diff --git a/ci/scripts/towncrier_automation.py b/ci/scripts/towncrier_automation.py
index e367ebbac..b49ba340e 100755
--- a/ci/scripts/towncrier_automation.py
+++ b/ci/scripts/towncrier_automation.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import argparse
 import re
 import subprocess
+from functools import cache
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 from packaging.version import Version
@@ -12,17 +13,34 @@
     from collections.abc import Sequence
 
 
-class Args(argparse.Namespace):
-    version: str
-    dry_run: bool
+class BumpVersion(Version):
+    def __init__(self, version: str) -> None:
+        super().__init__(version)
+
+        if len(self.release) != 3:
+            msg = f"{version} must contain major, minor, and patch version."
+            raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(msg)
 
+        base_branch = get_base_branch()
+        patch_branch_pattern = re.compile(r"\d+\.\d+\.x")
+        if self.micro != 0 and not patch_branch_pattern.fullmatch(base_branch):
+            msg = (
+                f"{version} is a patch release, but "
+                f"you are trying to release from a non-patch release branch: {base_branch}."
+            )
+            raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(msg)
 
-class NoPatchReleaseOnMainError(Exception):
-    pass
+        if self.micro == 0 and base_branch != "main":
+            msg = (
+                f"{version} is a minor or major release, "
+                f"but you are trying to release not from main: {base_branch}."
+            )
+            raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(msg)
 
 
-class NoMinorMajorReleaseOffMainError(Exception):
-    pass
+class Args(argparse.Namespace):
+    version: BumpVersion
+    dry_run: bool
 
 
 def parse_args(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> Args:
@@ -37,7 +55,7 @@ def parse_args(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> Args:
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "version",
-        type=str,
+        type=BumpVersion,
         help=(
             "The new version for the release must have at least three parts, like `major.minor.patch` and no `major.minor`. "
             "It can have a suffix like `major.minor.patch.dev0` or `major.minor.0rc1`."
@@ -49,10 +67,6 @@ def parse_args(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> Args:
         action="store_true",
     )
     args = parser.parse_args(argv, Args())
-    # validate the version
-    if len(Version(args.version).release) != 3:
-        msg = f"Version argument {args.version} must contain major, minor, and patch version."
-        raise ValueError(msg)
     return args
 
 
@@ -65,23 +79,7 @@ def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> None:
     )
 
     # Check if we are on the main branch to know if we need to backport
-    base_branch = subprocess.run(
-        ["git", "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD"],
-        capture_output=True,
-        text=True,
-        check=True,
-    ).stdout.strip()
-    patch_branch_pattern = r"\d+\.\d+\.x"
-    if Version(args.version).micro != 0 and not re.fullmatch(
-        patch_branch_pattern, base_branch
-    ):
-        msg = f"Version {args.version} is a patch release, but "
-        "you are trying to release from a non-patch release branch: {base_branch}."
-        raise NoPatchReleaseOnMainError(msg)
-    if Version(args.version).micro == 0 and base_branch != "main":
-        msg = f"Version {args.version} is a minor or major release, "
-        "but you are trying to release not from main: {base_branch}."
-        raise NoMinorMajorReleaseOffMainError(msg)
+    base_branch = get_base_branch()
     pr_description = "" if base_branch == "main" else "@meeseeksdev backport to main"
     branch_name = f"release_notes_{args.version}"
 
@@ -124,5 +122,15 @@ def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> None:
         print("Dry run, not merging")
 
 
+@cache
+def get_base_branch():
+    return subprocess.run(
+        ["git", "rev-parse", "--abbrev-ref", "HEAD"],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        check=True,
+    ).stdout.strip()
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()