diff --git a/setupsrc/pypdfium2_setup/autorelease_conda_raw.py b/setupsrc/pypdfium2_setup/autorelease_conda_raw.py
index 9cbb07147..5379de55c 100644
--- a/setupsrc/pypdfium2_setup/autorelease_conda_raw.py
+++ b/setupsrc/pypdfium2_setup/autorelease_conda_raw.py
@@ -12,10 +12,13 @@
 
 def main():
     
+    # FIXME we currently traverse the whole list with max() - any chance of (elegantly) avoiding this while maintaining inherent correctness?
+    
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("--pdfium-ver", default=None)
     args = parser.parse_args()
-    if not args.pdfium_ver or args.pdfium_ver == "latest":
+    is_literal_latest = args.pdfium_ver == "latest"
+    if not args.pdfium_ver or is_literal_latest:
         args.pdfium_ver = PdfiumVer.get_latest()
     else:
         args.pdfium_ver = int(args.pdfium_ver)
@@ -24,8 +27,10 @@ def main():
     search = run_cmd(["conda", "search", "--json", "pypdfium2_raw", "--override-channels", "-c", "pypdfium2-team"], cwd=None, capture=True)
     search = reversed(json.loads(search)["pypdfium2_raw"])
     
+    if is_literal_latest:
+        assert args.pdfium_ver > max([int(d["version"]) for d in search]), "Literal latest must resolve to a new version. This is done to avoid rebuilds without new version in scheduled releases. If you want to rebuild, omit --pdfium-ver or pass the resolved value."
+    
     # determine build number
-    # TODO `search` seems to be ordered by date, so we could probably break the iteration when we find a matching version. though for a new version, we have to traverse the full list anyway...
     build = max([d["build_number"] for d in search if int(d["version"]) == args.pdfium_ver], default=None)
     build = 0 if build is None else build+1
     print(build, file=sys.stderr)