diff --git a/salt/version.py b/salt/version.py
index 321373422715..5b49f364b709 100644
--- a/salt/version.py
+++ b/salt/version.py
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ class SaltStackVersion(object):
         'Sodium'        : (MAX_SIZE - 98, 0),
         'Magnesium'     : (MAX_SIZE - 97, 0),
         'Aluminium'     : (MAX_SIZE - 96, 0),
-        'Silicon'      : (MAX_SIZE - 95, 0),
-        'Phosphorus'   : (MAX_SIZE - 94, 0),
+        'Silicon'       : (MAX_SIZE - 95, 0),
+        'Phosphorus'    : (MAX_SIZE - 94, 0),
         # pylint: disable=E8265
         #'Sulfur'       : (MAX_SIZE - 93, 0),
         #'Chlorine'     : (MAX_SIZE - 92, 0),
@@ -232,7 +232,11 @@ def __init__(self,              # pylint: disable=C0103
             major = int(major)
 
         if isinstance(minor, string_types):
-            minor = int(minor)
+            if not minor:
+                # Empty string
+                minor = None
+            else:
+                minor = int(minor)
 
         if bugfix is None and not self.new_version(major=major):
             bugfix = 0
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_version.py b/tests/unit/test_version.py
index c218868c662a..e236a4823159 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_version.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_version.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ def test_version_parsing(self):
             ('v4518.1', (4518, 1, '', 0, 0, None), '4518.1'),
             ('v3000rc1', (3000, 'rc', 1, 0, None), '3000rc1'),
             ('v3000rc1-n/a-abcdefff', (3000, 'rc', 1, -1, 'abcdefff'), None),
+            ('3000-n/a-1e7bc8f', (3000, '', 0, -1, '1e7bc8f'), None)
 
         )
 
@@ -148,6 +149,27 @@ def test_string_new_version_minor(self):
         assert not ver.bugfix
         assert ver.string == '{0}.{1}'.format(maj_ver, min_ver)
 
+    def test_string_new_version_minor_as_string(self):
+        '''
+        Validate string property method
+        using new versioning scheme alongside
+        minor version
+        '''
+        maj_ver = '3000'
+        min_ver = '1'
+        ver = SaltStackVersion(major=maj_ver, minor=min_ver)
+        assert ver.minor == int(min_ver)
+        assert not ver.bugfix
+        assert ver.string == '{0}.{1}'.format(maj_ver, min_ver)
+
+        # This only seems to happen on a cloned repo without its tags
+        maj_ver = '3000'
+        min_ver = ''
+        ver = SaltStackVersion(major=maj_ver, minor=min_ver)
+        assert ver.minor is None, '{!r} is not {!r}'.format(ver.minor, min_ver)  # pylint: disable=repr-flag-used-in-string
+        assert not ver.bugfix
+        assert ver.string == maj_ver
+
     def test_string_old_version(self):
         '''
         Validate string property method