diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/gradle/semver/SemverConfig.kt b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/gradle/semver/SemverConfig.kt
index af6e12a..d27d57a 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/gradle/semver/SemverConfig.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/gradle/semver/SemverConfig.kt
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ open class SemverConfig {
         const val DEFAULT_BUILDMETA_KEY = "buildmeta"
         const val DEFAULT_BUILDMETA_PREFIX_KEY = "buildmeta.prefix"
         const val DEFAULT_SEPARATOR = "separator"
-        const val DEFAULT_SAVE_AFTER_PROJECT_EVALUATE = true
     }
 
     var properties = DEFAULT_PROPERTIES
@@ -64,5 +63,4 @@ open class SemverConfig {
     var separatorKey = DEFAULT_SEPARATOR
         get() = "$keysPrefix$field"
     var keysPrefix = DEFAULT_KEYS_PREFIX
-    var saveAfterProjectEvaluate = DEFAULT_SAVE_AFTER_PROJECT_EVALUATE
 }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/gradle/semver/SemverPlugin.kt b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/gradle/semver/SemverPlugin.kt
index 67a05e1..1b78411 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/gradle/semver/SemverPlugin.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/gradle/semver/SemverPlugin.kt
@@ -110,11 +110,15 @@ class SemverPlugin : Plugin<Project> {
         propsFile.apply {
             project.logger.info(
                 "[$simpleName] Attempting to read properties from: `$absoluteFile`. [exists: ${exists()}, isFile: $isFile, canRead: ${canRead()}]")
+            var hasReqProps = false
             if (canRead() && isFile) {
                 FileInputStream(this).reader().use { reader ->
                     Properties().apply {
                         load(reader)
 
+                        hasReqProps = stringPropertyNames().containsAll(setOf(config.majorKey, config.minorKey,
+                            config.patchKey, config.preReleaseKey, config.buildMetaKey))
+
                         version.major = getProperty(config.majorKey, Version.DEFAULT_MAJOR)
                         version.minor = getProperty(config.minorKey, Version.DEFAULT_MINOR)
                         version.patch = getProperty(config.patchKey, Version.DEFAULT_PATCH)
@@ -136,8 +140,9 @@ class SemverPlugin : Plugin<Project> {
             }
             project.version = version.semver
             project.logger.info("[$simpleName] Project version set to: ${project.version}")
-            // If first time running and there is no props file, and saveAfterEvaluate is false, then version props would never have been saved before
-            if (config.saveAfterProjectEvaluate || !isFile) {
+            if (!hasReqProps || !isFile) {
+                // If first time running and there is no props file, and the required version properties are missing,
+                // then version props would never have been saved before
                 saveProperties(config, version)
             }
         }