diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/DefaultArtifactVersion.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/DefaultArtifactVersion.java
index 4981a65753..fc41c86397 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/DefaultArtifactVersion.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/DefaultArtifactVersion.java
@@ -65,7 +65,22 @@ public class DefaultArtifactVersion
             {
                 if ( otherVersion.qualifier != null )
                 {
-                    result = qualifier.compareTo( otherVersion.qualifier );
+                    if ( qualifier.length() > otherVersion.qualifier.length() &&
+                        qualifier.startsWith( otherVersion.qualifier ) )
+                    {
+                        // here, the longer one that otherwise match is considered older
+                        result = -1;
+                    }
+                    else if ( qualifier.length() < otherVersion.qualifier.length() &&
+                        otherVersion.qualifier.startsWith( qualifier ) )
+                    {
+                        // here, the longer one that otherwise match is considered older
+                        result = 1;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        result = qualifier.compareTo( otherVersion.qualifier );
+                    }
                 }
                 else
                 {
diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/DefaultArtifactVersionTest.java b/maven-artifact/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/DefaultArtifactVersionTest.java
index 637133244c..37f3d2f601 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/DefaultArtifactVersionTest.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/DefaultArtifactVersionTest.java
@@ -137,6 +137,18 @@ public class DefaultArtifactVersionTest
         version = new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0-SNAPSHOT" );
         assertTrue( version.compareTo( new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0-beta-1" ) ) < 0 );
 
+        version = new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0-SNAPSHOT" );
+        assertTrue( version.compareTo( new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0" ) ) < 0 );
+
+        version = new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0" );
+        assertTrue( version.compareTo( new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0-SNAPSHOT" ) ) > 0 );
+
+        version = new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0-alpha-1-SNAPSHOT" );
+        assertTrue( version.compareTo( new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0-alpha-1" ) ) < 0 );
+
+        version = new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0-alpha-1" );
+        assertTrue( version.compareTo( new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0-alpha-1-SNAPSHOT" ) ) > 0 );
+
         version = new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0" );
         assertTrue( version.compareTo( new DefaultArtifactVersion( "1.0-1" ) ) < 0 );