diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/varnish-exporter.yml b/.gitea/workflows/varnish-exporter.yml
index 8e7d1dc..e3086fe 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/varnish-exporter.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/varnish-exporter.yml
@@ -11,47 +11,69 @@ jobs:
   validate:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
-      build: ${{ steps.new_version.outputs.build }}
-      version: ${{ steps.new_version.outputs.version }}
+      build: ${{ steps.check_version.outputs.build }}
+      version: ${{ steps.check_version.outputs.version }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Get latest release version
-        id: new_version
+      - name: Check for latest release version
+        id: check_version
         run: |
-          CURRENT=`cat .version`
-          LATEST=`curl --silent https://api.github.com/repos/jonnenauha/prometheus_varnish_exporter/releases/latest | jq -r .tag_name | sed "s/v//"`
-          echo "current registered version: $CURRENT"
-          echo "latest version on remote repo: $LATEST"
-          echo "version=$LATEST" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          if awk "BEGIN {exit !($LATEST > $CURRENT)}"; then 
-            echo $LATEST > .version
-            echo "build=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          # Define version file specific to this exporter
+          VERSION_FILE=".varnish-exporter.version"
+          
+          # Initialize if missing
+          if [ ! -f "$VERSION_FILE" ]; then echo "0.0.0" > "$VERSION_FILE"; fi
+          
+          CURRENT=$(cat "$VERSION_FILE")
+          # Get latest tag. Fail silently on curl error, verify json output
+          LATEST=$(curl --silent --fail https://api.github.com/repos/jonnenauha/prometheus_varnish_exporter/releases/latest | jq -r .tag_name | sed "s/^v//")
+
+          if [ -z "$LATEST" ] || [ "$LATEST" = "null" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Failed to fetch latest version from GitHub"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          echo "Current local version: $CURRENT"
+          echo "Latest remote version: $LATEST"
+
+          # Version comparison using sort -V (Handles 1.10 > 1.9 correctly)
+          if [ "$CURRENT" != "$LATEST" ]; then
+            # Sort the two versions and take the last one (the highest)
+            NEWER=$(printf "%s\n%s" "$CURRENT" "$LATEST" | sort -V | tail -n1)
+            
+            if [ "$NEWER" = "$LATEST" ]; then
+              echo "New version detected: $LATEST"
+              echo "$LATEST" > "$VERSION_FILE"
+              echo "build=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+              echo "version=$LATEST" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+              echo "VERSION=$LATEST" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+            else
+              echo "Remote version ($LATEST) is not newer than local ($CURRENT). Skipping."
+              echo "build=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            fi
           else
+            echo "Up to date."
             echo "build=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           fi
-          echo "VERSION=`cat .version`" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - uses: stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action@v6
         with:
           branch: main
-          file_pattern: '.version'
+          file_pattern: '.varnish-exporter.version'
           commit_user_name: gitea-actions[bot]
           commit_user_email: no-reply@brainsys.io
-          commit_message: gitea-actions auto commit - update version
-          tagging_message: '${{ env.VERSION }}'
+          commit_message: "chore(varnish): update version to ${{ env.VERSION }}"
+          tagging_message: 'varnish-v${{ env.VERSION }}'
           push_options: '--force'
 
       - name: DEBUG - build value
-        run: echo "${{ steps.new_version.outputs.build }}"
-
-      - name: DEBUG - version value
-        run: echo "${{ steps.new_version.outputs.version }}"
+        run: echo "${{ steps.check_version.outputs.build }}"
 
   build:
     needs: validate
     if: needs.validate.outputs.build == 'true'
-    timeout-minutes: 2
+    #timeout-minutes: 2
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.version b/.version
deleted file mode 100644
index 9c6d629..0000000
--- a/.version
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-1.6.1