diff --git a/tasks/set_version.yml b/tasks/set_version.yml
index 469b344..20810cb 100644
--- a/tasks/set_version.yml
+++ b/tasks/set_version.yml
@@ -14,14 +14,24 @@
         url: https://api.github.com/repos/go-gitea/gitea/releases/latest
         return_content: true
       register: gitea_remote_metadata
+      when: not ansible_check_mode
+
+    - name: "Fail if running in check mode without versions set."
+      ansible.builtin.fail:
+        msg: |
+          "You are running this playbook in check mode:
+          Please set the Gitea version with the variable 'gitea_version', because the URI module cannot detect the latest version in this mode."
+      when: ansible_check_mode and ( gitea_version == 'latest' or gitea_version == 'present' )
 
     - name: "Set fact latest gitea release"
       ansible.builtin.set_fact:
         gitea_remote_version: "{{ gitea_remote_metadata.json.tag_name[1:] }}"
+      when: not ansible_check_mode
 
     - name: "Set gitea version target (latest)"
       ansible.builtin.set_fact:
         gitea_version_target: "{{ gitea_remote_version }}"
+      when: not ansible_check_mode
   when: gitea_version == "latest"
 
 - name: "Set gitea version target ({{ gitea_version }})"
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 33efc57..eb96c97 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -56,5 +56,5 @@ transfer_custom_footer:
     - 'files/gitea_footer/extra_links_footer.tmpl'
     - 'files/extra_links_footer.tmpl'
 
-playbook_version_number: 37  # should be int
+playbook_version_number: 38  # should be int
 playbook_version_path: 'do1jlr.gitea.version'