diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index a167ab0..bf3e1cd 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -483,9 +483,14 @@ function run() {
             if (sourceUrl) {
                 auth.configAuthentication(sourceUrl, configFile);
             }
-            core.setOutput('dotnet-version', semver_1.default.maxSatisfying(installedDotnetVersions, '*', {
+            const comparisonRange = globalJsonFileInput
+                ? versions.at(-1)
+                : '*';
+            const includePrereleaseOption = {
                 includePrerelease: true
-            }));
+            };
+            const versionToOutput = semver_1.default.maxSatisfying(installedDotnetVersions, comparisonRange, includePrereleaseOption);
+            core.setOutput('dotnet-version', versionToOutput);
             const matchersPath = path_1.default.join(__dirname, '..', '.github');
             core.info(`##[add-matcher]${path_1.default.join(matchersPath, 'csc.json')}`);
         }
diff --git a/src/setup-dotnet.ts b/src/setup-dotnet.ts
index 6246b3b..5cdb880 100644
--- a/src/setup-dotnet.ts
+++ b/src/setup-dotnet.ts
@@ -74,13 +74,22 @@ export async function run() {
       auth.configAuthentication(sourceUrl, configFile);
     }
 
-    core.setOutput(
-      'dotnet-version',
-      semver.maxSatisfying(installedDotnetVersions, '*', {
-        includePrerelease: true
-      })
+    const comparisonRange: string = globalJsonFileInput
+      ? versions.at(-1)!
+      : '*';
+
+    const includePrereleaseOption = {
+      includePrerelease: true
+    };
+
+    const versionToOutput = semver.maxSatisfying(
+      installedDotnetVersions,
+      comparisonRange,
+      includePrereleaseOption
     );
 
+    core.setOutput('dotnet-version', versionToOutput);
+
     const matchersPath = path.join(__dirname, '..', '.github');
     core.info(`##[add-matcher]${path.join(matchersPath, 'csc.json')}`);
   } catch (error) {