diff --git a/config/scripts/linux-package-maintainer-scripts.test.mjs b/config/scripts/linux-package-maintainer-scripts.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f315f2fd2ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/scripts/linux-package-maintainer-scripts.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+describe('Linux package maintainer scripts', () => {
+  it('keeps upgrades from removing the installed CLI', () => {
+    const script = readFileSync(
+      new URL('../../resources/linux/packaging/after-remove.sh', import.meta.url),
+      'utf8'
+    )
+    const unlinkStart = script.indexOf('link="/usr/bin/orca-ide"')
+    const upgradeGuard = script.slice(0, unlinkStart)
+
+    expect(unlinkStart).toBeGreaterThan(-1)
+    expect(upgradeGuard).toContain('case "${1-}" in')
+    expect(upgradeGuard).toContain('0 | remove | purge) ;;')
+    expect(upgradeGuard).toContain('*) exit 0 ;;')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/resources/linux/packaging/after-remove.sh b/resources/linux/packaging/after-remove.sh
index 0f497024613..a23426df446 100755
--- a/resources/linux/packaging/after-remove.sh
+++ b/resources/linux/packaging/after-remove.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
 # /usr/bin/orca-ide a user or other package may own.
 set -e
 
+# RPM passes an instance count; dpkg passes the package lifecycle action.
+case "${1-}" in
+  0 | remove | purge) ;;
+  *) exit 0 ;;
+esac
+
 link="/usr/bin/orca-ide"
 
 if [ -L "$link" ]; then