diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 22e2f7e14..2e6709c2f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
       [
         "@semantic-release/exec",
         {
-          "publishCmd": "node scripts/inline-version.mjs ${nextRelease.version}"
+          "publishCmd": "test -f scripts/inline-version.mjs && node scripts/inline-version.mjs --verbose ${nextRelease.version}"
         }
       ],
       "@semantic-release/npm",
diff --git a/packages/cli/scripts/inline-version.mjs b/packages/cli/scripts/inline-version.mjs
index d9089fa52..34ee36de6 100644
--- a/packages/cli/scripts/inline-version.mjs
+++ b/packages/cli/scripts/inline-version.mjs
@@ -4,8 +4,51 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 
 const cwd = join(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '../..');
+const filepath = join(cwd, 'src/version.ts');
 
-const version =
-  process.argv.length === 3 ? process.argv[2] : JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(join(cwd, 'package.json'), 'utf8')).version;
+const version = getVersionFromArgv() || JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(join(cwd, 'package.json'), 'utf8')).version;
 
-fs.writeFileSync(join(cwd, 'src/version.ts'), `export const VERSION = '${version}';\n`);
+try {
+  const existingVersion = /VERSION = '([^']+)';/.exec(fs.readFileSync(filepath, 'utf8'));
+  if (existingVersion !== null && !isNewerVersion(existingVersion[1], version)) {
+    log(`Skipping inlining. Next version is not newer than the existing one: ${existingVersion[1]}.`);
+    process.exit(0);
+  }
+} catch (ex) {
+  // no-op
+}
+
+fs.writeFileSync(filepath, `export const VERSION = '${version}';\n`);
+
+log(`Inlined ${version} version.`);
+
+function isNewerVersion(current, next) {
+  const [curMajor, curMinor, curPatch] = current.split('.').map(Number);
+  const [nextMajor, nextMinor, nextPatch] = next.split('.').map(Number);
+
+  return (
+    nextMajor > curMajor ||
+    (curMajor === nextMajor && (nextMinor > curMinor || (curMinor <= nextMinor && nextPatch > curPatch)))
+  );
+}
+
+function log(message) {
+  if (process.argv.includes('--verbose') || process.env.CI) {
+    process.stdout.write(`${message}\n`);
+  }
+}
+
+function getVersionFromArgv() {
+  if (process.argv.length < 3) return null;
+
+  const r = /^([0-9]+\.){2}[0-9]+$/;
+
+  for (let i = 2; i < process.argv.length; i++) {
+    const value = process.argv[i];
+    if (r.exec(value)) {
+      return value;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}