diff --git a/dist/setup/index.js b/dist/setup/index.js
index 54a6aab9..59655926 100644
--- a/dist/setup/index.js
+++ b/dist/setup/index.js
@@ -73254,9 +73254,10 @@ class BaseDistribution {
     }
     evaluateVersions(versions) {
         let version = '';
+        const { range, options } = this.validRange(this.nodeInfo.versionSpec);
         core.debug(`evaluating ${versions.length} versions`);
         for (let potential of versions) {
-            const satisfied = semver_1.default.satisfies(potential, this.nodeInfo.versionSpec);
+            const satisfied = semver_1.default.satisfies(potential, range, options);
             if (satisfied) {
                 version = potential;
                 break;
@@ -73315,6 +73316,13 @@ class BaseDistribution {
             return toolPath;
         });
     }
+    validRange(versionSpec) {
+        var _a;
+        let options;
+        const c = semver_1.default.clean(versionSpec) || '';
+        const valid = (_a = semver_1.default.valid(c)) !== null && _a !== void 0 ? _a : versionSpec;
+        return { range: valid, options };
+    }
     acquireNodeFromFallbackLocation(version, arch = os_1.default.arch()) {
         return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
             const initialUrl = this.getDistributionUrl();
@@ -73487,7 +73495,6 @@ var __importDefault = (this && this.__importDefault) || function (mod) {
     return (mod && mod.__esModule) ? mod : { "default": mod };
 };
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", ({ value: true }));
-const core = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(2186));
 const tc = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(7784));
 const semver_1 = __importDefault(__nccwpck_require__(5911));
 const base_distribution_1 = __importDefault(__nccwpck_require__(7));
@@ -73514,32 +73521,10 @@ class NightlyNodejs extends base_distribution_1.default {
         }
         return toolPath;
     }
-    evaluateVersions(versions) {
-        let version = '';
-        core.debug(`evaluating ${versions.length} versions`);
-        const { includePrerelease, range } = this.createRangePreRelease(this.nodeInfo.versionSpec);
-        for (let i = 0; i < versions.length; i++) {
-            const potential = versions[i];
-            const satisfied = semver_1.default.satisfies(potential.replace(this.distribution, `${this.distribution}.`), range, {
-                includePrerelease: includePrerelease
-            });
-            if (satisfied) {
-                version = potential;
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-        if (version) {
-            core.debug(`matched: ${version}`);
-        }
-        else {
-            core.debug('match not found');
-        }
-        return version;
-    }
     getDistributionUrl() {
         return 'https://nodejs.org/download/nightly';
     }
-    createRangePreRelease(versionSpec) {
+    validRange(versionSpec) {
         let range;
         const [raw, prerelease] = this.splitVersionSpec(versionSpec);
         const isValidVersion = semver_1.default.valid(raw);
@@ -73550,7 +73535,7 @@ class NightlyNodejs extends base_distribution_1.default {
         else {
             range = `${semver_1.default.validRange(`^${rawVersion}-${this.distribution}`)}-0`;
         }
-        return { range, includePrerelease: !isValidVersion };
+        return { range, options: { includePrerelease: !isValidVersion } };
     }
     splitVersionSpec(versionSpec) {
         return versionSpec.split(/-(.*)/s);
@@ -73794,7 +73779,6 @@ var __importDefault = (this && this.__importDefault) || function (mod) {
     return (mod && mod.__esModule) ? mod : { "default": mod };
 };
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", ({ value: true }));
-const core = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(2186));
 const tc = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(7784));
 const semver_1 = __importDefault(__nccwpck_require__(5911));
 const base_distribution_1 = __importDefault(__nccwpck_require__(7));
@@ -73824,29 +73808,7 @@ class CanaryBuild extends base_distribution_1.default {
     getDistributionUrl() {
         return 'https://nodejs.org/download/v8-canary';
     }
-    evaluateVersions(versions) {
-        let version = '';
-        core.debug(`evaluating ${versions.length} versions`);
-        const { includePrerelease, range } = this.createRangePreRelease(this.nodeInfo.versionSpec);
-        for (let i = 0; i < versions.length; i++) {
-            const potential = versions[i];
-            const satisfied = semver_1.default.satisfies(potential.replace(this.distribution, `${this.distribution}.`), range, {
-                includePrerelease: includePrerelease
-            });
-            if (satisfied) {
-                version = potential;
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-        if (version) {
-            core.debug(`matched: ${version}`);
-        }
-        else {
-            core.debug('match not found');
-        }
-        return version;
-    }
-    createRangePreRelease(versionSpec) {
+    validRange(versionSpec) {
         let range;
         const [raw, prerelease] = this.splitVersionSpec(versionSpec);
         const isValidVersion = semver_1.default.valid(raw);
@@ -73857,7 +73819,7 @@ class CanaryBuild extends base_distribution_1.default {
         else {
             range = `${semver_1.default.validRange(`^${rawVersion}-${this.distribution}`)}-0`;
         }
-        return { range, includePrerelease: !isValidVersion };
+        return { range, options: { includePrerelease: !isValidVersion } };
     }
     splitVersionSpec(versionSpec) {
         return versionSpec.split(/-(.*)/s);
diff --git a/src/distributions/base-distribution.ts b/src/distributions/base-distribution.ts
index b567fd83..c1d2601f 100644
--- a/src/distributions/base-distribution.ts
+++ b/src/distributions/base-distribution.ts
@@ -60,16 +60,15 @@ export default abstract class BaseDistribution {
     core.addPath(toolPath);
   }
 
-  protected evaluateVersions(versions: string[]) {
+  protected evaluateVersions(versions: string[]): string {
     let version = '';
 
+    const {range, options} = this.validRange(this.nodeInfo.versionSpec);
+
     core.debug(`evaluating ${versions.length} versions`);
 
     for (let potential of versions) {
-      const satisfied: boolean = semver.satisfies(
-        potential,
-        this.nodeInfo.versionSpec
-      );
+      const satisfied: boolean = semver.satisfies(potential, range, options);
       if (satisfied) {
         version = potential;
         break;
@@ -141,6 +140,14 @@ export default abstract class BaseDistribution {
     return toolPath;
   }
 
+  protected validRange(versionSpec: string) {
+    let options: semver.Options | undefined;
+    const c = semver.clean(versionSpec) || '';
+    const valid = semver.valid(c) ?? versionSpec;
+
+    return {range: valid, options};
+  }
+
   protected async acquireNodeFromFallbackLocation(
     version: string,
     arch: string = os.arch()
diff --git a/src/distributions/nightly/nightly_builds.ts b/src/distributions/nightly/nightly_builds.ts
index bf3692e9..a1837ee4 100644
--- a/src/distributions/nightly/nightly_builds.ts
+++ b/src/distributions/nightly/nightly_builds.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import * as core from '@actions/core';
 import * as tc from '@actions/tool-cache';
 
 import semver from 'semver';
@@ -33,44 +32,11 @@ export default class NightlyNodejs extends BaseDistribution {
     return toolPath;
   }
 
-  protected evaluateVersions(versions: string[]): string {
-    let version = '';
-
-    core.debug(`evaluating ${versions.length} versions`);
-
-    const {includePrerelease, range} = this.createRangePreRelease(
-      this.nodeInfo.versionSpec
-    );
-
-    for (let i = 0; i < versions.length; i++) {
-      const potential: string = versions[i];
-      const satisfied: boolean = semver.satisfies(
-        potential.replace(this.distribution, `${this.distribution}.`),
-        range,
-        {
-          includePrerelease: includePrerelease
-        }
-      );
-      if (satisfied) {
-        version = potential;
-        break;
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (version) {
-      core.debug(`matched: ${version}`);
-    } else {
-      core.debug('match not found');
-    }
-
-    return version;
-  }
-
   protected getDistributionUrl(): string {
     return 'https://nodejs.org/download/nightly';
   }
 
-  protected createRangePreRelease(versionSpec: string) {
+  protected validRange(versionSpec: string) {
     let range: string;
     const [raw, prerelease] = this.splitVersionSpec(versionSpec);
     const isValidVersion = semver.valid(raw);
@@ -85,7 +51,7 @@ export default class NightlyNodejs extends BaseDistribution {
       range = `${semver.validRange(`^${rawVersion}-${this.distribution}`)}-0`;
     }
 
-    return {range, includePrerelease: !isValidVersion};
+    return {range, options: {includePrerelease: !isValidVersion}};
   }
 
   protected splitVersionSpec(versionSpec: string) {
diff --git a/src/distributions/v8-canary/canary_builds.ts b/src/distributions/v8-canary/canary_builds.ts
index 678f7d24..673ab1e2 100644
--- a/src/distributions/v8-canary/canary_builds.ts
+++ b/src/distributions/v8-canary/canary_builds.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import * as core from '@actions/core';
 import * as tc from '@actions/tool-cache';
 
 import semver from 'semver';
@@ -37,40 +36,7 @@ export default class CanaryBuild extends BaseDistribution {
     return 'https://nodejs.org/download/v8-canary';
   }
 
-  protected evaluateVersions(versions: string[]): string {
-    let version = '';
-
-    core.debug(`evaluating ${versions.length} versions`);
-
-    const {includePrerelease, range} = this.createRangePreRelease(
-      this.nodeInfo.versionSpec
-    );
-
-    for (let i = 0; i < versions.length; i++) {
-      const potential: string = versions[i];
-      const satisfied: boolean = semver.satisfies(
-        potential.replace(this.distribution, `${this.distribution}.`),
-        range,
-        {
-          includePrerelease: includePrerelease
-        }
-      );
-      if (satisfied) {
-        version = potential;
-        break;
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (version) {
-      core.debug(`matched: ${version}`);
-    } else {
-      core.debug('match not found');
-    }
-
-    return version;
-  }
-
-  protected createRangePreRelease(versionSpec: string) {
+  protected validRange(versionSpec: string) {
     let range: string;
     const [raw, prerelease] = this.splitVersionSpec(versionSpec);
     const isValidVersion = semver.valid(raw);
@@ -85,7 +51,7 @@ export default class CanaryBuild extends BaseDistribution {
       range = `${semver.validRange(`^${rawVersion}-${this.distribution}`)}-0`;
     }
 
-    return {range, includePrerelease: !isValidVersion};
+    return {range, options: {includePrerelease: !isValidVersion}};
   }
 
   protected splitVersionSpec(versionSpec: string) {