diff --git a/c_src/cmd_format.c b/c_src/cmd_format.c
index d0c8e197..152f7f37 100644
--- a/c_src/cmd_format.c
+++ b/c_src/cmd_format.c
@@ -220,8 +220,7 @@ int cmd_format(int argc, char *argv[])
 			unconsumed_dev_option = true;
 			break;
 		case O_version:
-			if (kstrtouint(optarg, 10, &opts.version))
-				die("invalid version");
+			opts.version = version_parse(optarg);
 			break;
 		case O_no_initialize:
 			initialize = false;
diff --git a/c_src/tools-util.c b/c_src/tools-util.c
index 3a76a02e..3df2b004 100644
--- a/c_src/tools-util.c
+++ b/c_src/tools-util.c
@@ -726,6 +726,21 @@ struct bbpos_range bbpos_range_parse(char *buf)
 	return (struct bbpos_range) { .start = start, .end = end };
 }
 
+unsigned version_parse(char *buf)
+{
+	char *s = buf;
+	char *major_str = strsep(&s, ".");
+	char *minor_str	= strsep(&s, ".");
+
+	unsigned major, minor;
+
+	if (kstrtouint(major_str, 10, &major) ||
+	    kstrtouint(minor_str, 10, &minor))
+		die("invalid version");
+
+	return BCH_VERSION(major, minor);
+}
+
 darray_str get_or_split_cmdline_devs(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	darray_str ret = {};
diff --git a/c_src/tools-util.h b/c_src/tools-util.h
index 572aca05..1694ad86 100644
--- a/c_src/tools-util.h
+++ b/c_src/tools-util.h
@@ -209,6 +209,8 @@ struct bbpos_range {
 
 struct bbpos_range bbpos_range_parse(char *);
 
+unsigned version_parse(char *);
+
 darray_str get_or_split_cmdline_devs(int argc, char *argv[]);
 
 #endif /* _TOOLS_UTIL_H */