diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 896563025e..b184370a3a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ jobs:
           test_required=$(./script/upgrades.sh test-required ${{ env.RELEASE_TAG }})
           echo "TEST_REQUIRED=$test_required" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: run test
-        if: env.TEST_REQUIRED == 'true'
+        if: env.TEST_REQUIRED != ''
         env:
           UPGRADE_BINARY_VERSION: ${{ env.RELEASE_TAG }}
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
index febe345b61..b491cd1b96 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Ensure only directories exists in upgrades dir
         run: |
           dir=./upgrades/software
-          if [[ $(find "$dir" ! -path "$dir"  -maxdepth 1 -type f | wc -c) -ne 0 ]]; then
+          if [[ $(find "$dir" ! -path "$dir" -maxdepth 1 -type f | wc -c) -ne 0 ]]; then
               echo "$dir must contain only directories"
               exit 1
           fi
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ jobs:
           dir=./upgrades/software
           while read upgrade; do
               ./script/semver.sh validate "$upgrade"
-          done <<< $(find "$dir" ! -path "$dir"  -maxdepth 1 -type d -exec basename {} \;)
+          done <<< $(find "$dir" ! -path "$dir" -maxdepth 1 -type d -exec basename {} \;)
   network-upgrade:
     runs-on: upgrade-tester
     steps:
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "TEST_REQUIRED=$test_required" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: run test
         id: test
-        if: env.TEST_REQUIRED == 'true'
+        if: env.TEST_REQUIRED != ''
         run: |
           cd tests/upgrade
           make test
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1ee9da4bfc..a78ddc6871 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ GIT_HEAD_COMMIT_LONG  := $(shell git log -1 --format='%H')
 GIT_HEAD_COMMIT_SHORT := $(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD)
 GIT_HEAD_ABBREV       := $(shell git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
 
-RELEASE_TAG           ?= $(shell git describe --tags --abbrev=0)
 IS_PREREL             := $(shell $(ROOT_DIR)/script/is_prerelease.sh "$(RELEASE_TAG)" && echo "true" || echo "false")
 IS_MAINNET            := $(shell $(ROOT_DIR)/script/mainnet-from-tag.sh "$(RELEASE_TAG)" && echo "true" || echo "false")
 IS_STABLE             ?= false
diff --git a/make/init.mk b/make/init.mk
index 4a012c02e7..6cbe0f7d4b 100644
--- a/make/init.mk
+++ b/make/init.mk
@@ -69,4 +69,6 @@ GOLANGCI_LINT                    := $(AKASH_DEVCACHE_BIN)/golangci-lint
 STATIK                           := $(AKASH_DEVCACHE_BIN)/statik
 COSMOVISOR                       := $(AKASH_DEVCACHE_BIN)/cosmovisor
 
+RELEASE_TAG           ?= $(shell git describe --tags --abbrev=0)
+
 include $(AKASH_ROOT)/make/setup-cache.mk
diff --git a/make/test-upgrade.mk b/make/test-upgrade.mk
index 48a999012b..2c5ddd5c37 100644
--- a/make/test-upgrade.mk
+++ b/make/test-upgrade.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ export AKASH_LOG_COLOR          = true
 
 KEY_OPTS                := --keyring-backend=$(AKASH_KEYRING_BACKEND)
 KEY_NAME                ?= validator
-UPGRADE_TO              ?= v0.26.0
+UPGRADE_TO              ?= $(shell $(ROOT_DIR)/script/upgrades.sh test-required $(RELEASE_TAG))
+# v0.28.0
 UPGRADE_FROM            := $(shell cat $(ROOT_DIR)/meta.json | jq -r --arg name $(UPGRADE_TO) '.upgrades[$$name].from_version' | tr -d '\n')
 GENESIS_BINARY_VERSION  := $(shell cat $(ROOT_DIR)/meta.json | jq -r --arg name $(UPGRADE_TO) '.upgrades[$$name].from_binary' | tr -d '\n')
 UPGRADE_BINARY_VERSION  ?= local
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ test: $(COSMOVISOR) init
 
 .PHONY: test-reset
 test-reset:
-	$(ROOT_DIR)/script/upgrades.sh --workdir=$(AP_RUN_DIR) --uname=$(UPGRADE_TO) --config="$(PWD)/config.json" clean
+	$(ROOT_DIR)/script/upgrades.sh --workdir=$(AP_RUN_DIR) --config="$(PWD)/config.json" clean
 
 .PHONY: clean
 clean:
diff --git a/script/upgrades.sh b/script/upgrades.sh
index fa7671093f..f2f6fa1c6f 100755
--- a/script/upgrades.sh
+++ b/script/upgrades.sh
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ test-required)
     # current git reference is matching upgrade name. looks like release has been cut
     # so lets run the last test
     if [[ "$curr_ref" == "$upgrade_name" ]]; then
-        echo -e "true"
+        echo -e "$upgrade_name"
         exit 0
     fi
 
@@ -371,11 +371,7 @@ test-required)
         fi
     done
 
-    if [[ "$upgrade_name" == "" ]]; then
-        echo -n "false"
-    else
-        echo -n "true"
-    fi
+    echo -n "$upgrade_name"
 
     exit 0
     ;;
diff --git a/tests/upgrade/upgrade_test.go b/tests/upgrade/upgrade_test.go
index 2f1e2994c7..f4e1b99f38 100644
--- a/tests/upgrade/upgrade_test.go
+++ b/tests/upgrade/upgrade_test.go
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ loop:
 						l.t.Log("no post upgrade handlers found. submitting shutdown")
 						_ = bus.Publish(postUpgradeTestDone{})
 
-						break loop
+						break
 					}
 
 					l.t.Log("running post upgrade test handler")
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@ loop:
 					})
 				}
 			case postUpgradeTestDone:
+				l.t.Log("shutting down validator(s)")
 				for _, val := range l.validators {
 					_ = val.pubsub.Publish(eventShutdown{})
 				}
@@ -1055,7 +1056,8 @@ loop:
 	}
 
 	for name, module := range migrations {
-		if module.status == testModuleStatusChecked {
+		switch module.status {
+		case testModuleStatusChecked:
 			if !module.expected.compare(module.actual) {
 				merr := fmt.Sprintf("migration for module (%s) finished with mismatched versions:\n"+
 					"\texpected:\n"+
@@ -1070,8 +1072,11 @@ loop:
 
 				errs = append(errs, merr)
 			}
-		} else {
-			merr := fmt.Sprintf("detected unexpected pmigration in module (%s)", name)
+		case testModuleStatusNotChecked:
+			merr := fmt.Sprintf("required migration for module module (%s) was not detected", name)
+			errs = append(errs, merr)
+		case testModuleStatusUnexpected:
+			merr := fmt.Sprintf("detected unexpected migration in module (%s)", name)
 			errs = append(errs, merr)
 		}
 	}