diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/VersionNumber.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/VersionNumber.java
index 61f8a729c0469686efb9a9cd382d2fa5b7490c60..7e8e29d316a64ec2afcac15dec7bd891d7d75ea4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/VersionNumber.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/VersionNumber.java
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ public class VersionNumber implements Comparable<VersionNumber> {
     private static class WildCardItem implements Item {
 
         public int compareTo(Item item) {
+            if (item==null) // 1.* ( > 1.99) > 1
+                return 1;
             switch (item.getType()) {
                 case INTEGER_ITEM:
                 case LIST_ITEM:
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/hudson/util/VersionNumberTest.java b/core/src/test/java/hudson/util/VersionNumberTest.java
index e1861592aa7ace78b416733c99446722013ea83f..f373ee59194ea4df8eb0fab94479ca8099fda654 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/hudson/util/VersionNumberTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/hudson/util/VersionNumberTest.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import junit.framework.TestCase;
 public class VersionNumberTest extends TestCase {
 
     public void testIsNewerThan() {
+       assertTrue(new VersionNumber("2.0.*").isNewerThan(new VersionNumber("2.0")));
        assertTrue(new VersionNumber("2.0.*").isNewerThan(new VersionNumber("2.0.1")));
        assertTrue(new VersionNumber("2.0.1").isNewerThan(new VersionNumber("2.0.1-SNAPSHOT")));
        assertTrue(new VersionNumber("2.0.1-SNAPSHOT").isNewerThan(new VersionNumber("2.0.0.99")));