diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/JcloudsVersion.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/JcloudsVersion.java
index f23118e55b..c5fa1d5e22 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/JcloudsVersion.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/JcloudsVersion.java
@@ -39,12 +39,11 @@ public class JcloudsVersion {
     private static final String VERSION_PROPERTY_NAME = "version";
 
     /*
-     * x.y.z or x.y.z-incubating or x.y.z-alpha.n or x.y.z-beta.n or x.y.z-rc.n or x.y.z-SNAPSHOT -
-     * see http://semver.org. Note that x.y.z-incubating does *not* meet the 
-     * semver criteria for a *release* version.
+     * x.y.z or x.y.z-alpha.n or x.y.z-beta.n or x.y.z-rc.n or x.y.z-SNAPSHOT -
+     * see http://semver.org.
      */
     private static final Pattern SEMANTIC_VERSION_PATTERN =
-        Pattern.compile("(\\d+)\\.(\\d+)\\.(\\d+)(?:-(alpha|beta|rc)\\.(\\d+)|-incubating|-SNAPSHOT)?");
+        Pattern.compile("(\\d+)\\.(\\d+)\\.(\\d+)(?:-(alpha|beta|rc)\\.(\\d+)|-SNAPSHOT)?");
     private static final String ALPHA_VERSION_IDENTIFIER = "alpha";
     private static final String BETA_VERSION_IDENTIFIER = "beta";
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/JcloudsVersionTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/JcloudsVersionTest.java
index dc2c973cb5..027d1178f4 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/JcloudsVersionTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/JcloudsVersionTest.java
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ public class JcloudsVersionTest {
         new JcloudsVersion("1.2.3-rc-4");
     }
 
+    @Test(expectedExceptions = { IllegalArgumentException.class })
+    public void testFailsIfIncubating() {
+        // no longer supported after graduation from the Apache Incubator
+        new JcloudsVersion("1.2.3-incubating");
+    }
+
     @Test(expectedExceptions = { IllegalArgumentException.class })
     public void testFailsIfAlphaSnapshot() {
         new JcloudsVersion("1.2.3-alpha.5-SNAPSHOT");
@@ -115,18 +121,6 @@ public class JcloudsVersionTest {
         assertNull(version.releaseCandidateVersion);
     }
 
-    @Test
-    public void testSupportsIncubatingReleaseVersion() {
-        // *not* a semver-compliant release version!
-        JcloudsVersion version = new JcloudsVersion("1.2.3-incubating");
-        assertFalse(version.alpha, "Expected non-alpha");
-        assertFalse(version.beta, "Expected non-beta");
-        assertFalse(version.releaseCandidate, "Expected non-release candidate");
-        assertNull(version.alphaVersion);
-        assertNull(version.betaVersion);
-        assertNull(version.releaseCandidateVersion);
-    }
-
     @Test
     public void testRecognisesAlpha() {
         JcloudsVersion version = new JcloudsVersion("1.2.3-alpha.5");