diff --git a/nmdc_automation/workflow_automation/sched.py b/nmdc_automation/workflow_automation/sched.py
index b96f98bf..3acbd406 100644
--- a/nmdc_automation/workflow_automation/sched.py
+++ b/nmdc_automation/workflow_automation/sched.py
@@ -32,25 +32,32 @@ def get_mongo_db() -> MongoDatabase:
     return _client[os.getenv("MONGO_DBNAME")]
 
 
-def within_range(wf1: Workflow, wf2: Workflow, force=False) -> bool:
+def within_range(wf1: Workflow, wf2: Workflow, version_range: str, force: bool = False) -> bool:
     """
-    Determine if two workflows are within a major and minor
-    version of each other.
+    Determine if two workflows are within a specified version component of each other.
+    The version_range parameter can be 'major', 'minor', or 'patch'.
     """
 
     def get_version(wf):
-        v_string = wf1.version.lstrip("b").lstrip("v")
+        v_string = wf.version.lstrip("b").lstrip("v")
         return Version.parse(v_string)
 
-    # Apples and oranges
     if wf1.name != wf2.name:
         return False
+
     v1 = get_version(wf1)
     v2 = get_version(wf2)
+
     if force:
-        return v1==v2
-    if v1.major == v2.major and v1.minor == v2.minor:
-        return True
+        return v1 == v2
+
+    if version_range == "major":
+        return v1.major == v2.major
+    elif version_range == "minor":
+        return v1.major == v2.major and v1.minor == v2.minor
+    elif version_range == "patch":
+        return v1 == v2
+
     return False
 
 
@@ -233,7 +240,7 @@ def get_existing_jobs(self, wf: Workflow):
             existing_jobs.add(act)
         return existing_jobs
 
-    def find_new_jobs(self, act: Activity) -> list[Job]:
+    def find_new_jobs(self, act: Activity, compare_version: str) -> list[Job]:
         """
         For a given activity see if there are any new jobs
         that should be created.
@@ -251,7 +258,7 @@ def find_new_jobs(self, act: Activity) -> list[Job]:
             # Look at previously generated derived
             # activities to see if this is already done.
             for child_act in act.children:
-                if within_range(child_act.workflow, wf, force=self.force):
+                if within_range(child_act.workflow, wf, compare_version, force=self.force):
                     break
             else:
                 # These means no existing activities were
@@ -262,7 +269,7 @@ def find_new_jobs(self, act: Activity) -> list[Job]:
 
         return new_jobs
 
-    def cycle(self, dryrun: bool = False, skiplist: set = set(), allowlist = None) -> list:
+    def cycle(self, dryrun: bool = False, skiplist: set = set(), allowlist = None, compare_version: str = "major") -> list:
         """
         This function does a single cycle of looking for new jobs
         """
@@ -275,7 +282,7 @@ def cycle(self, dryrun: bool = False, skiplist: set = set(), allowlist = None) -
                 continue
             if allowlist and act.was_informed_by not in allowlist:
                 continue
-            jobs = self.find_new_jobs(act)
+            jobs = self.find_new_jobs(act, compare_version)
             for job in jobs:
                 if dryrun:
                     msg = f"new job: informed_by: {job.informed_by} trigger: {job.trigger_id} "
@@ -312,8 +319,12 @@ def main():  # pragma: no cover
         with open(os.environ.get("ALLOWLISTFILE")) as f:
             for line in f:
                 allowlist.add(line.rstrip())
+    if os.environ.get("COMPAREVERSION"):
+        compare_version = os.environ.get("COMPAREVERSION")
+    else:
+        compare_version = "major"
     while True:
-        sched.cycle(dryrun=dryrun, skiplist=skiplist, allowlist=allowlist)
+        sched.cycle(dryrun=dryrun, skiplist=skiplist, allowlist=allowlist, compare_version=compare_version)
         _sleep(_POLL_INTERVAL)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_sched.py b/tests/test_sched.py
index 45f4a803..a74f5c98 100644
--- a/tests/test_sched.py
+++ b/tests/test_sched.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 from pymongo import MongoClient
 import json
 import os
-from nmdc_automation.workflow_automation.sched import Scheduler
+from nmdc_automation.workflow_automation.sched import Scheduler, within_range
+from nmdc_automation.workflow_automation.workflows import load_workflows, Workflow
 from pytest import fixture
 from pathlib import Path
 from time import time
@@ -82,6 +83,57 @@ def mock_progress(db, wf):
     db[s].delete_many({})
     db[s].insert_one(data)
 
+def test_within_range():
+    
+    wf1_major_dict = {
+        "Name": "TestWF",
+        "Version": "v1.1.0",
+    }
+    wf2_major_dict = {
+        "Name": "TestWF",
+        "Version": "v2.0.0",
+    }
+    
+    wf1_minor_dict = {
+        "Name": "TestWF",
+        "Version": "v1.1.0",
+    }
+    wf2_minor_dict = {
+        "Name": "TestWF",
+        "Version": "v1.2.5",
+    }
+    
+    wf1_patch_dict = {
+        "Name": "TestWF",
+        "Version": "v1.1.0",
+    }
+    wf2_patch_dict = {
+        "Name": "TestWF",
+        "Version": "v1.1.5",
+    }
+    
+    # Instantiate Workflow objects from dictionaries
+    wf1_major = Workflow(wf1_major_dict)
+    wf2_major = Workflow(wf2_major_dict)
+    wf1_minor = Workflow(wf1_minor_dict)
+    wf2_minor = Workflow(wf2_minor_dict)
+    wf1_patch = Workflow(wf1_patch_dict)
+    wf2_patch = Workflow(wf2_patch_dict)
+    
+    # Test major version range
+    assert within_range(wf1_major, wf2_major, "major") == False
+    assert within_range(wf1_major, wf1_minor, "major") == True
+
+    # Test minor version range
+    assert within_range(wf1_minor, wf2_minor, "minor") == False
+    assert within_range(wf1_minor, wf1_major, "minor") == True
+
+    # Test patch version range
+    assert within_range(wf1_patch, wf2_patch, "patch") == False
+    assert within_range(wf1_patch, wf1_minor, "patch") == True
+    
+    assert within_range(wf1_patch, wf1_patch, "mafor", force=True) == True
+
 
 def test_submit(db, mock_api):
     """