diff --git a/.github/workflows/product-release.yml b/.github/workflows/product-release.yml
index 917896c0..245a46b3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/product-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/product-release.yml
@@ -99,22 +99,29 @@ jobs:
             echo "Product candidate tag must be the final immutable identity ${expected_tag}" >&2
             exit 1
           fi
-          if [[ ! "${final_dist_tag}" =~ ^[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]*$ ]]; then
-            echo "Final npm dist-tag is unsafe" >&2
-            exit 1
-          fi
-          previous_version=$(npm view "${package_name}@${final_dist_tag}" version --json 2>/dev/null | node -e "let d=''; process.stdin.on('data', c => d += c); process.stdin.on('end', () => { try { const v=JSON.parse(d); console.log(typeof v === 'string' ? v : '') } catch { console.log('') } })")
-          temporary_dist_tag="rc-${GITHUB_RUN_ID}-${GITHUB_RUN_ATTEMPT}"
-          published_at=$(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.000Z')
+          if [[ ! "${final_dist_tag}" =~ ^[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]*$ ]]; then
+            echo "Final npm dist-tag is unsafe" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          resume_candidate=false
+          if [[ -n "${REQUESTED_CANDIDATE_TAG}" ]]; then
+            resume_candidate=true
+          fi
+          previous_version=$(npm view "${package_name}@${final_dist_tag}" version --json 2>/dev/null | node -e "let d=''; process.stdin.on('data', c => d += c); process.stdin.on('end', () => { try { const v=JSON.parse(d); console.log(typeof v === 'string' ? v : '') } catch { console.log('') } })")
+          if [[ "${resume_candidate}" == "true" && "${previous_version}" == "${version}" ]]; then
+            previous_version=$(npm view "${package_name}" versions --json | node -e "let d=''; const target=process.argv[1]; process.stdin.on('data', c => d += c); process.stdin.on('end', () => { const value=JSON.parse(d); const versions=Array.isArray(value) ? value : [value]; process.stdout.write([...versions].reverse().find(candidate => candidate !== target) || '') })" "${version}")
+            if [[ -z "${previous_version}" ]]; then
+              echo "No earlier published Product version is available for resumed CLI acceptance" >&2
+              exit 1
+            fi
+          fi
+          temporary_dist_tag="rc-${GITHUB_RUN_ID}-${GITHUB_RUN_ATTEMPT}"
+          published_at=$(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.000Z')
           echo "package_name=${package_name}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
-          echo "version=${version}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
-          echo "previous_version=${previous_version}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
-          echo "candidate_tag=${candidate_tag}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
-          resume_candidate=false
-          if [[ -n "${REQUESTED_CANDIDATE_TAG}" ]]; then
-            resume_candidate=true
-          fi
-          echo "resume_candidate=${resume_candidate}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+          echo "version=${version}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+          echo "previous_version=${previous_version}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+          echo "candidate_tag=${candidate_tag}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+          echo "resume_candidate=${resume_candidate}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           echo "temporary_dist_tag=${temporary_dist_tag}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           echo "final_dist_tag=${final_dist_tag}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           echo "published_at=${published_at}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
diff --git a/scripts/github-workflows.test.ts b/scripts/github-workflows.test.ts
index 3c74b9da..c7a5e408 100644
--- a/scripts/github-workflows.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/github-workflows.test.ts
@@ -123,8 +123,12 @@ describe("Product publication workflow", () => {
       group: "product-production",
       "cancel-in-progress": false,
     });
-    expect(step(workflow.jobs.prepare, "Resolve immutable Product identity")?.run).toContain(
-      'if [[ -n "${REQUESTED_CANDIDATE_TAG}" ]]'
+    const identityStep = step(workflow.jobs.prepare, "Resolve immutable Product identity")?.run;
+    expect(identityStep).toContain('if [[ -n "${REQUESTED_CANDIDATE_TAG}" ]]');
+    expect(identityStep).toContain('"${previous_version}" == "${version}"');
+    expect(identityStep).toContain('npm view "${package_name}" versions --json');
+    expect(identityStep).toContain(
+      "No earlier published Product version is available for resumed CLI acceptance"
     );
     expect(JSON.stringify(workflow.on)).not.toContain("run_id");
     expect(existsSync(workflowPath("publish.yml"))).toBe(false);