diff --git a/crates/wit-component/src/semver_check.rs b/crates/wit-component/src/semver_check.rs
index 1c4a9f4f5e..58d0aa74e2 100644
--- a/crates/wit-component/src/semver_check.rs
+++ b/crates/wit-component/src/semver_check.rs
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ pub fn semver_check(mut resolve: Resolve, prev: WorldId, new: WorldId) -> Result
         .package
         .context("new world not in named package")?;
     let new_pkg_name = &resolve.packages[new_pkg_id].name;
-    if old_pkg_id != new_pkg_id {
+    if old_pkg_name != new_pkg_name {
         bail!("the old world is in package {old_pkg_name}, which is not the same as the new world, which is in package {new_pkg_name}", )
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/cli/semver-check-different-package-versions.wit b/tests/cli/semver-check-different-package-versions.wit
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ff169c1fcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/semver-check-different-package-versions.wit
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// FAIL: component semver-check % --prev a:b/worldly@0.2.0 --new a:b/worldly@0.2.1
+
+package foo:root;
+package a:b@0.2.0 {
+  world worldly {
+    import a: func();
+    import b: interface {}
+  }
+}
+
+package a:b@0.2.1 {
+  world worldly {
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/cli/semver-check-different-package-versions.wit.stderr b/tests/cli/semver-check-different-package-versions.wit.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..07bfece785
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/semver-check-different-package-versions.wit.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+error: new world is not semver-compatible with the previous world
+
+Caused by:
+    0: type mismatch for import `worldly`
+       missing import named `a` (at offset 0x186)