diff --git a/src/octoprint/plugins/softwareupdate/version_checks/github_release.py b/src/octoprint/plugins/softwareupdate/version_checks/github_release.py
index 0d2abf69..5acddc16 100644
--- a/src/octoprint/plugins/softwareupdate/version_checks/github_release.py
+++ b/src/octoprint/plugins/softwareupdate/version_checks/github_release.py
@@ -44,35 +44,71 @@ def _get_latest_release(user, repo, include_prerelease=False):
 	return latest["name"], latest["tag_name"]
 
 
-def _is_current(release_information, compare_type, custom=None):
+def _get_sanitized_version(version_string):
+	if "-" in version_string:
+		version_string = version_string[:version_string.find("-")]
+	return version_string
+
+
+def _get_comparable_version_pkg_resources(version_string, force_base=True):
+	import pkg_resources
+
+	version = pkg_resources.parse_version(version_string)
+
+	if force_base:
+		if isinstance(version, tuple):
+			# old setuptools
+			base_version = []
+			for part in version:
+				if part.startswith("*"):
+					break
+				base_version.append(part)
+			version = tuple(base_version)
+		else:
+			# new setuptools
+			version = pkg_resources.parse_version(version.base_version)
+
+	return version
+
+
+def _get_comparable_version_semantic(version_string, force_base=True):
+	import semantic_version
+
+	version = semantic_version.Version.coerce(version_string, partial=False)
+
+	if force_base:
+		version_string = "{}.{}.{}".format(version.major, version.minor, version.patch)
+		version = semantic_version.Version.coerce(version_string, partial=False)
+
+	return version
+
+
+def _is_current(release_information, compare_type, custom=None, force_base=True):
 	if release_information["remote"]["value"] is None:
 		return True
 
 	if not compare_type in ("python", "semantic", "unequal", "custom") or compare_type == "custom" and custom is None:
 		compare_type = "python"
 
+	sanitized_local = _get_sanitized_version(release_information["local"]["value"])
+	sanitized_remote = _get_sanitized_version(release_information["remote"]["value"])
+
 	try:
 		if compare_type == "python":
-			import pkg_resources
-
-			local_version = pkg_resources.parse_version(release_information["local"]["value"])
-			remote_version = pkg_resources.parse_version(release_information["remote"]["value"])
-
+			local_version = _get_comparable_version_pkg_resources(sanitized_local, force_base=force_base)
+			remote_version = _get_comparable_version_pkg_resources(sanitized_remote, force_base=force_base)
 			return local_version >= remote_version
 
 		elif compare_type == "semantic":
-			import semantic_version
-
-			local_version = semantic_version.Version(release_information["local"]["value"])
-			remote_version = semantic_version.Version(release_information["remote"]["value"])
-
+			local_version = _get_comparable_version_semantic(sanitized_local, force_base=force_base)
+			remote_version = _get_comparable_version_semantic(sanitized_remote, force_base=force_base)
 			return local_version >= remote_version
 
 		elif compare_type == "custom":
-			return custom(release_information["local"], release_information["remote"])
+			return custom(sanitized_local, sanitized_remote)
 
 		else:
-			return release_information["local"]["value"] == release_information["remote"]["value"]
+			return sanitized_local == sanitized_remote
 	except:
 		logger.exception("Could not check if version is current due to an error, assuming it is")
 		return True
@@ -82,11 +118,13 @@ def get_latest(target, check, custom_compare=None):
 	if not "user" in check or not "repo" in check:
 		raise ConfigurationInvalid("github_release update configuration for %s needs user and repo set" % target)
 
-	current = None
-	if "current" in check:
-		current = check["current"]
+	current = check.get("current", None)
+	include_prerelease = check.get("prerelease", False)
+	force_base = check.get("force_base", True)
 
-	remote_name, remote_tag = _get_latest_release(check["user"], check["repo"], include_prerelease=check["prerelease"] == True if "prerelease" in check else False)
+	remote_name, remote_tag = _get_latest_release(check["user"],
+	                                              check["repo"],
+	                                              include_prerelease=include_prerelease)
 	compare_type = check["release_compare"] if "release_compare" in check else "python"
 
 	information =dict(
@@ -96,4 +134,7 @@ def get_latest(target, check, custom_compare=None):
 
 	logger.debug("Target: %s, local: %s, remote: %s" % (target, current, remote_tag))
 
-	return information, _is_current(information, compare_type, custom=custom_compare)
+	return information, _is_current(information,
+	                                compare_type,
+	                                custom=custom_compare,
+	                                force_base=force_base)