diff --git a/test/downstream_test.jl b/test/downstream_test.jl
index 39ca156..23da99b 100644
--- a/test/downstream_test.jl
+++ b/test/downstream_test.jl
@@ -7,8 +7,17 @@ Plots_jl = joinpath(mkpath(tempname()), "Plots.jl")
 Plots_toml = joinpath(Plots_jl, "Project.toml")
 
 # clone and checkout the latest stable version of Plots
-depot = joinpath(first(DEPOT_PATH), "registries", "General", "P", "Plots", "Versions.toml")
-stable = maximum(VersionNumber.(keys(TOML.parse(read(depot, String)))))
+stable = try
+    rg = first(Pkg.Registry.reachable_registries())
+    Plots_UUID = first(Pkg.Registry.uuids_from_name(rg, "Plots"))
+    Plots_PkgEntry = rg.pkgs[Plots_UUID]
+    Plots_version_info = Pkg.Registry.registry_info(Plots_PkgEntry).version_info
+    maximum(keys(Plots_version_info))
+catch
+    depot = joinpath(first(DEPOT_PATH), "registries", "General", "P", "Plots", "Versions.toml")
+    maximum(VersionNumber.(keys(TOML.parse(read(depot, String)))))
+end
+
 for i ∈ 1:6
     try
         global repo = Pkg.GitTools.ensure_clone(stdout, Plots_jl, "https://github.com/JuliaPlots/Plots.jl")