diff --git a/picard/version.py b/picard/version.py
index e40d199ec..1f7821ee8 100644
--- a/picard/version.py
+++ b/picard/version.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class VersionError(Exception):
 
 
 class Version(namedtuple('VersionBase', 'major minor patch identifier revision')):
-    _version_re = re.compile(r"(\d+)(?:[._](\d+)(?:[._](\d+)[._]?(?:(dev|a|alpha|b|beta|rc|final)[._]?(\d+))?)?)?$")
+    _version_re = re.compile(r"^(\d+)(?:[._](\d+)(?:[._](\d+)[._]?(?:(dev|a|alpha|b|beta|rc|final)[._]?(\d+))?)?)?$")
 
     _identifiers = {
         'dev': 0,
diff --git a/test/test_versions.py b/test/test_versions.py
index d60c78a70..a6853a4aa 100644
--- a/test/test_versions.py
+++ b/test/test_versions.py
@@ -74,19 +74,23 @@ class VersionsTest(PicardTestCase):
         l, s = (1, 1, 0, 'dev', 0), '1_1_0_dev_0'
         self.assertEqual(l, Version.from_string(s))
 
-    def test_version_from_string_prefixed(self):
-        l, s = (1, 1, 0, 'dev', 0), 'anything_28_1_1_0_dev_0'
-        self.assertEqual(l, Version.from_string(s))
+    def test_version_from_string_prefixed_with_num(self):
+        self.assertRaises(VersionError, Version.from_string, '8_1_1_0_dev_0')
+
+    def test_version_from_string_suffixed_with_num(self):
+        self.assertRaises(VersionError, Version.from_string, '1_1_0_dev_0_8')
+
+    def test_version_from_string_prefixed_with_alpha(self):
+        self.assertRaises(VersionError, Version.from_string, 'a_1_1_0_dev_0')
+
+    def test_version_from_string_suffixed_with_alpha(self):
+        self.assertRaises(VersionError, Version.from_string, '1_1_0_dev_0_a')
 
     def test_version_single_digit(self):
         l, s = (2, 0, 0, 'final', 0), '2'
         self.assertEqual(l, Version.from_string(s))
         self.assertEqual(l, Version(2))
 
-    def test_version_from_string_prefixed_final(self):
-        l, s = (1, 1, 0, 'final', 0), 'anything_28_1_1_0'
-        self.assertEqual(l, Version.from_string(s))
-
     def test_from_string_invalid_identifier(self):
         self.assertRaises(VersionError, Version.from_string, '1.1.0dev')
         self.assertRaises(VersionError, Version.from_string, '1.1.0devx')