diff --git a/oslo_messaging/rpc/client.py b/oslo_messaging/rpc/client.py
index 3b05785a2..04992288f 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/rpc/client.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/rpc/client.py
@@ -166,6 +166,14 @@ class _CallContext(object):
                  version=_marker, server=_marker, fanout=_marker,
                  timeout=_marker, version_cap=_marker, retry=_marker):
         """Prepare a method invocation context. See RPCClient.prepare()."""
+        if version is not None and version is not cls._marker:
+            # quick sanity check to make sure parsable version numbers are used
+            try:
+                utils.version_is_compatible(version, version)
+            except (IndexError, ValueError):
+                raise exceptions.MessagingException(
+                    "Version must contain a major and minor integer. Got %s"
+                    % version)
         kwargs = dict(
             exchange=exchange,
             topic=topic,
diff --git a/oslo_messaging/tests/rpc/test_client.py b/oslo_messaging/tests/rpc/test_client.py
index e163a9297..c5b7364d8 100644
--- a/oslo_messaging/tests/rpc/test_client.py
+++ b/oslo_messaging/tests/rpc/test_client.py
@@ -122,21 +122,21 @@ class TestCastToTarget(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
               prepare=dict(namespace='testnamespace'),
               expect=dict(namespace='testnamespace'))),
         ('ctor_version',
-         dict(ctor=dict(version='testversion'),
+         dict(ctor=dict(version='1.1'),
               prepare={},
-              expect=dict(version='testversion'))),
+              expect=dict(version='1.1'))),
         ('prepare_version',
          dict(ctor={},
-              prepare=dict(version='testversion'),
-              expect=dict(version='testversion'))),
+              prepare=dict(version='1.1'),
+              expect=dict(version='1.1'))),
         ('prepare_version_none',
-         dict(ctor=dict(version='testversion'),
+         dict(ctor=dict(version='1.1'),
               prepare=dict(version=None),
               expect={})),
         ('both_version',
          dict(ctor=dict(version='ctorversion'),
-              prepare=dict(version='testversion'),
-              expect=dict(version='testversion'))),
+              prepare=dict(version='1.1'),
+              expect=dict(version='1.1'))),
         ('ctor_server',
          dict(ctor=dict(server='testserver'),
               prepare={},
@@ -517,3 +517,12 @@ class TestCanSendVersion(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
             can_send = client.can_send_version()
 
         self.assertEqual(self.can_send, can_send)
+
+    def test_invalid_version_type(self):
+        target = oslo_messaging.Target(topic='sometopic')
+        transport = _FakeTransport(self.conf)
+        client = oslo_messaging.RPCClient(transport, target)
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.MessagingException,
+                          client.prepare, version='5')
+        self.assertRaises(exceptions.MessagingException,
+                          client.prepare, version='5.a')
diff --git a/tests/rpc/test_client.py b/tests/rpc/test_client.py
index 65c4f6752..d4a9c241b 100644
--- a/tests/rpc/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/rpc/test_client.py
@@ -122,21 +122,21 @@ class TestCastToTarget(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
               prepare=dict(namespace='testnamespace'),
               expect=dict(namespace='testnamespace'))),
         ('ctor_version',
-         dict(ctor=dict(version='testversion'),
+         dict(ctor=dict(version='1.1'),
               prepare={},
-              expect=dict(version='testversion'))),
+              expect=dict(version='1.1'))),
         ('prepare_version',
          dict(ctor={},
-              prepare=dict(version='testversion'),
-              expect=dict(version='testversion'))),
+              prepare=dict(version='1.1'),
+              expect=dict(version='1.1'))),
         ('prepare_version_none',
-         dict(ctor=dict(version='testversion'),
+         dict(ctor=dict(version='1.1'),
               prepare=dict(version=None),
               expect={})),
         ('both_version',
          dict(ctor=dict(version='ctorversion'),
-              prepare=dict(version='testversion'),
-              expect=dict(version='testversion'))),
+              prepare=dict(version='1.1'),
+              expect=dict(version='1.1'))),
         ('ctor_server',
          dict(ctor=dict(server='testserver'),
               prepare={},