diff --git a/eng/Versions.props b/eng/Versions.props
index 77edb6e9b5f..22de12d61cc 100644
--- a/eng/Versions.props
+++ b/eng/Versions.props
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <!-- Copyright (c) .NET Foundation and contributors. All rights reserved. Licensed under the MIT license. See License.txt in the project root for full license information. -->
 <Project>
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <VersionPrefix>17.1.0</VersionPrefix><DotNetFinalVersionKind>release</DotNetFinalVersionKind>
+    <VersionPrefix>17.1.1</VersionPrefix><DotNetFinalVersionKind>release</DotNetFinalVersionKind>
     <AssemblyVersion>15.1.0.0</AssemblyVersion>
     <PreReleaseVersionLabel>preview</PreReleaseVersionLabel>
     <DotNetUseShippingVersions>true</DotNetUseShippingVersions>
diff --git a/src/Shared/CoreCLRAssemblyLoader.cs b/src/Shared/CoreCLRAssemblyLoader.cs
index cd02dba6528..f1b1bdf0385 100644
--- a/src/Shared/CoreCLRAssemblyLoader.cs
+++ b/src/Shared/CoreCLRAssemblyLoader.cs
@@ -165,10 +165,12 @@ private Assembly TryResolveAssemblyFromPaths(AssemblyLoadContext context, Assemb
                     }
 
                     AssemblyName candidateAssemblyName = AssemblyLoadContext.GetAssemblyName(candidatePath);
-                    if (candidateAssemblyName.Version >= assemblyName.Version)
+                    if (candidateAssemblyName.Version != assemblyName.Version)
                     {
-                        return LoadAndCache(context, candidatePath);
+                        continue;
                     }
+
+                    return LoadAndCache(context, candidatePath);
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/Shared/MSBuildLoadContext.cs b/src/Shared/MSBuildLoadContext.cs
index 7e3842bbbbd..1de3e06bced 100644
--- a/src/Shared/MSBuildLoadContext.cs
+++ b/src/Shared/MSBuildLoadContext.cs
@@ -53,20 +53,22 @@ public MSBuildLoadContext(string assemblyPath)
                 // bare search directory if that fails.
                 : new[] { assemblyName.CultureName, string.Empty })
             {
-                var candidatePath = Path.Combine(_directory,
-                    cultureSubfolder,
-                    $"{assemblyName.Name}.dll");
+                    var candidatePath = Path.Combine(_directory,
+                        cultureSubfolder,
+                        $"{assemblyName.Name}.dll");
 
-                if (!FileSystems.Default.FileExists(candidatePath))
-                {
-                    continue;
-                }
+                    if (!FileSystems.Default.FileExists(candidatePath))
+                    {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
+                    AssemblyName candidateAssemblyName = AssemblyLoadContext.GetAssemblyName(candidatePath);
+                    if (candidateAssemblyName.Version != assemblyName.Version)
+                    {
+                        continue;
+                    }
 
-                AssemblyName candidateAssemblyName = AssemblyLoadContext.GetAssemblyName(candidatePath);
-                if (candidateAssemblyName.Version >= assemblyName.Version)
-                {
                     return LoadFromAssemblyPath(candidatePath);
-                }
             }
 
             // If the Assembly is provided via a file path, the following rules are used to load the assembly: