diff --git a/npm/codewhale/scripts/install.js b/npm/codewhale/scripts/install.js
index 47ec56c69..9f3231bf0 100644
--- a/npm/codewhale/scripts/install.js
+++ b/npm/codewhale/scripts/install.js
@@ -78,12 +78,18 @@ class DownloadTimeoutError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
-function resolvePackageVersion() {
+// Binary-version precedence must match run.js and verify-release-assets.js so
+// install-time asset resolution agrees with runtime and release verification.
+// `codewhaleBinaryVersion` lets a packaging-only npm release target a specific
+// CodeWhale binary; legacy env vars and `deepseekBinaryVersion` stay supported
+// for backward compatibility (#3769). `pkgObj`/`env` are injectable for tests.
+function resolvePackageVersion(pkgObj = pkg, env = process.env) {
   const configuredVersion =
-    process.env.DEEPSEEK_TUI_VERSION ||
-    process.env.DEEPSEEK_VERSION ||
-    pkg.deepseekBinaryVersion ||
-    pkg.version;
+    env.DEEPSEEK_TUI_VERSION ||
+    env.DEEPSEEK_VERSION ||
+    pkgObj.codewhaleBinaryVersion ||
+    pkgObj.deepseekBinaryVersion ||
+    pkgObj.version;
   return String(configuredVersion).trim();
 }
 
@@ -1148,6 +1154,7 @@ module.exports = {
   installFailureHint,
   run,
   _internal: {
+    resolvePackageVersion,
     isOptionalInstall,
     adoptExistingBinaryIfValid,
     shouldIgnoreInstallFailure,
diff --git a/npm/codewhale/test/install.test.js b/npm/codewhale/test/install.test.js
index 2c0f363b6..fdf19854c 100644
--- a/npm/codewhale/test/install.test.js
+++ b/npm/codewhale/test/install.test.js
@@ -223,3 +223,43 @@ test("manual binaries with mismatched checksums are not adopted", async (t) => {
   assert.equal(adopted, false);
   assert.equal(await exists(`${target}.version`), false);
 });
+
+test("resolvePackageVersion honors codewhaleBinaryVersion precedence (#3769)", () => {
+  const { resolvePackageVersion } = _internal;
+
+  // codewhaleBinaryVersion wins over deepseekBinaryVersion and pkg.version.
+  assert.equal(
+    resolvePackageVersion(
+      {
+        codewhaleBinaryVersion: "1.2.3",
+        deepseekBinaryVersion: "0.0.1",
+        version: "9.9.9",
+      },
+      {},
+    ),
+    "1.2.3",
+  );
+
+  // Falls back to deepseekBinaryVersion, then pkg.version.
+  assert.equal(
+    resolvePackageVersion({ deepseekBinaryVersion: "0.0.1", version: "9.9.9" }, {}),
+    "0.0.1",
+  );
+  assert.equal(resolvePackageVersion({ version: "9.9.9" }, {}), "9.9.9");
+
+  // Legacy env vars still take precedence over package fields, unchanged.
+  assert.equal(
+    resolvePackageVersion(
+      { codewhaleBinaryVersion: "1.2.3", version: "9.9.9" },
+      { DEEPSEEK_TUI_VERSION: "7.7.7" },
+    ),
+    "7.7.7",
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    resolvePackageVersion(
+      { codewhaleBinaryVersion: "1.2.3" },
+      { DEEPSEEK_VERSION: "8.8.8" },
+    ),
+    "8.8.8",
+  );
+});