diff --git a/.circleci/workflows.yml b/.circleci/workflows.yml
index 6e8c24fb126a..27466fc19348 100644
--- a/.circleci/workflows.yml
+++ b/.circleci/workflows.yml
@@ -530,8 +530,7 @@ commands:
       google-chrome-version:
         description: Google Chrome version to install
         type: string
-        # latest can also be used here
-        default: 132.0.6834.159
+        default: ""
       install-firefox:
         description: whether or not to install firefox
         type: boolean
@@ -559,10 +558,30 @@ commands:
                 condition:
                   equal: [ true, << parameters.install-chrome >> ]
                 steps:
+                  - when:
+                      condition:
+                          equal: [ "", << parameters.google-chrome-version >> ]
+                      steps:
+                        - run:
+                            name: get chrome version
+                            command: |
+                              GOOGLE_CHROME_VERSION=$(node ./scripts/browser-versions.js << parameters.google-chrome-channel >>)
+                              echo $GOOGLE_CHROME_VERSION
+                  - when:
+                      condition:
+                        not:
+                          equal: [ "", << parameters.google-chrome-version >> ]
+                      steps:
+                        - run:
+                            name: get chrome version
+                            command: |
+                              GOOGLE_CHROME_VERSION=<< parameters.google-chrome-version >>
+                               echo $GOOGLE_CHROME_VERSION
+                  - run: echo $GOOGLE_CHROME_VERSION
                   - browser-tools/install-chrome:
                       # https://www.ubuntuupdates.org/package/google_chrome/stable/main/base/google-chrome-stable
-                      channel: << parameters.google-chrome-channel >> 
-                      chrome-version: << parameters.google-chrome-version >>
+                      channel: << parameters.google-chrome-channel >>
+                      chrome-version: $GOOGLE_CHROME_VERSION
                   - when:
                       condition:
                         equal: [ 'beta', << parameters.google-chrome-channel>> ]
diff --git a/scripts/browser-versions.js b/scripts/browser-versions.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3cf213ec8ef5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/browser-versions.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+const fs = require('fs')
+
+/**
+ * from root of directory run:
+ *    node ./scripts/browser-versions.js
+ * to get stable chrome version, or:
+ *    node ./scripts/browser-versions.js beta
+ * get get beta chrome version
+ */
+const getVersion = () => {
+  // file path is relative to repo root
+  const currentBrowserVersions = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./browser-versions.json'))
+
+  const betaVersion = currentBrowserVersions['chrome:beta']
+  const stableVersion = currentBrowserVersions['chrome:stable']
+
+  if (process.argv.includes('beta')) {
+    console.log(betaVersion)
+  } else {
+    console.log(stableVersion)
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  getVersion,
+}
+
+getVersion()