diff --git a/src/core/core-util.c b/src/core/core-util.c
index cdf041742..9332d33da 100644
--- a/src/core/core-util.c
+++ b/src/core/core-util.c
@@ -843,9 +843,10 @@ util_version_number (const char *version)
             buf[index_buf] = '\0';
             if (buf[0])
             {
+                errno = 0;
                 error = NULL;
                 number = strtoul (buf, &error, 10);
-                if (error && !error[0])
+                if ((errno != ERANGE) && error && !error[0])
                 {
                     if (number > 0xFF)
                         number = 0xFF;
diff --git a/tests/unit/core/test-core-util.cpp b/tests/unit/core/test-core-util.cpp
index 7e0c40dda..35c941a33 100644
--- a/tests/unit/core/test-core-util.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/core/test-core-util.cpp
@@ -767,10 +767,16 @@ TEST(CoreUtil, ParseDelay)
 
 TEST(CoreUtil, VersionNumber)
 {
+    char str_version[256];
+
     CHECK(util_version_number (NULL) == 0);
     CHECK(util_version_number ("") == 0);
     CHECK(util_version_number ("abc") == 0);
 
+    /* invalid unsigned long: outside range (0, ULONG_MAX) */
+    snprintf (str_version, sizeof (str_version), "0.0.%lu1", ULONG_MAX);
+    CHECK(util_version_number (str_version) == 0);
+
     CHECK(util_version_number ("0.3.2-dev") == 0x00030200);
     CHECK(util_version_number ("0.3.2-rc1") == 0x00030200);
     CHECK(util_version_number ("0.3.2") == 0x00030200);