diff --git a/github/check.gitea.update b/github/check.gitea.update
index b7413b3..47dccd5 100755
--- a/github/check.gitea.update
+++ b/github/check.gitea.update
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ DEBUG=1
 script_wd=$(dirname "${0}")
 
 gitea_repo_url="https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea"
-gitea_new_version=$("${script_wd}"/releasetags "${gitea_repo_url}" | grep --invert-match --extended-regexp -- '(dev|rc)' | head --lines=1 | sed 's/v//')
+gitea_new_version=$("${script_wd}"/releasetags "${gitea_repo_url}" | grep --invert-match --extended-regexp -- '(dev|rc|^$)' | head --lines=1 | sed 's/v//')
 
 gitea_new_version_file="/tmp/.github.gitea.upgrade"