diff --git a/compiler/noirc_driver/src/lib.rs b/compiler/noirc_driver/src/lib.rs
index 7136580b770..db69d41c704 100644
--- a/compiler/noirc_driver/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/noirc_driver/src/lib.rs
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ pub const NOIR_ARTIFACT_VERSION_STRING: &str =
 
 #[derive(Args, Clone, Debug, Default, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct CompileOptions {
+    /// Force a full recompilation.
+    #[arg(long = "force")]
+    pub force_compile: bool,
+
     /// Emit debug information for the intermediate SSA IR
     #[arg(long, hide = true)]
     pub show_ssa: bool,
@@ -206,7 +210,6 @@ pub fn compile_main(
     crate_id: CrateId,
     options: &CompileOptions,
     cached_program: Option<CompiledProgram>,
-    force_compile: bool,
 ) -> CompilationResult<CompiledProgram> {
     let (_, mut warnings) =
         check_crate(context, crate_id, options.deny_warnings, options.disable_macros)?;
@@ -220,8 +223,9 @@ pub fn compile_main(
         vec![err]
     })?;
 
-    let compiled_program = compile_no_check(context, options, main, cached_program, force_compile)
-        .map_err(FileDiagnostic::from)?;
+    let compiled_program =
+        compile_no_check(context, options, main, cached_program, options.force_compile)
+            .map_err(FileDiagnostic::from)?;
     let compilation_warnings = vecmap(compiled_program.warnings.clone(), FileDiagnostic::from);
     if options.deny_warnings && !compilation_warnings.is_empty() {
         return Err(compilation_warnings);
diff --git a/compiler/wasm/src/compile.rs b/compiler/wasm/src/compile.rs
index 54fdccf1369..151dde2eea6 100644
--- a/compiler/wasm/src/compile.rs
+++ b/compiler/wasm/src/compile.rs
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ pub fn compile(
         let compile_output = generate_contract_artifact(optimized_contract);
         Ok(JsCompileResult::new(compile_output))
     } else {
-        let compiled_program = compile_main(&mut context, crate_id, &compile_options, None, true)
+        let compiled_program = compile_main(&mut context, crate_id, &compile_options, None)
             .map_err(|errs| {
                 CompileError::with_file_diagnostics(
                     "Failed to compile program",
diff --git a/compiler/wasm/src/compile_new.rs b/compiler/wasm/src/compile_new.rs
index 9ac080ffcae..3cb20bd0b5c 100644
--- a/compiler/wasm/src/compile_new.rs
+++ b/compiler/wasm/src/compile_new.rs
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ impl CompilerContext {
         let root_crate_id = *self.context.root_crate_id();
 
         let compiled_program =
-            compile_main(&mut self.context, root_crate_id, &compile_options, None, true)
+            compile_main(&mut self.context, root_crate_id, &compile_options, None)
                 .map_err(|errs| {
                     CompileError::with_file_diagnostics(
                         "Failed to compile program",
diff --git a/tooling/nargo/src/ops/compile.rs b/tooling/nargo/src/ops/compile.rs
index bd395d03f67..043e2a367a5 100644
--- a/tooling/nargo/src/ops/compile.rs
+++ b/tooling/nargo/src/ops/compile.rs
@@ -74,12 +74,7 @@ pub fn compile_program(
     debug_artifact_path.set_file_name(format!("debug_{}.json", package.name));
 
     let (program, warnings) =
-        match noirc_driver::compile_main(&mut context, crate_id, compile_options, None, true) {
-            Ok(program_and_warnings) => program_and_warnings,
-            Err(errors) => {
-                return Err(errors);
-            }
-        };
+        noirc_driver::compile_main(&mut context, crate_id, compile_options, None)?;
 
     // Apply backend specific optimizations.
     let optimized_program = crate::ops::optimize_program(program, expression_width);
diff --git a/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/compile_cmd.rs b/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/compile_cmd.rs
index 31105ebe68f..8bc35080fd7 100644
--- a/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/compile_cmd.rs
+++ b/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/compile_cmd.rs
@@ -176,33 +176,25 @@ fn compile_program(
         read_program_from_file(program_artifact_path),
         read_debug_artifact_from_file(debug_artifact_path),
     ) {
-        Some(CompiledProgram {
-            hash: program_artifact.hash,
-            circuit: program_artifact.bytecode,
-            abi: program_artifact.abi,
-            noir_version: program_artifact.noir_version,
-            debug: debug_artifact.debug_symbols.remove(0),
-            file_map: debug_artifact.file_map,
-            warnings: debug_artifact.warnings,
-        })
+        if program_artifact.noir_version == NOIR_ARTIFACT_VERSION_STRING {
+            Some(CompiledProgram {
+                hash: program_artifact.hash,
+                circuit: program_artifact.bytecode,
+                abi: program_artifact.abi,
+                noir_version: program_artifact.noir_version,
+                debug: debug_artifact.debug_symbols.remove(0),
+                file_map: debug_artifact.file_map,
+                warnings: debug_artifact.warnings,
+            })
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
     } else {
         None
     };
 
-    let force_recompile =
-        cached_program.as_ref().map_or(false, |p| p.noir_version != NOIR_ARTIFACT_VERSION_STRING);
-    let (program, warnings) = match noirc_driver::compile_main(
-        &mut context,
-        crate_id,
-        compile_options,
-        cached_program,
-        force_recompile,
-    ) {
-        Ok(program_and_warnings) => program_and_warnings,
-        Err(errors) => {
-            return Err(errors);
-        }
-    };
+    let (program, warnings) =
+        noirc_driver::compile_main(&mut context, crate_id, compile_options, cached_program)?;
 
     // Apply backend specific optimizations.
     let optimized_program = nargo::ops::optimize_program(program, expression_width);