diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f38c045..dad0758 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -111,11 +111,12 @@ Generate the complete production manifest set:
 just catalog-generate-production /srv/lanspread/packages
 ```
 
-The publisher independently reads and hashes each selected package twice before
-publication. Under a durable publication marker, it atomically replaces each
-manifest and writes the complete content index last. Interruption leaves the
-marker in place so later checks and builds fail closed instead of accepting a
-mixed generation.
+The publisher first checks every selected package's `version.ini` against
+`game.db`, then independently reads and hashes each selected package twice
+before publication. Under a durable publication marker, it atomically replaces
+each manifest and writes the complete content index last. Interruption leaves
+the marker in place so later checks and builds fail closed instead of accepting
+a mixed generation.
 
 Verify the published database/index/manifest set without rereading the package
 corpus:
diff --git a/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/mod.rs b/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/mod.rs
index e106f4d..9592d45 100644
--- a/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/mod.rs
@@ -120,6 +120,13 @@ pub async fn generate_catalog_manifests(
     let versions = catalog_versions(&catalog);
     reject_incomplete_publication(&options.manifests_dir)?;
     let selected = options.selection.select(&catalog)?;
+    for game in &selected {
+        package::validate_package_version(
+            &options.packages_dir.join(&game.game_id),
+            &game.game_version,
+        )
+        .wrap_err_with(|| format!("failed to preflight package version for {}", game.game_id))?;
+    }
     let prepared = selected
         .into_iter()
         .map(|game| prepare_manifest(game, options))
@@ -766,11 +773,13 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
-    async fn entire_selection_is_prepared_before_any_manifest_is_published() {
+    async fn entire_selection_versions_are_preflighted_before_archive_work() {
         let temp = TempDir::new();
         let catalog_db = temp.0.join("game.db");
         create_catalog(&catalog_db, &[("a", "20240101"), ("b", "20240102")]).await;
-        simple_package(&temp, "a", "20240101");
+        let a_package = simple_package(&temp, "a", "20240101");
+        fs::write(a_package.join("a.eti"), b"not an archive")
+            .expect("archive-shaped input should be written");
         simple_package(&temp, "b", "wrong-version");
         let manifests_dir = temp.0.join("manifests");
         fs::create_dir(&manifests_dir).expect("manifest directory should be created");
@@ -785,12 +794,17 @@ mod tests {
             selection: CatalogSelection::All,
         })
         .await
-        .expect_err("late package failure should reject the whole selection");
+        .expect_err("all versions should be checked before archive processing");
 
         assert!(
             error
                 .to_string()
-                .contains("failed to generate manifest for b")
+                .contains("failed to preflight package version for b"),
+            "unexpected error: {error:#}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            format!("{error:#}").contains("package version mismatch"),
+            "unexpected error: {error:#}"
         );
         assert_eq!(
             fs::read(existing).expect("existing artifact should remain readable"),
diff --git a/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/package.rs b/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/package.rs
index 43c1535..1ea4608 100644
--- a/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/package.rs
+++ b/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/package.rs
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ pub(super) fn validate_manifest_destination(path: &Path) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn validate_package_version(package_root: &Path, expected: &str) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+pub(super) fn validate_package_version(package_root: &Path, expected: &str) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let path = package_root.join("version.ini");
     let bytes = read_bounded_regular_file(&path, MAX_VERSION_INI_BYTES)?;
     let version = std::str::from_utf8(&bytes)