diff --git a/.github/actions/publish-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/publish-release/action.yml
index f13867ab61..63fbb22842 100644
--- a/.github/actions/publish-release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/publish-release/action.yml
@@ -197,6 +197,29 @@ runs:
       run: |
         node ${{ github.workspace }}/scripts/prepare-npm-release.js
 
+    - name: '📦 Pack CLI for verification'
+      if: "inputs.dry-run != 'true' && inputs.force-skip-tests != 'true'"
+      working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
+      shell: 'bash'
+      run: |
+        npm pack --workspace="${INPUTS_CLI_PACKAGE_NAME}"
+        # We restore the package.json so that `npm ci` in verify-release doesn't fail due to deleted dependencies
+        git checkout packages/cli/package.json
+      env:
+        INPUTS_CLI_PACKAGE_NAME: '${{ inputs.cli-package-name }}'
+
+    - name: '🔬 Verify NPM release by version'
+      uses: './.github/actions/verify-release'
+      if: "${{ inputs.dry-run != 'true' && inputs.force-skip-tests != 'true' }}"
+      with:
+        npm-package: './google-gemini-cli-${{ inputs.release-version }}.tgz'
+        expected-version: '${{ inputs.release-version }}'
+        working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
+        gemini_api_key: '${{ inputs.gemini_api_key }}'
+        github-token: '${{ inputs.github-token }}'
+        npm-registry-url: '${{ inputs.npm-registry-url }}'
+        npm-registry-scope: '${{ inputs.npm-registry-scope }}'
+
     - name: 'Get CLI Token'
       uses: './.github/actions/npm-auth-token'
       id: 'cli-token'
@@ -213,12 +236,19 @@ runs:
         NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: '${{ steps.cli-token.outputs.auth-token }}'
         INPUTS_DRY_RUN: '${{ inputs.dry-run }}'
         INPUTS_CLI_PACKAGE_NAME: '${{ inputs.cli-package-name }}'
+        INPUTS_RELEASE_VERSION: '${{ inputs.release-version }}'
       shell: 'bash'
       run: |
+        if [ -f "google-gemini-cli-${INPUTS_RELEASE_VERSION}.tgz" ]; then
+          PUBLISH_TARGET="google-gemini-cli-${INPUTS_RELEASE_VERSION}.tgz"
+        else
+          PUBLISH_TARGET="--workspace=${INPUTS_CLI_PACKAGE_NAME}"
+        fi
+
         npm publish \
           --ignore-scripts \
           --dry-run="${INPUTS_DRY_RUN}" \
-          --workspace="${INPUTS_CLI_PACKAGE_NAME}" \
+          ${PUBLISH_TARGET} \
           --tag staging-tmp
         if [[ "${INPUTS_DRY_RUN}" == "false" ]]; then
           npm dist-tag rm ${INPUTS_CLI_PACKAGE_NAME} staging-tmp
@@ -252,18 +282,6 @@ runs:
             npm dist-tag rm ${INPUTS_A2A_PACKAGE_NAME} staging-tmp
           fi
 
-    - name: '🔬 Verify NPM release by version'
-      uses: './.github/actions/verify-release'
-      if: "${{ inputs.dry-run != 'true' && inputs.force-skip-tests != 'true' }}"
-      with:
-        npm-package: '${{ inputs.cli-package-name }}@${{ inputs.release-version }}'
-        expected-version: '${{ inputs.release-version }}'
-        working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
-        gemini_api_key: '${{ inputs.gemini_api_key }}'
-        github-token: '${{ inputs.github-token }}'
-        npm-registry-url: '${{ inputs.npm-registry-url }}'
-        npm-registry-scope: '${{ inputs.npm-registry-scope }}'
-
     - name: '🏷️ Tag release'
       uses: './.github/actions/tag-npm-release'
       with:
diff --git a/.github/actions/verify-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/verify-release/action.yml
index 122802a9ab..92e7690ae5 100644
--- a/.github/actions/verify-release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/verify-release/action.yml
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ runs:
       shell: 'bash'
       working-directory: '${{ inputs.working-directory }}'
       run: |-
-        gemini_version=$(npx --prefer-online "${INPUTS_NPM_PACKAGE}" --version)
+        gemini_version=$(npx --yes --prefer-online "${INPUTS_NPM_PACKAGE}" --version)
         if [ "$gemini_version" != "${INPUTS_EXPECTED_VERSION}" ]; then
           echo "❌ NPX Run Version mismatch: Got $gemini_version from ${INPUTS_NPM_PACKAGE}, expected ${INPUTS_EXPECTED_VERSION}"
           exit 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-promote.yml b/.github/workflows/release-promote.yml
index 2b703bff7a..d6f0854e33 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-promote.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-promote.yml
@@ -106,7 +106,9 @@ jobs:
           echo "NIGHTLY_JSON: ${NIGHTLY_JSON}"
           echo "STABLE_VERSION=${STABLE_VERSION}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           # shellcheck disable=SC1083
-          echo "STABLE_SHA=$(git rev-parse "$(echo "${PREVIEW_JSON}" | jq -r .previousReleaseTag)"^{commit})" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+          PREVIOUS_PREVIEW_TAG=$(echo "${PREVIEW_JSON}" | jq -r .previousReleaseTag)
+          STABLE_SHA=$(git rev-parse "${PREVIOUS_PREVIEW_TAG}^{commit}")
+          echo "STABLE_SHA=${STABLE_SHA}" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           echo "PREVIOUS_STABLE_TAG=$(echo "${STABLE_JSON}" | jq -r .previousReleaseTag)" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           echo "PREVIEW_VERSION=$(echo "${PREVIEW_JSON}" | jq -r .releaseVersion)" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
           # shellcheck disable=SC1083
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-rollback.yml b/.github/workflows/release-rollback.yml
index 1de277d172..56af1d6e66 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-rollback.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-rollback.yml
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ jobs:
           ORIGIN_TAG: '${{ steps.origin_tag.outputs.ORIGIN_TAG }}'
         shell: 'bash'
         run: |
-          echo "ORIGIN_HASH=$(git rev-parse "${ORIGIN_TAG}")" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          ORIGIN_HASH=$(git rev-parse "${ORIGIN_TAG}")
+          echo "ORIGIN_HASH=${ORIGIN_HASH}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: 'Change tag'
         if: "${{ github.event.inputs.rollback_destination != '' }}"
diff --git a/scripts/get-release-version.js b/scripts/get-release-version.js
index 019280aadf..e1cbf797e8 100644
--- a/scripts/get-release-version.js
+++ b/scripts/get-release-version.js
@@ -159,12 +159,37 @@ function detectRollbackAndGetBaseline({ args, npmDistTag } = {}) {
   // Sort by semver to get a list from highest to lowest
   matchingVersions.sort((a, b) => semver.rcompare(a, b));
 
-  // Find the highest non-deprecated version
+  // Find the highest non-deprecated version with a git tag
   let highestExistingVersion = '';
   for (const version of matchingVersions) {
     if (!isVersionDeprecated({ version, args })) {
-      highestExistingVersion = version;
-      break; // Found the one we want
+      try {
+        // Only consider versions that have a corresponding git tag.
+        // This prevents picking up versions that were published to NPM but failed before the github release/tag.
+        let tagExists = false;
+        try {
+          execSync(`git rev-parse v${version}^{commit} 2>/dev/null`);
+          tagExists = true;
+        } catch {
+          const remoteTag = execSync(
+            `git ls-remote --tags origin refs/tags/v${version} 2>/dev/null`,
+          )
+            .toString()
+            .trim();
+          if (remoteTag) {
+            tagExists = true;
+          }
+        }
+        if (!tagExists) {
+          throw new Error(`Tag v${version} not found`);
+        }
+        highestExistingVersion = version;
+        break; // Found the one we want
+      } catch {
+        console.error(
+          `Ignoring version ${version} because it lacks a git tag (likely a failed release).`,
+        );
+      }
     } else {
       console.error(`Ignoring deprecated version: ${version}`);
     }