diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index dc87b58..dd43483 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ checksum = "dbb5fb1acd8a1a18b3dd5be62d25485eb770e05afb408a9627d14d451bae12da"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "semverator"
-version = "0.4.3"
+version = "0.5.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "clap",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index b2075a5..016751a 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "semverator"
-version = "0.4.3"
+version = "0.5.0"
 edition = "2021"
 license = "Apache-2.0"
 readme = "README.md"
diff --git a/src/semver/compare.rs b/src/semver/compare.rs
index 012e6b7..5717905 100644
--- a/src/semver/compare.rs
+++ b/src/semver/compare.rs
@@ -14,21 +14,25 @@ impl Semver {
         self.compare(other) == Ordering::Less
     }
 
+    // Treat majors >1996 as calver, and less than 0.0.0.
+    fn handle_calver(&self) -> Vec<usize> {
+        if self.major < 1996 || self.major == usize::MAX {
+            self.components.clone()
+        } else {
+            let mut cmps = vec![0, 0, 0];
+            cmps.extend(self.components.iter().cloned());
+            cmps
+        }
+    }
+
     fn compare(&self, other: &Semver) -> Ordering {
-        let len = self.components.len().max(other.components.len());
+        let acmps = self.handle_calver();
+        let bcmps = other.handle_calver();
+
+        let len = acmps.len().max(bcmps.len());
         for x in 0..len {
-            if x == 0 {
-                match (
-                    self.major > 1900 && self.major < usize::MAX,
-                    other.major > 1900 && other.major < usize::MAX,
-                ) {
-                    (true, false) => return Ordering::Less,
-                    (false, true) => return Ordering::Greater,
-                    _ => (),
-                }
-            }
-            let a = self.components.get(x);
-            let b = other.components.get(x);
+            let a = acmps.get(x);
+            let b = bcmps.get(x);
             match (a, b) {
                 (None, _) => return Ordering::Less,
                 (_, None) => return Ordering::Greater,