diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-core-upgrader.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-core-upgrader.php
index 4184bc8ea9..fc6390aa18 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-core-upgrader.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-core-upgrader.php
@@ -283,14 +283,18 @@ class Core_Upgrader extends WP_Upgrader {
 		$upgrade_minor = true;
 		$upgrade_major = false;
 
-		// WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE = true (all), 'minor', false.
+		// WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE = true (all), 'beta', 'rc', 'minor', false.
 		if ( defined( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE' ) ) {
 			if ( false === WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE ) {
 				// Defaults to turned off, unless a filter allows it.
 				$upgrade_dev   = false;
 				$upgrade_minor = false;
 				$upgrade_major = false;
-			} elseif ( true === WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE ) {
+			} elseif (
+				true === WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE
+				|| 'beta' === WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE
+				|| 'rc' === WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE
+			) {
 				// ALL updates for core.
 				$upgrade_dev   = true;
 				$upgrade_minor = true;
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/update.php b/src/wp-includes/update.php
index a946523d03..c632b8405a 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/update.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/update.php
@@ -136,6 +136,11 @@ function wp_version_check( $extra_stats = array(), $force_check = false ) {
 		$post_body = array_merge( $post_body, $extra_stats );
 	}
 
+	// Allow for WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE to specify beta/RC releases.
+	if ( defined( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE' ) && in_array( WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE, array( 'beta', 'rc' ), true ) ) {
+		$query['channel'] = WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE;
+	}
+
 	$url      = 'http://api.wordpress.org/core/version-check/1.7/?' . http_build_query( $query, null, '&' );
 	$http_url = $url;
 	$ssl      = wp_http_supports( array( 'ssl' ) );