diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 23c3836c4..f6a715826 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: true
       matrix:
         os:  [ubuntu, macos]
-        version: ["3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12", "3.13"]
+        version: ["3.10", "3.11", "3.12", "3.13"]
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}-latest
     steps:
       - uses: answerdotai/workflows/nbdev-ci@master
diff --git a/nbdev/release.py b/nbdev/release.py
index 747498765..51852ba5e 100644
--- a/nbdev/release.py
+++ b/nbdev/release.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from ghapi.core import *
 
 from datetime import datetime
+from packaging.version import Version
 import shutil,subprocess
 
 from .doclinks import *
@@ -71,8 +72,11 @@ def changelog(self:Release,
     "Create the CHANGELOG.md file, or return the proposed text if `debug` is `True`"
     if not self.changefile.exists(): self.changefile.write_text("# Release notes\n\n<!-- do not remove -->\n")
     marker = '<!-- do not remove -->\n'
-    try: self.commit_date = self.gh.repos.get_latest_release().published_at
-    except HTTP404NotFoundError: self.commit_date = '2000-01-01T00:00:004Z'
+    try: self.commit_date = (lr:=self.gh.repos.get_latest_release()).published_at
+    except HTTP404NotFoundError: lr,self.commit_date = None,'2000-01-01T00:00:004Z'
+    if lr and (Version(self.cfg.version) <= Version(lr.tag_name)): 
+        print(f'Error: Version bump required: expected: >{lr.tag_name}, got: {self.cfg.version}.')
+        raise SystemExit(1)
     res = f"\n## {self.cfg.version}\n"
     issues = self._issue_groups()
     res += '\n'.join(_issues_txt(*o) for o in zip(issues, self.groups.values()))
diff --git a/nbs/api/18_release.ipynb b/nbs/api/18_release.ipynb
index 98097d501..6735da610 100644
--- a/nbs/api/18_release.ipynb
+++ b/nbs/api/18_release.ipynb
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@
     "from ghapi.core import *\n",
     "\n",
     "from datetime import datetime\n",
+    "from packaging.version import Version\n",
     "import shutil,subprocess\n",
     "\n",
     "from nbdev.doclinks import *"
@@ -285,8 +286,11 @@
     "    \"Create the CHANGELOG.md file, or return the proposed text if `debug` is `True`\"\n",
     "    if not self.changefile.exists(): self.changefile.write_text(\"# Release notes\\n\\n<!-- do not remove -->\\n\")\n",
     "    marker = '<!-- do not remove -->\\n'\n",
-    "    try: self.commit_date = self.gh.repos.get_latest_release().published_at\n",
-    "    except HTTP404NotFoundError: self.commit_date = '2000-01-01T00:00:004Z'\n",
+    "    try: self.commit_date = (lr:=self.gh.repos.get_latest_release()).published_at\n",
+    "    except HTTP404NotFoundError: lr,self.commit_date = None,'2000-01-01T00:00:004Z'\n",
+    "    if lr and (Version(self.cfg.version) <= Version(lr.tag_name)): \n",
+    "        print(f'Error: Version bump required: expected: >{lr.tag_name}, got: {self.cfg.version}.')\n",
+    "        raise SystemExit(1)\n",
     "    res = f\"\\n## {self.cfg.version}\\n\"\n",
     "    issues = self._issue_groups()\n",
     "    res += '\\n'.join(_issues_txt(*o) for o in zip(issues, self.groups.values()))\n",
@@ -867,13 +871,6 @@
     "#| hide\n",
     "import nbdev; nbdev.nbdev_export()"
    ]
-  },
-  {
-   "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {},
-   "outputs": [],
-   "source": []
   }
  ],
  "metadata": {