diff --git a/mwclient/client.py b/mwclient/client.py
index 0c7c74e7fe70d56b2aadf874a5c0d17b2d9e8d47..9c125d63aa5c68ba7c19a86ce9db34185a39a5d1 100644
--- a/mwclient/client.py
+++ b/mwclient/client.py
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ class Site(object):
 			version = self.site['generator'][10:].split('.')
 			if len(version) == 2 and version[1].endswith('alpha'):
 				self.version = (int(version[0]), int(version[1][:-5]), 'alpha')
+			elif len(version) == 3 and 'rc' in version[2]:
+				self.version = (int(version[0]), int(version[1]), version[2])
 			elif len(version) == 3:
 				self.version = (int(version[0]), int(version[1]), int(version[2]))
 			else: