diff --git a/packaging/release/tests/version_helper_test.py b/packaging/release/tests/version_helper_test.py
index 72271e4d66..f06e00012f 100644
--- a/packaging/release/tests/version_helper_test.py
+++ b/packaging/release/tests/version_helper_test.py
@@ -8,23 +8,25 @@ from versionhelper.version_helper import AnsibleVersionMunger
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('version,revision,codename,output_propname,expected', [
-    ('2.5.0dev1', None, None, 'raw', '2.5.0dev1'),
+    ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'raw', '2.5.0.dev1'),
     ('2.5.0', None, None, 'raw', '2.5.0'),
-    ('2.5.0dev1', None, None, 'major_version', '2.5'),
+    ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'major_version', '2.5'),
     ('2.5.0', None, None, 'major_version', '2.5'),
-    ('2.5.0dev1', None, None, 'base_version', '2.5.0'),
+    ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'base_version', '2.5.0'),
     ('2.5.0', None, None, 'base_version', '2.5.0'),
-    ('2.5.0dev1', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0~dev1'),
+    ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0~dev1'),
     ('2.5.0b1', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0~b1'),
+    ('2.5.0b1.dev1', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0~b1~dev1'),
     ('2.5.0', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0'),
-    ('2.5.0dev1', None, None, 'deb_release', '1'),
+    ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'deb_release', '1'),
     ('2.5.0b1', 2, None, 'deb_release', '2'),
-    ('2.5.0dev1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.1.dev1'),
+    ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.1.dev1'),
     ('2.5.0a1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.101.a1'),
     ('2.5.0b1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.201.b1'),
     ('2.5.0rc1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.1001.rc1'),
     ('2.5.0rc1', '0.99', None, 'rpm_release', '0.99.rc1'),
     ('2.5.0.rc.1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.1001.rc.1'),
+    ('2.5.0.rc1.dev1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.1001.rc1.dev1'),
     ('2.5.0', None, None, 'rpm_release', '1'),
     ('2.5.0', 2, None, 'rpm_release', '2'),
     ('2.5.0', None, None, 'codename', 'UNKNOWN'),
diff --git a/packaging/release/versionhelper/version_helper.py b/packaging/release/versionhelper/version_helper.py
index 051e7998fe..018d979a00 100644
--- a/packaging/release/versionhelper/version_helper.py
+++ b/packaging/release/versionhelper/version_helper.py
@@ -31,15 +31,16 @@ class AnsibleVersionMunger(object):
 
         match = self._parsed_regex_match
 
-        if v.is_prerelease:
+        # treat dev as prerelease for now
+        if v.is_prerelease or match.group('dev'):
             if match.group('pre'):
                 tag_value = match.group('pre')
                 tag_type = match.group('pre_l')
-                tag_ver = match.group('pre_n')
+                if match.group('dev'):
+                    tag_value += ('~%s' % match.group('dev').strip('.'))
             elif match.group('dev'):
                 tag_type = "dev"
-                tag_value = match.group('dev')
-                tag_ver = match.group('dev_n')
+                tag_value = match.group('dev').strip('.')
             else:
                 raise Exception("unknown prerelease type for version {0}".format(self._raw_version))
 
@@ -48,7 +49,6 @@ class AnsibleVersionMunger(object):
         else:
             tag_type = None
             tag_value = ''
-            tag_ver = 0
 
         # not a pre/post/dev release, just return base version
         if not tag_type:
@@ -66,11 +66,14 @@ class AnsibleVersionMunger(object):
         v = self._parsed_version
         match = self._parsed_regex_match
 
-        if v.is_prerelease:
+        # treat presence of dev as prerelease for now
+        if v.is_prerelease or match.group('dev'):
             if match.group('pre'):
                 tag_value = match.group('pre')
                 tag_type = match.group('pre_l')
                 tag_ver = match.group('pre_n')
+                if match.group('dev'):
+                    tag_value += match.group('dev')
             elif match.group('dev'):
                 tag_type = "dev"
                 tag_value = match.group('dev')