diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index df39fa87c..24739265e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "payload-monorepo",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "workspaces:": [
diff --git a/packages/db-mongodb/package.json b/packages/db-mongodb/package.json
index 14ca83730..ab4135ad0 100644
--- a/packages/db-mongodb/package.json
+++ b/packages/db-mongodb/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/db-mongodb",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "description": "The officially supported MongoDB database adapter for Payload - Update 2",
   "repository": "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload",
   "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/packages/db-postgres/package.json b/packages/db-postgres/package.json
index 9853843e3..7a1a39bf7 100644
--- a/packages/db-postgres/package.json
+++ b/packages/db-postgres/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/db-postgres",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "description": "The officially supported Postgres database adapter for Payload",
   "repository": "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload",
   "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/packages/graphql/package.json b/packages/graphql/package.json
index 17941b271..8b2a7a379 100644
--- a/packages/graphql/package.json
+++ b/packages/graphql/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/graphql",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "types": "./src/index.d.ts",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/next/package.json b/packages/next/package.json
index 90b308093..20b422dc3 100644
--- a/packages/next/package.json
+++ b/packages/next/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/next",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "types": "./src/index.d.ts",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/next/src/utilities/getPayload.ts b/packages/next/src/utilities/getPayload.ts
index 0975b0bec..b32ef6f18 100644
--- a/packages/next/src/utilities/getPayload.ts
+++ b/packages/next/src/utilities/getPayload.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ if (!cached) {
 }
 
 export const getPayload = async (options: InitOptions): Promise<Payload> => {
+  if (!options?.config) {
+    throw new Error('Error: the payload config is required for getPayload to work.')
+  }
+
   if (cached.payload) {
     const config = await options.config
 
diff --git a/packages/payload/package.json b/packages/payload/package.json
index f4efdd2ac..cfed47f9b 100644
--- a/packages/payload/package.json
+++ b/packages/payload/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "payload",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "description": "Node, React and MongoDB Headless CMS and Application Framework",
   "license": "MIT",
   "main": "./src/index.js",
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/index.ts b/packages/payload/src/index.ts
index 59d594e45..6f6b61960 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/index.ts
@@ -298,6 +298,10 @@ export class BasePayload<TGeneratedTypes extends GeneratedTypes> {
    * @param options
    */
   async init(options: InitOptions): Promise<Payload> {
+    if (!options?.config) {
+      throw new Error('Error: the payload config is required to initialize payload.')
+    }
+
     this.logger = Logger('payload', options.loggerOptions, options.loggerDestination)
 
     this.config = await options.config
@@ -420,7 +424,11 @@ if (!cached) {
   cached = global._payload = { payload: null, promise: null }
 }
 
-export const getPayload = async (options?: InitOptions): Promise<BasePayload<GeneratedTypes>> => {
+export const getPayload = async (options: InitOptions): Promise<BasePayload<GeneratedTypes>> => {
+  if (!options?.config) {
+    throw new Error('Error: the payload config is required for getPayload to work.')
+  }
+
   if (cached.payload) {
     return cached.payload
   }
diff --git a/packages/plugin-cloud-storage/package.json b/packages/plugin-cloud-storage/package.json
index 0d25da5b1..a44ae3ad9 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-cloud-storage/package.json
+++ b/packages/plugin-cloud-storage/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/plugin-cloud-storage",
   "description": "The official cloud storage plugin for Payload CMS",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/plugin-cloud/package.json b/packages/plugin-cloud/package.json
index 39f4dd352..ea222f1d0 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-cloud/package.json
+++ b/packages/plugin-cloud/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/plugin-cloud",
   "description": "The official Payload Cloud plugin",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
   "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/packages/plugin-nested-docs/package.json b/packages/plugin-nested-docs/package.json
index 69d549636..0e43f2e58 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-nested-docs/package.json
+++ b/packages/plugin-nested-docs/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/plugin-nested-docs",
-  "version": "1.0.12",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "description": "The official Nested Docs plugin for Payload",
   "repository": "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload",
   "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/packages/plugin-redirects/package.json b/packages/plugin-redirects/package.json
index 4c2cd1fa5..2a383a74e 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-redirects/package.json
+++ b/packages/plugin-redirects/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/plugin-redirects",
-  "version": "1.0.1",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "homepage:": "https://payloadcms.com",
   "repository": "git@github.com:payloadcms/plugin-redirects.git",
   "description": "Redirects plugin for Payload",
diff --git a/packages/plugin-search/package.json b/packages/plugin-search/package.json
index 7c5d2bcbc..ceb1842d7 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-search/package.json
+++ b/packages/plugin-search/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/plugin-search",
-  "version": "1.1.0",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "homepage:": "https://payloadcms.com",
   "repository": "git@github.com:payloadcms/plugin-search.git",
   "description": "Search plugin for Payload",
diff --git a/packages/plugin-seo/package.json b/packages/plugin-seo/package.json
index dc3792ae7..3379c4207 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-seo/package.json
+++ b/packages/plugin-seo/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/plugin-seo",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "homepage:": "https://payloadcms.com",
   "repository": "git@github.com:payloadcms/plugin-seo.git",
   "description": "SEO plugin for Payload",
diff --git a/packages/richtext-lexical/package.json b/packages/richtext-lexical/package.json
index e89339428..fe5ccb970 100644
--- a/packages/richtext-lexical/package.json
+++ b/packages/richtext-lexical/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/richtext-lexical",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "description": "The officially supported Lexical richtext adapter for Payload",
   "repository": "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload",
   "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/packages/richtext-slate/package.json b/packages/richtext-slate/package.json
index f3720438a..bd9a09126 100644
--- a/packages/richtext-slate/package.json
+++ b/packages/richtext-slate/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/richtext-slate",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "description": "The officially supported Slate richtext adapter for Payload",
   "repository": "https://github.com/payloadcms/payload",
   "license": "MIT",
diff --git a/packages/translations/package.json b/packages/translations/package.json
index 750092d79..ca5fedddb 100644
--- a/packages/translations/package.json
+++ b/packages/translations/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/translations",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "main": "./dist/exports/index.ts",
   "types": "./dist/types.d.ts",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/ui/package.json b/packages/ui/package.json
index 38eefdfc6..2f708753a 100644
--- a/packages/ui/package.json
+++ b/packages/ui/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@payloadcms/ui",
-  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.41",
+  "version": "3.0.0-alpha.42",
   "main": "./src/index.ts",
   "types": "./dist/index.d.ts",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/scripts/release.ts b/scripts/release.ts
index 35e3ce741..de1df3a96 100755
--- a/scripts/release.ts
+++ b/scripts/release.ts
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ const packageWhitelist = [
   'plugin-cloud',
   'plugin-cloud-storage',
   // 'plugin-form-builder',
-  // 'plugin-nested-docs',
-  // 'plugin-redirects',
-  // 'plugin-search',
+  'plugin-nested-docs',
+  'plugin-redirects',
+  'plugin-search',
   // 'plugin-sentry',
   'plugin-seo',
   // 'plugin-stripe',