diff --git a/lib/commands/publish.js b/lib/commands/publish.js
index 510e351a931dc..661533a4a2333 100644
--- a/lib/commands/publish.js
+++ b/lib/commands/publish.js
@@ -217,7 +217,10 @@ class Publish extends BaseCommand {
       const ordered = Object.keys(packument?.versions)
         .flatMap(v => {
           const s = new semver.SemVer(v)
-          return s.prerelease.length > 0 ? [] : s
+          if ((s.prerelease.length > 0) || packument.versions[v].deprecated) {
+            return []
+          }
+          return s
         })
         .sort((a, b) => b.compare(a))
       return ordered.length >= 1 ? ordered[0].version : null
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/publish.js b/test/lib/commands/publish.js
index 0ede4ffc20c83..cd5c1bdad6aa3 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/publish.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/publish.js
@@ -876,6 +876,7 @@ t.test('semver highest dist tag', async t => {
     // this needs more than one item in it to cover the sort logic
     { version: '50.0.0' },
     { version: '100.0.0' },
+    { version: '102.0.0', deprecated: 'oops' },
     { version: '105.0.0-pre' },
   ]