diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index b17435bf..0037bdbc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -182,7 +182,11 @@ jobs:
             fi
             # Trim leading and trailing whitespace:
             dep=$(echo "$dep" | xargs)
-            version="^$(npm view $dep version)"
+            version="$(npm view $dep version)"
+            if [[ -z "$version" ]]; then
+              continue
+            fi
+            version="^$version"
             jq -r --arg dep "$dep" --arg version "$version" '.dependencies[$dep] = $version' package.json > package.json.tmp
             mv package.json.tmp package.json
           done
@@ -192,7 +196,11 @@ jobs:
             fi
             # Trim leading and trailing whitespace:
             dep=$(echo "$dep" | xargs)
-            version="^$(npm view $dep version)"
+            version="$(npm view $dep version)"
+            if [[ -z "$version" ]]; then
+              continue
+            fi
+            version="^$version"
             jq -r --arg dep "$dep" --arg version "$version" '.devDependencies[$dep] = $version' package.json > package.json.tmp
             mv package.json.tmp package.json
           done
diff --git a/test/dist/test.js b/test/dist/test.js
index f8b11d51..a8a9c60f 100644
--- a/test/dist/test.js
+++ b/test/dist/test.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
 * @license Apache-2.0
 *
-* Copyright (c) 2018 The Stdlib Authors.
+* Copyright (c) 2023 The Stdlib Authors.
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -21,20 +21,13 @@
 // MODULES //
 
 var tape = require( 'tape' );
-var objectKeys = require( '@stdlib/utils/keys' );
-var string = require( './../../dist' );
+var main = require( './../../dist' );
 
 
 // TESTS //
 
-tape( 'main export is an object', function test( t ) {
+tape( 'main export is defined', function test( t ) {
 	t.ok( true, __filename );
-	t.strictEqual( typeof string, 'object', 'main export is an object' );
-	t.end();
-});
-
-tape( 'the exported object contains string manipulation functionality', function test( t ) {
-	var keys = objectKeys( string );
-	t.equal( keys.length > 0, true, 'has keys' );
+	t.strictEqual( main !== void 0, true, 'main export is defined' );
 	t.end();
 });