diff --git a/.github/workflows/push.yaml b/.github/workflows/push.yaml
index 2f867ade..cc08221a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/push.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/push.yaml
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ jobs:
           VERSION: ${{ needs.prepare.outputs.version }}
         run: |
           cp sc.sh .sc/stacks/dist/bundle/sc.sh
-          sed -i -e 's/VERSION="0\.0\.0"/VERSION="${VERSION}"/g' .sc/stacks/dist/bundle/sc.sh
+          sed -i -e "s/VERSION=\"0\\.0\\.0\"/VERSION=\"${VERSION}\"/" .sc/stacks/dist/bundle/sc.sh
           echo "${VERSION}" > .sc/stacks/dist/bundle/version
       # Sign the post-template sc.sh that will land on dist.simple-container.com.
       # Signing the *post-sed* artifact is intentional: consumers verify the
diff --git a/sc.sh b/sc.sh
index 17aff144..9686cad0 100755
--- a/sc.sh
+++ b/sc.sh
@@ -62,6 +62,16 @@ compareNumber() {
     printf "%s" "0"
     return
   fi
+  # Guard: empty first arg means second is "greater" (newer)
+  if [ -z "$1" ]; then
+    printf "%s" "-1"
+    return
+  fi
+  # Guard: empty second arg means first is "greater"
+  if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+    printf "%s" "1"
+    return
+  fi
 
   [ $(($2 - $1)) -gt 0 ] && printf "%s" "-1"
   [ $(($2 - $1)) -lt 0 ] && printf "1"
@@ -708,7 +718,7 @@ FORCE_UPDATE="true"
 fi
 
 VERSION_COMPARE="1"
-if [[ "$CURRENT" != "null" ]]; then
+if [[ "$CURRENT" != "null" && -n "$VERSION" ]]; then
   VERSION_COMPARE="$(semver_compare "$VERSION" "$CURRENT" || echo "1")"
 fi