diff --git a/src/or/dirserv.c b/src/or/dirserv.c
index 639839973a..e055c1cc9b 100644
--- a/src/or/dirserv.c
+++ b/src/or/dirserv.c
@@ -554,6 +554,27 @@ list_server_status(smartlist_t *routers, char **router_status_out)
   return 0;
 }
 
+int
+_compare_tor_version_str_ptr(const void **_a, const void **_b)
+{
+  const char *a = *_a, *b = *_b;
+  int ca, cb;
+  tor_version_t va, vb;
+  ca = tor_version_parse(a, &va);
+  cb = tor_version_parse(b, &vb);
+  /* If they both parse, compare them. */
+  if (ca && cb)
+    return tor_version_compare(&va,&vb);
+  /* If one parses, it comes first. */
+  if (ca && !cb)
+    return -1;
+  if (!ca && cb)
+    return 1;
+  /* If neiher parses, compare strings.  Also, the directory server admin needs
+  ** to be smacked upside the head.  But Tor is tolerant and gentle. */
+  return strcmp(a,b);
+}
+
 /* Given a (possibly empty) list of config_line_t, each line of which contains
  * a list of comma-separated version numbers surrounded by optional space,
  * allocate and return a new string containing the version numbers, in order,
@@ -568,7 +589,7 @@ format_versions_list(config_line_t *ln)
     smartlist_split_string(versions, ln->value, ",",
                            SPLIT_SKIP_SPACE|SPLIT_IGNORE_BLANK, 0);
   }
-  smartlist_sort_strings(versions); /* sort them */
+  smartlist_sort(versions, _compare_tor_version_str_ptr);
   result = smartlist_join_strings(versions,",",0,NULL);
   SMARTLIST_FOREACH(versions,char *,s,tor_free(s));
   smartlist_free(versions);