diff --git a/src/specify_cli/workflows/_commands.py b/src/specify_cli/workflows/_commands.py
index 062b85116..5b48aed0a 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/workflows/_commands.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/workflows/_commands.py
@@ -789,11 +789,14 @@ def _install_workflow_from_catalog(
     registry: Any,
     workflows_dir: Path,
     workflow_id: str,
+    expected_version: str | None = None,
 ) -> None:
     """Download, validate, and register a catalog workflow.
 
     Shared by ``workflow add`` and ``workflow update``. Raises ``typer.Exit``
     on any failure; the registry entry is only written on full success.
+    ``expected_version``, when given, rejects a downloaded workflow whose
+    version does not match the catalog version that triggered the install.
     """
     from .catalog import WorkflowCatalog, WorkflowCatalogError
     from .engine import WorkflowDefinition
@@ -928,6 +931,25 @@ def _install_workflow_from_catalog(
         )
         raise typer.Exit(1)
 
+    # A stale or misconfigured URL can serve a different version than the
+    # catalog advertised; without this check `update` would report success
+    # while leaving the old version installed (or even downgrading).
+    if expected_version is not None:
+        from packaging import version as pkg_version
+        try:
+            version_matches = pkg_version.Version(str(definition.version)) == pkg_version.Version(expected_version)
+        except pkg_version.InvalidVersion:
+            version_matches = str(definition.version) == expected_version
+        if not version_matches:
+            import shutil
+            shutil.rmtree(workflow_dir, ignore_errors=True)
+            console.print(
+                f"[red]Error:[/red] Downloaded workflow version ({_escape_markup(str(definition.version))}) "
+                f"does not match the catalog version ({_escape_markup(expected_version)}). "
+                f"The catalog entry may be stale or misconfigured."
+            )
+            raise typer.Exit(1)
+
     entry = {
         "name": definition.name or info.get("name", workflow_id),
         "version": definition.version or info.get("version", "0.0.0"),
@@ -1109,7 +1131,10 @@ def workflow_update(
             wf_dir = _safe_workflow_id_dir(workflows_dir, update["id"])
             wf_file = wf_dir / "workflow.yml"
             backup = wf_file.read_bytes() if wf_file.is_file() else None
-            _install_workflow_from_catalog(project_root, registry, workflows_dir, update["id"])
+            _install_workflow_from_catalog(
+                project_root, registry, workflows_dir, update["id"],
+                expected_version=update["available"],
+            )
         except (typer.Exit, OSError) as exc:
             if backup is not None and wf_dir is not None and wf_file is not None:
                 try:
diff --git a/tests/test_workflows.py b/tests/test_workflows.py
index 96c2449d5..0725db8d9 100644
--- a/tests/test_workflows.py
+++ b/tests/test_workflows.py
@@ -7660,6 +7660,54 @@ steps:
         # The previously installed workflow must survive.
         assert "1.0.0" in (wf_dir / "workflow.yml").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
 
+    def test_update_rejects_version_mismatch_from_stale_url(self, project_dir, monkeypatch):
+        """A URL serving a different version than the catalog advertised must fail the update."""
+        from unittest.mock import patch
+        from typer.testing import CliRunner
+        from specify_cli import app
+        from specify_cli.workflows.catalog import WorkflowCatalog, WorkflowRegistry
+
+        monkeypatch.chdir(project_dir)
+        WorkflowRegistry(project_dir).add("align-wf", {
+            "name": "Align Workflow",
+            "version": "1.0.0",
+            "description": "CLI alignment test workflow",
+            "source": "catalog",
+            "catalog_name": "test-catalog",
+            "url": "https://example.com/workflow.yml",
+        })
+        wf_dir = project_dir / ".specify" / "workflows" / "align-wf"
+        wf_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+        (wf_dir / "workflow.yml").write_text(
+            self.WORKFLOW_YAML.format(version="1.0.0"), encoding="utf-8"
+        )
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            WorkflowCatalog,
+            "get_workflow_info",
+            lambda self, wid: {
+                "id": wid,
+                "name": "Align Workflow",
+                "version": "2.0.0",
+                "url": "https://example.com/workflow.yml",
+                "_install_allowed": True,
+                "_catalog_name": "test-catalog",
+            },
+        )
+        # The URL still serves the old 1.0.0 payload.
+        data = self.WORKFLOW_YAML.format(version="1.0.0").encode()
+        runner = CliRunner()
+        with patch(
+            "specify_cli.authentication.http.open_url",
+            side_effect=lambda url, timeout=None, extra_headers=None: self._FakeResponse(data, url),
+        ):
+            result = runner.invoke(app, ["workflow", "update"], input="y\n")
+        assert "does not match the catalog version" in result.output
+        assert "Failed to update" in result.output
+        meta = WorkflowRegistry(project_dir).get("align-wf")
+        assert meta["version"] == "1.0.0"
+        assert "1.0.0" in (wf_dir / "workflow.yml").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
     def test_update_preserves_disabled_state(self, project_dir, monkeypatch):
         from unittest.mock import patch
         from typer.testing import CliRunner