diff --git a/scripts/publish.js b/scripts/publish.js
index 62f2217b752bf..656c78d02cd83 100644
--- a/scripts/publish.js
+++ b/scripts/publish.js
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ const resetdeps = () => npm('run', 'resetdeps')
 
 const op = () => spawn('op', 'item', 'get', 'npm', '--otp', { out: true, ok: true })
 
-const getVersion = async (s) => {
-  const mani = await pacote.manifest(s, { preferOnline: true })
-  return mani.version
+const missingVersion = ({ name, version }) => {
+  const mani = await pacote.manifest(`${name}@${version}`, { preferOnline: true })
+    .catch(() => null)
+  return !mani
 }
+
 const getLatest = async (s) => {
   const pack = await pacote.packument(s, { preferOnline: true })
   return pack['dist-tags'].latest
@@ -35,9 +37,8 @@ const needsPublish = async ({ private, name, version }, { force, getTag }) => {
     return
   }
 
-  const tag = await getTag({ name, version })
-  if (force || version !== await getVersion(`${name}@${tag}`)) {
-    return tag
+  if (force || await missingVersion({ name, version })) {
+    return getTag({ name, version })
   }
 }