diff --git a/cli/app/deploy.go b/cli/app/deploy.go
index 6b84b720..7a17fb8b 100644
--- a/cli/app/deploy.go
+++ b/cli/app/deploy.go
@@ -55,13 +55,15 @@ EXAMPLE:
 		stackName := app.StackName()
 
 		specificVersion := c.Args().Get(1)
-		if specificVersion == "" {
-			specificVersion = app.Recipe.Version
-		}
 		if specificVersion != "" && internal.Chaos {
 			log.Fatal("cannot use <version> and --chaos together")
 		}
 
+		if specificVersion == "" && app.Recipe.Version != "" {
+			log.Debugf("retrieved %s as version from env file", app.Recipe.Version)
+			specificVersion = app.Recipe.Version
+		}
+
 		if err := app.Recipe.Ensure(internal.Chaos, internal.Offline); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
@@ -246,12 +248,15 @@ EXAMPLE:
 			}
 		}
 
-		if app.Recipe.Version != "" && specificVersion != "" && specificVersion != app.Recipe.Version {
-			err := app.WriteRecipeVersion(specificVersion)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatalf("writing new recipe version in env file: %s", err)
-			}
+		app.Recipe.Version = version
+		if chaosVersion != config.CHAOS_DEFAULT {
+			app.Recipe.Version = chaosVersion
 		}
+		log.Debugf("choosing %s as version to save to env file", app.Recipe.Version)
+		if err := app.WriteRecipeVersion(app.Recipe.Version); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("writing new recipe version in env file: %s", err)
+		}
+
 		return nil
 	},
 }
diff --git a/cli/app/rollback.go b/cli/app/rollback.go
index 5c526f7f..5e41f9c9 100644
--- a/cli/app/rollback.go
+++ b/cli/app/rollback.go
@@ -219,11 +219,10 @@ EXAMPLE:
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if app.Recipe.Version != "" {
-			err := app.WriteRecipeVersion(chosenDowngrade)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatalf("writing new recipe version in env file: %s", err)
-			}
+		app.Recipe.Version = chosenDowngrade
+		log.Debugf("choosing %s as version to save to env file", app.Recipe.Version)
+		if err := app.WriteRecipeVersion(app.Recipe.Version); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("writing new recipe version in env file: %s", err)
 		}
 
 		return nil
diff --git a/cli/app/upgrade.go b/cli/app/upgrade.go
index 3e6e9d15..2e4ff78f 100644
--- a/cli/app/upgrade.go
+++ b/cli/app/upgrade.go
@@ -279,11 +279,10 @@ EXAMPLE:
 			}
 		}
 
-		if app.Recipe.Version != "" {
-			err := app.WriteRecipeVersion(chosenUpgrade)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Fatalf("writing new recipe version in env file: %s", err)
-			}
+		app.Recipe.Version = chosenUpgrade
+		log.Debugf("choosing %s as version to save to env file", app.Recipe.Version)
+		if err := app.WriteRecipeVersion(app.Recipe.Version); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("writing new recipe version in env file: %s", err)
 		}
 
 		return nil