diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge.yml b/.github/workflows/merge.yml
index e3df88c17..1668b06bf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge.yml
@@ -40,12 +40,9 @@ jobs:
           PACKAGE_VERSION=$(python -c "import toml; print(toml.load('pyproject.toml')['project']['version'])")
           PACKAGE_NAME=$(python -c "import toml; print(toml.load('pyproject.toml')['project']['name'])")
 
-          # Use jq to check for the version in the releases object
-          EXISTING_VERSIONS=$(curl -s "https://pypi.org/pypi/$PACKAGE_NAME/json" | jq '.releases | keys[]')
-
           echo "Checking for package: $PACKAGE_NAME==$PACKAGE_VERSION"
 
-          if [[ "$EXISTING_VERSIONS" =~ "$PACKAGE_VERSION" ]]; then
+          if curl -s "https://pypi.org/pypi/$PACKAGE_NAME/json" | jq -r '.releases | keys[]' | grep -q "^$PACKAGE_VERSION$"; then
             echo "Package version already exists. Skipping upload."
             echo "should_publish=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           else
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify.yml b/.github/workflows/verify.yml
index 3b94a21ae..e4ee017af 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verify.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify.yml
@@ -261,13 +261,9 @@ jobs:
           . venv/bin/activate
           PACKAGE_VERSION=$(python -c "import toml; print(toml.load('pyproject.toml')['project']['version'])")
           PACKAGE_NAME=$(python -c "import toml; print(toml.load('pyproject.toml')['project']['name'])")
-
-          # Use jq to check for the version in the releases object
-          EXISTING_VERSIONS=$(curl -s "https://test.pypi.org/pypi/$PACKAGE_NAME/json" | jq '.releases | keys[]')
-
           echo "Checking for package: $PACKAGE_NAME==$PACKAGE_VERSION"
 
-          if [[ "$EXISTING_VERSIONS" =~ "$PACKAGE_VERSION" ]]; then
+          if curl -s "https://test.pypi.org/pypi/$PACKAGE_NAME/json" | jq -r '.releases | keys[]' | grep -q "^$PACKAGE_VERSION$"; then
             echo "Package version already exists. Skipping upload."
             echo "should_publish=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           else