diff --git a/js/connection.js b/js/connection.js
index 9f9b345..7f561e7 100644
--- a/js/connection.js
+++ b/js/connection.js
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ weechat.factory('connection',
     };
 
     var sendHotlistClear = function() {
-        if (parseInt(models.version.charAt(0)) >= 1) {
+        if (models.version[0] >= 1) {
             // WeeChat >= 1 supports clearing hotlist with this command
             sendMessage('/buffer set hotlist -1');
             // Also move read marker
diff --git a/js/glowingbear.js b/js/glowingbear.js
index 8e2d642..eab3edd 100644
--- a/js/glowingbear.js
+++ b/js/glowingbear.js
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ weechat.controller('WeechatCtrl', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$store', '$timeout',
         // the messages in this buffer before you switched to the new one
         // this is only needed with new type of clearing since in the old
         // way WeeChat itself takes care of that part
-        if (parseInt(models.version.charAt(0)) >= 1) {
+        if (models.version[0] >= 1) {
             connection.sendHotlistClear();
         }
 
diff --git a/js/handlers.js b/js/handlers.js
index deb88d3..4af68d5 100644
--- a/js/handlers.js
+++ b/js/handlers.js
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ weechat.factory('handlers', ['$rootScope', '$log', 'models', 'plugins', 'notific
         var content = message.objects[0].content;
         var version = content.value;
         // Store the WeeChat version in models
-        models.version = version;
+        // this eats things like 1.3-dev -> [1,3]
+        models.version = version.split(".").map(function(c) { return parseInt(c); });
     };
 
     var handleBufferClosing = function(message) {