diff --git a/src/common.c b/src/common.c
index 96f5cac6..52aa0ee6 100644
--- a/src/common.c
+++ b/src/common.c
@@ -471,11 +471,15 @@ release_get_latest(void)
 }
 
 gboolean
-release_is_new(char* found_version)
+release_is_new(const char* const curr_version, const char* const found_version)
 {
+    if (!curr_version || !found_version) {
+        return FALSE;
+    }
+
     int curr_maj, curr_min, curr_patch, found_maj, found_min, found_patch;
 
-    int parse_curr = sscanf(PACKAGE_VERSION, "%d.%d.%d", &curr_maj, &curr_min,
+    int parse_curr = sscanf(curr_version, "%d.%d.%d", &curr_maj, &curr_min,
                             &curr_patch);
     int parse_found = sscanf(found_version, "%d.%d.%d", &found_maj, &found_min,
                              &found_patch);
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index d7c7baa9..6d4c0007 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ gboolean string_matches_one_of(const char* what, const char* is, gboolean is_can
 gboolean valid_tls_policy_option(const char* is);
 
 char* release_get_latest(void);
-gboolean release_is_new(char* found_version);
+gboolean release_is_new(const char* const curr_version, const char* const found_version);
 
 char* strip_arg_quotes(const char* const input);
 gboolean is_notify_enabled(void);
diff --git a/src/ui/console.c b/src/ui/console.c
index 9302b9d3..bea715ac 100644
--- a/src/ui/console.c
+++ b/src/ui/console.c
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ cons_check_version(gboolean not_available_msg)
     gboolean relase_valid = g_regex_match_simple("^\\d+\\.\\d+\\.\\d+$", latest_release, 0, 0);
 
     if (relase_valid) {
-        if (release_is_new(latest_release)) {
+        if (release_is_new(PACKAGE_VERSION, latest_release)) {
             win_println(console, THEME_DEFAULT, "-", "A new version of Profanity is available: %s", latest_release);
             win_println(console, THEME_DEFAULT, "-", "Check <https://profanity-im.github.io> for details.");
             win_println(console, THEME_DEFAULT, "-", "");
diff --git a/tests/unittests/test_common.c b/tests/unittests/test_common.c
index 40912679..8926e57f 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/test_common.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/test_common.c
@@ -936,6 +936,42 @@ get_mentions_tests(void** state)
     g_slist_free(expected); expected = NULL;
 }
 
+void
+release_is_new_tests(void** state)
+{
+    // Higher major version
+    assert_true(release_is_new("0.16.0", "1.0.0"));
+    // Higher minor version
+    assert_true(release_is_new("0.16.0", "0.17.0"));
+    // Higher patch version
+    assert_true(release_is_new("0.16.0", "0.16.1"));
+
+    // Same version
+    assert_false(release_is_new("0.16.0", "0.16.0"));
+
+    // Lower major version
+    assert_false(release_is_new("0.16.0", "0.15.9"));
+    // Lower minor version
+    assert_false(release_is_new("0.16.0", "0.15.0"));
+    // Lower patch version
+    assert_false(release_is_new("0.16.1", "0.16.0"));
+
+    // Higher version but with different current versions
+    assert_true(release_is_new("1.2.3", "1.2.4"));
+    assert_true(release_is_new("1.2.3", "1.3.0"));
+    assert_true(release_is_new("1.2.3", "2.0.0"));
+
+    // Malformed version strings
+    assert_false(release_is_new("0.16.0", "0.16"));      // Missing patch in found
+    assert_false(release_is_new("0.16", "0.16.0"));      // Missing patch in curr
+    assert_false(release_is_new("0.16.0", "0.16.0.1"));  // Extra part
+
+    assert_false(release_is_new("0.16.0", "abc.def.ghi"));
+    assert_false(release_is_new("0.16.0", ""));
+    assert_false(release_is_new(NULL, "1.0.0"));
+    assert_false(release_is_new("1.0.0", NULL));
+}
+
 void
 prof_whole_occurrences_tests(void** state)
 {
diff --git a/tests/unittests/test_common.h b/tests/unittests/test_common.h
index 04c9453c..6229d54a 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/test_common.h
+++ b/tests/unittests/test_common.h
@@ -44,3 +44,4 @@ void test_strtoi_range_null_err_msg(void** state);
 void test_string_matches_one_of_edge_cases(void** state);
 void test_valid_tls_policy_option(void** state);
 void get_mentions_tests(void** state);
+void release_is_new_tests(void** state);
diff --git a/tests/unittests/unittests.c b/tests/unittests/unittests.c
index 1b054eeb..8bf25b9b 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/unittests.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/unittests.c
@@ -635,6 +635,7 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[])
         cmocka_unit_test(prof_whole_occurrences_tests),
         cmocka_unit_test(prof_occurrences_of_large_message_tests),
         cmocka_unit_test(get_mentions_tests),
+        cmocka_unit_test(release_is_new_tests),
 
         cmocka_unit_test_setup_teardown(returns_no_commands,
                                         load_preferences,