diff --git a/required-symbols/check.sh b/required-symbols/check.sh
index f0727f9..797f024 100755
--- a/required-symbols/check.sh
+++ b/required-symbols/check.sh
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ PYVER=${VERSION}
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(dirname "$(realpath "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")")"
 
 WORK_DIR=""
-DOWNGRADED=false
+PKGS_MODIFIED=false
 
 cleanup() {
-    if [[ "$DOWNGRADED" == true ]]; then
+    if [[ "$PKGS_MODIFIED" == true ]]; then
         echo ""
-        echo "=== Reverting package downgrade ==="
+        echo "=== Reverting package changes ==="
         dnf history undo last -y 2>&1 || echo "WARNING: dnf history undo failed" >&2
     fi
     [[ -n "$WORK_DIR" ]] && rm -rf "$WORK_DIR"
@@ -53,14 +53,10 @@ WORK_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
 echo "=== Collecting PR build symbols ==="
 python${PYVER} "$SCRIPT_DIR/collect_symbols.py" "${SCAN_ARGS[@]}" > "$WORK_DIR/new.json"
 
-# Downgrade to the latest stable version in the distribution repos.
-# If no older version is available, there is nothing to compare against → skip.
 echo ""
 echo "=== Available repos ==="
 dnf repolist --all
 
-echo ""
-echo "=== Downgrading to the latest stable version in repos ==="
 # Discover packages dynamically from the installed source RPM so we don't need
 # to hardcode subpackage names — works regardless of which subpackages were built.
 readarray -t PKGS < <(
@@ -68,13 +64,24 @@ readarray -t PKGS < <(
     awk -v src="python${PYVER}" '$1 ~ "^" src "-[0-9]" { print $2 }' |
     sort -u
 )
-echo "Packages to downgrade: ${PKGS[*]}"
+echo "Packages to install from stable repos: ${PKGS[*]}"
 
-if ! dnf downgrade -y "${PKGS[@]}" 2>&1; then
-    echo "INFO: dnf downgrade failed or no stable version available; skipping comparison." >&2
-    exit 0
+# Install the stable version from distribution repos, excluding the artifact repo
+# that carries the PR build, so we always compare against what is publicly available.
+#
+# Strategy:
+#   1. dnf reinstall  — works when the PR did not bump NVR (same version in stable repos)
+#   2. dnf distro-sync — fallback when the PR bumped NVR; installs the latest stable NVR
+echo ""
+echo "=== Installing stable version from repos ==="
+if ! dnf reinstall -y --disablerepo=test-artifacts "${PKGS[@]}" 2>&1; then
+    echo "INFO: reinstall failed (NVR not in stable repos), falling back to distro-sync" >&2
+    if ! dnf distro-sync -y --disablerepo=test-artifacts "${PKGS[@]}" 2>&1; then
+        echo "INFO: distro-sync failed; no stable version available, skipping comparison." >&2
+        exit 0
+    fi
 fi
-DOWNGRADED=true
+PKGS_MODIFIED=true
 
 echo ""
 echo "=== Collecting stable version symbols ==="