diff --git a/picard/__init__.py b/picard/__init__.py
index 1371adf29..e8f52379b 100644
--- a/picard/__init__.py
+++ b/picard/__init__.py
@@ -58,11 +58,15 @@ def version_to_string(version, short=False):
     return version_str
 
 
-_version_re = re.compile("(\d+)[._](\d+)[._](\d+)[._]?(dev|final)[._]?(\d+)$")
+_version_re = re.compile("(\d+)[._](\d+)(?:[._](\d+)[._]?(?:(dev|final)[._]?(\d+))?)?$")
 def version_from_string(version_str):
     m = _version_re.search(version_str)
     if m:
         g = m.groups()
+        if g[2] is None:
+            return (int(g[0]), int(g[1]), 0, 'final', 0)
+        if g[3] is None:
+            return (int(g[0]), int(g[1]), int(g[2]), 'final', 0)
         return (int(g[0]), int(g[1]), int(g[2]), g[3], int(g[4]))
     raise VersionError("String '%s' do not match regex '%s'" % (version_str,
                                                                 _version_re.pattern))
diff --git a/test/test_versions.py b/test/test_versions.py
index a473fb771..dc0b57bb3 100644
--- a/test/test_versions.py
+++ b/test/test_versions.py
@@ -1,11 +1,21 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+import sys
 import unittest
 from picard import (version_to_string,
                     version_from_string,
                     VersionError)
 
 
+# assertLess is available since 2.7 only
+if sys.version_info[:2] == (2, 6):
+    def assertLess(self, a, b, msg=None):
+        if not a < b:
+            self.fail('%s not less than %s' % (repr(a), repr(b)))
+
+    unittest.TestCase.assertLess = assertLess
+
+
 class VersionsTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_version_conv_1(self):
@@ -24,9 +34,9 @@ class VersionsTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(l, version_from_string(s))
 
     def test_version_conv_4(self):
-        l, s = (1, 0, 2, '', 0), '1.0.2'
-        self.assertRaises(VersionError, version_to_string, (l))
-        self.assertRaises(VersionError, version_from_string, (s))
+        l, s = (1, 0, 2, 'final', 0), '1.0.2'
+        self.assertEqual(version_to_string(l, short=True), s)
+        self.assertEqual(l, version_from_string(s))
 
     def test_version_conv_5(self):
         l, s = (999, 999, 999, 'dev', 999), '999.999.999dev999'
@@ -68,3 +78,35 @@ class VersionsTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_version_conv_14(self):
         l = 'anything_28x_1_0_dev_0'
         self.assertRaises(VersionError, version_to_string, (l))
+
+    def test_version_conv_15(self):
+        l, s = (1, 1, 0, 'final', 0), 'anything_28_1_1_0'
+        self.assertEqual(l, version_from_string(s))
+
+    def test_version_conv_16(self):
+        self.assertRaises(VersionError, version_from_string, '1.1.0dev')
+
+    def test_version_conv_17(self):
+        self.assertRaises(VersionError, version_from_string, '1.1.0devx')
+
+    def test_version_conv_18(self):
+        l, s = (1, 1, 0, 'final', 0), '1.1'
+        self.assertEqual(version_to_string(l, short=True), s)
+        self.assertEqual(l, version_from_string(s))
+
+    def test_version_conv_19(self):
+        self.assertRaises(VersionError, version_from_string, '123')
+
+    def test_version_conv_20(self):
+        self.assertRaises(VersionError, version_from_string, '123.')
+
+    def test_api_vesions_1(self):
+        "Ensure api versions are ordered from oldest to newest"
+        from picard import api_versions
+
+        len_api_versions = len(api_versions)
+        if len_api_versions > 1:
+            for i in xrange(len_api_versions - 1):
+                a = version_from_string(api_versions[i])
+                b = version_from_string(api_versions[i+1])
+                self.assertLess(a, b)