diff --git a/.changeset/safe-tags-add.md b/.changeset/safe-tags-add.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3606829fc799
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/safe-tags-add.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'@astrojs/internal-helpers': patch
+'astro': patch
+'create-astro': patch
+---
+
+Allows Astro CLI commands to install tagged package versions
diff --git a/packages/internal-helpers/src/cli.ts b/packages/internal-helpers/src/cli.ts
index 09889d96e168..2337596c687d 100644
--- a/packages/internal-helpers/src/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/internal-helpers/src/cli.ts
@@ -27,19 +27,28 @@ export function validatePackageName(packageName: string): boolean {
 }
 
 /**
- * Validates a package name and throws an error if invalid.
+ * Validates a package name with an optional tag or version and throws an error if invalid.
  *
- * @param packageName - The package name to validate
- * @throws {Error} If the package name is invalid
+ * @param packageName - The package name and optional tag or version to validate
+ * @throws {Error} If the package name, tag, or version is invalid
  *
  * @example
  * ```ts
  * assertValidPackageName('react'); // OK
+ * assertValidPackageName('react@latest'); // OK
  * assertValidPackageName('react; whoami'); // throws Error
  * ```
  */
 export function assertValidPackageName(packageName: string): asserts packageName is string {
-	if (!validatePackageName(packageName)) {
+	const tagSeparator = packageName.lastIndexOf('@');
+	const hasTag = tagSeparator > 0;
+	const untaggedPackageName = hasTag ? packageName.slice(0, tagSeparator) : packageName;
+	const tag = hasTag ? packageName.slice(tagSeparator + 1) : undefined;
+
+	if (
+		!validatePackageName(untaggedPackageName) ||
+		(tag !== undefined && !validatePackageName(tag))
+	) {
 		throw new Error(
 			`Invalid package name "${packageName}". Package names must follow npm naming rules: ` +
 				`lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores, and dots. ` +
diff --git a/packages/internal-helpers/test/cli.test.ts b/packages/internal-helpers/test/cli.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..21e5060729f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/internal-helpers/test/cli.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
+import { assertValidPackageName } from '../src/cli.ts';
+
+describe('assertValidPackageName', () => {
+	it('accepts package names with safe tags and versions', () => {
+		assert.doesNotThrow(() => assertValidPackageName('react@latest'));
+		assert.doesNotThrow(() => assertValidPackageName('@astrojs/react@latest'));
+		assert.doesNotThrow(() => assertValidPackageName('@astrojs/react@5.0.0-beta.1'));
+	});
+
+	it('rejects unsafe or malformed package specifiers', () => {
+		assert.throws(() => assertValidPackageName('react;whoami@latest'));
+		assert.throws(() => assertValidPackageName('react@latest;whoami'));
+		assert.throws(() => assertValidPackageName('react@$(whoami)'));
+		assert.throws(() => assertValidPackageName('react@latest@next'));
+		assert.throws(() => assertValidPackageName('@astrojs/react@'));
+	});
+});