diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index da9c457..5ad32ff 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Toolkit.run(async (tools) => {
   const messages = event.commits ? event.commits.map((commit) => commit.message + '\n' + commit.body) : [];
 
   const commitMessage = process.env['INPUT_COMMIT-MESSAGE'] || 'ci: version bump to {{version}}';
-  console.log('messages:', messages);
+  console.log('commit messages:', messages);
   const commitMessageRegex = new RegExp(commitMessage.replace(/{{version}}/g, `${tagPrefix}\\d+\\.\\d+\\.\\d+`), 'ig');
   const isVersionBump = messages.find((message) => commitMessageRegex.test(message)) !== undefined;
 
@@ -29,25 +29,39 @@ Toolkit.run(async (tools) => {
     return;
   }
 
+  // input wordings for MAJOR, MINOR, PATCH, PRE-RELEASE
   const majorWords = process.env['INPUT_MAJOR-WORDING'].split(',');
   const minorWords = process.env['INPUT_MINOR-WORDING'].split(',');
+  // patch is by default empty, and '' would always be true in the includes(''), thats why we handle it separately
+  const patchWords = process.env['INPUT_PATCH-WORDING'] ? process.env['INPUT_PATCH-WORDING'].split(',') : null;
   const preReleaseWords = process.env['INPUT_RC-WORDING'].split(',');
 
-  // if patch words aren't specified, any commit message qualifies as a patch
-  const patchWords = process.env['INPUT_PATCH-WORDING'] ? process.env['INPUT_PATCH-WORDING'].split(',') : null;
+  console.log('config words:', { majorWords, minorWords, patchWords, preReleaseWords });
 
+  // get default version bump
   let version = process.env.INPUT_DEFAULT;
   let foundWord = null;
+  // get the pre-release prefix specified in action
   let preid = process.env.INPUT_PREID;
+
+  // case: if wording for MAJOR found
   if (
     messages.some(
       (message) => /^([a-zA-Z]+)(\(.+\))?(\!)\:/.test(message) || majorWords.some((word) => message.includes(word)),
     )
   ) {
     version = 'major';
-  } else if (messages.some((message) => minorWords.some((word) => message.includes(word)))) {
+  }
+  // case: if wording for MINOR found
+  else if (messages.some((message) => minorWords.some((word) => message.includes(word)))) {
     version = 'minor';
-  } else if (
+  }
+  // case: if wording for PATCH found
+  else if (patchWords && messages.some((message) => patchWords.some((word) => message.includes(word)))) {
+    version = 'patch';
+  }
+  // case: if wording for PRE-RELEASE found
+  else if (
     messages.some((message) =>
       preReleaseWords.some((word) => {
         if (message.includes(word)) {
@@ -61,27 +75,37 @@ Toolkit.run(async (tools) => {
   ) {
     preid = foundWord.split('-')[1];
     version = 'prerelease';
-  } else if (Array.isArray(patchWords) && patchWords.length) {
-    if (!messages.some((message) => patchWords.some((word) => message.includes(word)))) {
-      version = null;
-    }
   }
 
-  // case: if default=prerelease, but rc-wording is also set
-  // then unset it and do not run, when no rc words found in message
-  if (version === 'prerelease' && !messages.some((message) => preReleaseWords.some((word) => message.includes(word)))) {
+  console.log('version action after first waterfall:', version);
+
+  // case: if default=prerelease,
+  // rc-wording is also set
+  // and does not include any of rc-wording
+  // then unset it and do not run
+  if (
+    version === 'prerelease' &&
+    preReleaseWords !== '' &&
+    !messages.some((message) => preReleaseWords.some((word) => message.includes(word)))
+  ) {
     version = null;
   }
 
+  // case: if default=prerelease, but rc-wording is NOT set
   if (version === 'prerelease' && preid) {
+    version = 'prerelease';
     version = `${version} --preid=${preid}`;
   }
 
+  console.log('version action after final decision:', version);
+
+  // case: if nothing of the above matches
   if (version === null) {
     tools.exit.success('No version keywords found, skipping bump.');
     return;
   }
 
+  // GIT logic
   try {
     const current = pkg.version.toString();
     // set git user
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index af50d31..0cb9bd6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "gh-action-bump-version",
-  "version": "8.2.20",
+  "version": "8.3.0",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
     "url": "git+https://github.com/phips28/gh-action-bump-version.git"