diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 8463918..4691aa5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -91,11 +91,16 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash
         run: |
           RELEASE_VERSION=$(awk -F ' = ' '$1 ~ /version/ { gsub(/["]/, "", $2); printf("%s",$2) }' Cargo.toml)
-          OLD_VERSION=$(awk -F ' = ' '$1 ~ /version/ { gsub(/["]/, "", $2); printf("%s",$2) }' <<< "$(git show HEAD~1:Cargo.toml)")
-
-          echo "RELEASE_VERSION=$RELEASE_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          latest=$(curl https://api.github.com/repos/ThePrimeagen/htmx-lsp/releases/latest)
 
+          # no releases, default to 0.0.0
+          if [[ "$latest" == *"Not Found"* ]]; then
+              OLD_VERSION="0.0.0"
+          else
+              OLD_VERSION=$( echo $latest | grep "tag_name" | cut -d'"' -f4 )
+          fi
 
+          echo "RELEASE_VERSION=$RELEASE_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV
           echo "$OLD_VERSION -> $RELEASE_VERSION"
 
           if [[ "$RELEASE_VERSION" == "$OLD_VERSION" ]]; then