diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 59cc085..450f2d7 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -47949,22 +47949,29 @@ class DockerComposeInstallerService {
         this.manualInstallerAdapter = manualInstallerAdapter;
     }
     async install({ composeVersion, cwd, githubToken }) {
-        const currentVersion = await this.version({ cwd });
-        if (!composeVersion) {
+        const currentVersion = await this.getInstalledVersion(cwd);
+        const needsInstall = !currentVersion || (composeVersion && composeVersion !== currentVersion);
+        if (!needsInstall) {
             return currentVersion;
         }
-        if (currentVersion === composeVersion) {
-            return currentVersion;
-        }
-        if (composeVersion === COMPOSE_VERSION_LATEST) {
+        let targetVersion = composeVersion || COMPOSE_VERSION_LATEST;
+        if (targetVersion === COMPOSE_VERSION_LATEST) {
             if (!githubToken) {
                 throw new Error("GitHub token is required to install the latest version");
             }
-            composeVersion = await this.getLatestVersion(githubToken);
+            targetVersion = await this.getLatestVersion(githubToken);
         }
-        await this.installVersion(composeVersion);
+        await this.installVersion(targetVersion);
         return this.version({ cwd });
     }
+    async getInstalledVersion(cwd) {
+        try {
+            return await this.version({ cwd });
+        }
+        catch {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
     async version({ cwd }) {
         const result = await (0,dist.version)({
             cwd,
diff --git a/src/services/docker-compose-installer.service.test.ts b/src/services/docker-compose-installer.service.test.ts
index 5e66b54..d6c680b 100644
--- a/src/services/docker-compose-installer.service.test.ts
+++ b/src/services/docker-compose-installer.service.test.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ describe("DockerComposeInstallerService", () => {
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
-    jest.clearAllMocks();
+    jest.resetAllMocks();
   });
 
   describe("install", () => {
@@ -234,5 +234,139 @@ describe("DockerComposeInstallerService", () => {
 
       expect(manualInstallerAdapterMock.install).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
+
+    it("should install when version check fails", async () => {
+      // Arrange: first call to version() doesn't find
+      versionMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("version not installed"));
+
+      const installedVersion = "2.0.0";
+
+      // After installation, version() returns the new version
+      versionMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        exitCode: 0,
+        out: "",
+        err: "",
+        data: {
+          version: installedVersion,
+        },
+      });
+
+      Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", {
+        value: "linux",
+      });
+
+      // Act
+      const result = await service.install({
+        composeVersion: installedVersion,
+        cwd: "/path/to/cwd",
+        githubToken: "token",
+      });
+
+      // Assert
+      expect(result).toBe(installedVersion);
+      expect(manualInstallerAdapterMock.install).toHaveBeenCalledWith(installedVersion);
+    });
+
+    it("should install latest version when missing or unspecified", async () => {
+      // Arrange: first call to version() doesn't find
+      versionMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("version check failed"));
+      // second call finds newly installed version
+      versionMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        exitCode: 0,
+        out: "",
+        err: "",
+        data: {
+          version: "v1.4.0",
+        },
+      });
+
+      const latestVersion = "v1.4.0";
+
+      const mockClient = mockAgent.get("https://api.github.com");
+      mockClient
+        .intercept({
+          path: "/repos/docker/compose/releases/latest",
+          method: "GET",
+        })
+        .reply(
+          200,
+          {
+            tag_name: latestVersion,
+          },
+          {
+            headers: {
+              "content-type": "application/json",
+            },
+          }
+        );
+      setGlobalDispatcher(mockClient);
+
+      versionMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        exitCode: 0,
+        out: "",
+        err: "",
+        data: {
+          version: latestVersion,
+        },
+      });
+
+      Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", {
+        value: "linux",
+      });
+      Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "fetch", {
+        value: jest.fn(),
+      });
+
+      // Act
+      const result = await service.install({
+        composeVersion: "latest",
+        cwd: "/path/to/cwd",
+        githubToken: "token",
+      });
+
+      // Assert
+      expect(result).toBe(latestVersion);
+      expect(manualInstallerAdapterMock.install).toHaveBeenCalledWith(latestVersion);
+    });
+
+    it("should throw if Compose is missing and no GitHub token is provided", async () => {
+      // Arrange: first call to version() doesn't find
+      versionMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("version check failed"));
+
+      Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", {
+        value: "linux",
+      });
+
+      await expect(
+        service.install({
+          composeVersion: "latest",
+          cwd: "/path/to/cwd",
+          githubToken: null,
+        })
+      ).rejects.toThrow("GitHub token is required to install the latest version");
+    });
+
+    it("should not install when the version is already installed and no version is specified", async () => {
+      // Arrange
+      versionMock.mockResolvedValue({
+        exitCode: 0,
+        out: "",
+        err: "",
+        data: {
+          version: "1.2.3",
+        },
+      });
+
+      // Act
+      const result = await service.install({
+        composeVersion: "",
+        cwd: "/path/to/cwd",
+        githubToken: null,
+      });
+
+      // Assert
+      expect(result).toBe("1.2.3");
+      expect(manualInstallerAdapterMock.install).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/services/docker-compose-installer.service.ts b/src/services/docker-compose-installer.service.ts
index dba3fa7..78c22ee 100644
--- a/src/services/docker-compose-installer.service.ts
+++ b/src/services/docker-compose-installer.service.ts
@@ -17,28 +17,35 @@ export class DockerComposeInstallerService {
   constructor(private readonly manualInstallerAdapter: ManualInstallerAdapter) {}
 
   async install({ composeVersion, cwd, githubToken }: InstallInputs): Promise<string> {
-    const currentVersion = await this.version({ cwd });
+    const currentVersion = await this.getInstalledVersion(cwd);
 
-    if (!composeVersion) {
+    const needsInstall = !currentVersion || (composeVersion && composeVersion !== currentVersion);
+    if (!needsInstall) {
       return currentVersion;
     }
 
-    if (currentVersion === composeVersion) {
-      return currentVersion;
-    }
+    let targetVersion = composeVersion || COMPOSE_VERSION_LATEST;
 
-    if (composeVersion === COMPOSE_VERSION_LATEST) {
+    if (targetVersion === COMPOSE_VERSION_LATEST) {
       if (!githubToken) {
         throw new Error("GitHub token is required to install the latest version");
       }
-      composeVersion = await this.getLatestVersion(githubToken);
+      targetVersion = await this.getLatestVersion(githubToken);
     }
 
-    await this.installVersion(composeVersion);
+    await this.installVersion(targetVersion);
 
     return this.version({ cwd });
   }
 
+  private async getInstalledVersion(cwd: string): Promise<string | null> {
+    try {
+      return await this.version({ cwd });
+    } catch {
+      return null;
+    }
+  }
+
   private async version({ cwd }: VersionInputs): Promise<string> {
     const result = await version({
       cwd,