
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ export default class PackageRelease extends Command {
 				CliUx.ux.action.start( `${ verb } ${ name }` );
 				if ( isValidUpdate( name, initialRelease ) ) {
 					const cwd = getFilepathFromPackageName( name );
+					if ( cwd.includes( 'packages/php' ) ) {
+						this.error(
+							'Publishing PHP packages is not supported just yet.'
+						);
+					}
 					execSync(
 						`pnpm publish ${
 							dryRun ? '--dry-run' : ''
diff --git a/tools/package-release/src/validate.ts b/tools/package-release/src/validate.ts
index c860930d3a5..979dcf460af 100644
--- a/tools/package-release/src/validate.ts
+++ b/tools/package-release/src/validate.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * External dependencies
  */
-import { existsSync, readFileSync, readdirSync } from 'fs';
-import { join } from 'path';
+import { existsSync, readFileSync } from 'fs';
 import { execSync } from 'child_process';
 import { gt as greaterVersionThan } from 'semver';
 
@@ -11,14 +10,64 @@ import { gt as greaterVersionThan } from 'semver';
  */
 import { MONOREPO_ROOT, excludedPackages } from './const';
 
+/**
+ * Get pnpm's package data.
+ *
+ * @param {string} name package name.
+ * @return {Object|Array} A package object or an array of package objects.
+ */
+const getPackageData = ( name?: string ) => {
+	try {
+		const rawData = execSync( 'pnpm m ls --json --depth=-1', {
+			cwd: MONOREPO_ROOT,
+			encoding: 'utf-8',
+		} );
+
+		const data = JSON.parse( rawData );
+
+		if ( ! name ) {
+			return data;
+		}
+
+		return data.find( ( p: { name: string } ) => p.name === name );
+	} catch ( e ) {
+		if ( e instanceof Error ) {
+			// eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+			console.log( e );
+			throw e;
+		}
+	}
+};
+
+/**
+ * Determine if package is JS or PHP.
+ *
+ * @param {string} name package name.
+ * @return {undefined|string} Package type js or php.
+ */
+export const getPackageType = ( name: string ) => {
+	const packageData = getPackageData( name );
+	if ( ! packageData ) {
+		return;
+	}
+	if ( packageData.path.includes( 'packages/js' ) ) {
+		return 'js';
+	}
+	if ( packageData.path.includes( 'packages/php' ) ) {
+		return 'php';
+	}
+};
+
 /**
  * Get filepath for a given package name.
  *
  * @param {string} name package name.
  * @return {string} Absolute path for the package.
  */
-export const getFilepathFromPackageName = ( name: string ): string =>
-	join( MONOREPO_ROOT, 'packages/js', name.replace( '@woocommerce', '' ) );
+export const getFilepathFromPackageName = ( name: string ): string => {
+	const packageData = getPackageData( name );
+	return packageData?.path;
+};
 
 /**
  * Get a package's package.json file in JSON format.
@@ -38,51 +87,20 @@ export const getPackageJson = ( name: string ) => {
 };
 
 /**
- * Check if package is valid and can be deployed to NPM.
+ * Get a package's composer.json file in JSON format.
  *
  * @param {string} name package name.
- * @return {boolean} true if the package is private.
+ * @return {Object|false} JSON object or false if it fails.
  */
-export const isValidPackage = ( name: string ): boolean => {
-	const packageJson = getPackageJson( name );
-
-	if ( ! packageJson ) {
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	if ( name !== packageJson.name ) {
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	const isPrivatePackage = !! packageJson.private;
-
-	if ( isPrivatePackage ) {
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	return true;
-};
-
-/**
- * Validate package name.
- *
- * @param {string}   name  package name.
- * @param {Function} error Error logging function.
- */
-export const validatePackageName = (
-	name: string,
-	error: ( s: string ) => void
-) => {
+export const getComposerJson = ( name: string ) => {
 	const filepath = getFilepathFromPackageName( name );
-
-	try {
-		const exists = existsSync( filepath );
-		if ( ! exists ) {
-			throw new Error();
-		}
-	} catch ( e ) {
-		error( `${ name } does not exist as a package.` );
+	const composerJsonFilepath = `${ filepath }/composer.json`;
+	const composerJsonExists = existsSync( composerJsonFilepath );
+	if ( ! composerJsonExists ) {
+		return false;
 	}
+
+	return JSON.parse( readFileSync( composerJsonFilepath, 'utf8' ) );
 };
 
 /**
@@ -90,22 +108,14 @@ export const validatePackageName = (
  *
  * @return {Array<string>} Package names.
  */
-export const getAllPackges = (): Array< string > => {
-	const jsPackageFolders = readdirSync(
-		join( MONOREPO_ROOT, 'packages/js' ),
-		{
-			encoding: 'utf-8',
-		}
-	);
-
-	return jsPackageFolders
-		.map( ( folder ) => '@woocommerce/' + folder )
-		.filter( ( name ) => {
-			if ( excludedPackages.includes( name ) ) {
-				return false;
-			}
-			return isValidPackage( name );
-		} );
+export const getAllPackages = (): Array< string > => {
+	const packageData = getPackageData();
+	if ( ! packageData ) {
+		return [];
+	}
+	return packageData
+		.map( ( p: { name: string } ) => p.name )
+		.filter( ( name: string ) => ! excludedPackages.includes( name ) );
 };
 
 /**
@@ -118,13 +128,19 @@ export const validatePackage = (
 	name: string,
 	error: ( s: string ) => void
 ) => {
-	validatePackageName( name, error );
+	const packageData = getPackageData( name );
 
-	if ( ! isValidPackage( name ) ) {
+	if ( ! packageData ) {
+		error( `${ name } is not a valid package.` );
+	}
+
+	if ( packageData.private ) {
 		error(
-			`${ name } is not a valid package. It may be private or incorrectly configured.`
+			`${ name } is a private package, no need to prepare for a release.`
 		);
 	}
+
+	return true;
 };
 
 /**