diff --git a/first-class-pipeline/src/com/freeleaps/devops/SemanticReleasingExecutor.groovy b/first-class-pipeline/src/com/freeleaps/devops/SemanticReleasingExecutor.groovy
index 0c174cdd..958912e2 100644
--- a/first-class-pipeline/src/com/freeleaps/devops/SemanticReleasingExecutor.groovy
+++ b/first-class-pipeline/src/com/freeleaps/devops/SemanticReleasingExecutor.groovy
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ class SemanticReleasingExecutor {
         steps.writeFile file: '.releaserc.json', text: steps.libraryResource(config)
         steps.sh "git config --global --add safe.directory ${steps.env.workroot}"
         steps.env.GIT_LOCAL_BRANCH = "${branch}"
+
+        // Store the version before semantic release
+        def previousVersion = ""
+        def versionFileExistsBefore = steps.sh(script: 'test -f "VERSION"', returnStatus: true) == 0
+        if (versionFileExistsBefore) {
+          previousVersion = steps.readFile('VERSION').trim()
+          steps.log.info("SemanticReleasingExecutor", "Previous version: ${previousVersion}")
+        }
+
         steps.sh """
           #!/bin/bash
           semantic-release
@@ -37,21 +46,20 @@ class SemanticReleasingExecutor {
 
         // check if VERSION file exists
         def versionFileExists = steps.sh(script: 'test -f "VERSION"', returnStatus: true) == 0
-        def recentlyModified = false
-        if (versionFileExists) {
-          // check if VERSION file was modified recently (within last minute)
-          def modTime = steps.sh(script: 'stat -c %Y "VERSION"', returnStdout: true).trim() as Long
-          def currentTime = System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000
-          recentlyModified = (currentTime - modTime) < 60
-        }
+        def released = false
 
-        def released = versionFileExists && recentlyModified
-        if (released) {
-          steps.env.LATEST_VERSION = steps.readFile('VERSION').trim()
-          steps.env.SEMANTIC_RELEASED = true
-          steps.log.info("SemanticReleasingExecutor", "Semantic release completed, version: ${steps.env.LATEST_VERSION}")
-        } else if (versionFileExists) {
-          steps.log.warn("SemanticReleasingExecutor", "VERSION file exists but was not modified recently, skipping release")
+        if (versionFileExists) {
+          def currentVersion = steps.readFile('VERSION').trim()
+          released = !versionFileExistsBefore || (currentVersion != previousVersion)
+          if (released) {
+            steps.env.LATEST_VERSION = steps.readFile('VERSION').trim()
+            steps.env.SEMANTIC_RELEASED = true
+            steps.log.info("SemanticReleasingExecutor", "Semantic release completed, version: ${steps.env.LATEST_VERSION}")
+          } else {
+            steps.log.warn("SemanticReleasingExecutor", "No new version released, current version remains: ${currentVersion}")
+          }
+        } else {
+          steps.log.warn("SemanticReleasingExecutor", "VERSION file not found, semantic release may have failed ?")
         }
       }
     }