diff --git a/tools/release/auto_roll.py b/tools/release/auto_roll.py
index 8d21280e3d..f7692cf6f9 100755
--- a/tools/release/auto_roll.py
+++ b/tools/release/auto_roll.py
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ class DetectLastRoll(Step):
 
     # The revision rolled last.
     self["last_roll"] = vars['v8_revision']
+    last_version = self.GetVersionTag(self["last_roll"])
+    assert last_version, "The last rolled v8 revision is not tagged."
 
     # There must be some progress between the last roll and the new candidate
     # revision (i.e. we don't go backwards). The revisions are ordered newest
@@ -63,9 +65,10 @@ class DetectLastRoll(Step):
     # compared to the last roll, i.e. if the newest release is a cherry-pick
     # on a release branch. Then we look further.
     for revision in revisions:
-      commits = self.GitLog(
-        format="%H", git_hash="%s..%s" % (self["last_roll"], revision))
-      if commits:
+      version = self.GetVersionTag(revision)
+      assert version, "Internal error. All recent releases should have a tag"
+
+      if SortingKey(last_version) < SortingKey(version):
         self["roll"] = revision
         break
     else:
diff --git a/tools/release/test_scripts.py b/tools/release/test_scripts.py
index 68d30cd60b..aeb9c20ab7 100644
--- a/tools/release/test_scripts.py
+++ b/tools/release/test_scripts.py
@@ -1115,8 +1115,9 @@ deps = {
       Cmd("git describe --tags bad_tag", ""),
       Cmd("git describe --tags hash_234", "3.22.4"),
       Cmd("git describe --tags hash_123", "3.22.3"),
-      Cmd("git log --format=%H abcd123455..hash_234", ""),
-      Cmd("git log --format=%H abcd123455..hash_123", ""),
+      Cmd("git describe --tags abcd123455", "3.22.4"),
+      Cmd("git describe --tags hash_234", "3.22.4"),
+      Cmd("git describe --tags hash_123", "3.22.3"),
     ])
 
     result = auto_roll.AutoRoll(TEST_CONFIG, self).Run(
@@ -1137,7 +1138,8 @@ deps = {
       Cmd("git describe --tags bad_tag", ""),
       Cmd("git describe --tags hash_234", "3.22.4"),
       Cmd("git describe --tags hash_123", "3.22.3"),
-      Cmd("git log --format=%H abcd123455..hash_234", "hash1\nhash2\n"),
+      Cmd("git describe --tags abcd123455", "3.22.3.1"),
+      Cmd("git describe --tags hash_234", "3.22.4"),
     ])
 
     result = auto_roll.AutoRoll(TEST_CONFIG, self).Run(