diff --git a/p2p/handshake.go b/p2p/handshake.go
index fa409d0..33b9da0 100644
--- a/p2p/handshake.go
+++ b/p2p/handshake.go
@@ -187,10 +187,15 @@ func ValidateHandshakeResponse(resp *HandshakeResponse, expectedNetworkID [16]by
 			resp.NodeData.NetworkID, expectedNetworkID)
 	}
 
-	if !MeetsMinimumBuildVersion(resp.PayloadData.ClientVersion, isTestnet) {
-		minBuild := MinimumRequiredBuildVersion(isTestnet)
-		return fmt.Errorf("p2p: peer build %q below minimum %d",
-			resp.PayloadData.ClientVersion, minBuild)
+	buildVersion, ok := PeerBuildVersion(resp.PayloadData.ClientVersion)
+	if !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("p2p: peer build %q is malformed", resp.PayloadData.ClientVersion)
+	}
+
+	minBuild := MinimumRequiredBuildVersion(isTestnet)
+	if buildVersion < minBuild {
+		return fmt.Errorf("p2p: peer build %q parsed as %d below minimum %d",
+			resp.PayloadData.ClientVersion, buildVersion, minBuild)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/p2p/handshake_test.go b/p2p/handshake_test.go
index 7126ce9..40a4df1 100644
--- a/p2p/handshake_test.go
+++ b/p2p/handshake_test.go
@@ -208,3 +208,22 @@ func TestValidateHandshakeResponse_BadBuildVersion(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("ValidateHandshakeResponse error: got %v, want build minimum failure", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestValidateHandshakeResponse_BadMalformedBuildVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	resp := &HandshakeResponse{
+		NodeData: NodeData{
+			NetworkID: config.NetworkIDMainnet,
+		},
+		PayloadData: CoreSyncData{
+			ClientVersion: "bogus",
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := ValidateHandshakeResponse(resp, config.NetworkIDMainnet, false)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("ValidateHandshakeResponse: expected malformed build version error")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "malformed") {
+		t.Fatalf("ValidateHandshakeResponse error: got %v, want malformed build version failure", err)
+	}
+}