diff --git a/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/invoker.properties b/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/invoker.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a48f6073
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/invoker.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+invoker.goals = test
+invoker.buildResult = success
+invoker.settingsFile = src/it/released-version-existing-asset/settings-maven-central.xml
diff --git a/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/pom.xml b/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/pom.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2f26102a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/pom.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
+  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
+
+  <!--
+   We use by intention an existing artifact here, an artifact that exists in maven central to detect it's released version
+   -->
+  <groupId>org.apache.continuum</groupId>
+  <artifactId>continuum</artifactId>
+  <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  <name>build-helper-maven-plugin-released-version-it-mojo-parent</name>
+
+  <build>
+    <defaultGoal>package</defaultGoal>
+    <plugins>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>@project.groupId@</groupId>
+        <artifactId>@project.artifactId@</artifactId>
+        <version>@project.version@</version>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>released-version</id>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>released-version</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <versionPrefix>1.3</versionPrefix>
+              <propertyPrefix>myReleasedVersion</propertyPrefix>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>mk-target-dir</id>
+            <phase>compile</phase>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>run</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <tasks>
+                <mkdir dir="${project.build.directory}" />
+              </tasks>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+
+          <execution>
+            <id>echo-released-version</id>
+            <phase>test</phase>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>run</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <tasks>
+                <echo>myReleasedVersion.version=${myReleasedVersion.version}</echo>
+                <echo>myReleasedVersion.majorVersion=${myReleasedVersion.majorVersion}</echo>
+                <echo>myReleasedVersion.minorVersion=${myReleasedVersion.minorVersion}</echo>
+                <echo>myReleasedVersion.incrementalVersion=${myReleasedVersion.incrementalVersion}</echo>
+              </tasks>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
+    </plugins>
+  </build>
+
+</project>
diff --git a/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/settings-maven-central.xml b/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/settings-maven-central.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e112181a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/settings-maven-central.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<settings xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/SETTINGS/1.0.0"
+    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
+    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/SETTINGS/1.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/settings-1.0.0.xsd">
+  <profiles>
+    <profile>
+      <id>default</id>
+      <repositories>
+        <repository>
+          <id>central</id>
+          <url>https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/</url>
+          <layout>default</layout>
+        </repository>
+      </repositories>
+      <pluginRepositories>
+        <pluginRepository>
+          <id>central</id>
+          <url>https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/</url>
+          <layout>default</layout>
+        </pluginRepository>
+      </pluginRepositories>
+    </profile>
+  </profiles>
+  <activeProfiles>
+    <activeProfile>default</activeProfile>
+  </activeProfiles>
+</settings>
diff --git a/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/verify.groovy b/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/verify.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e6c9d235
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/it/released-version-version-prefix/verify.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+File file = new File( basedir, "build.log" );
+assert file.exists();
+
+String text = file.getText("utf-8");
+
+// assert latest release of org.apache.continuum:continuum - it's in apache attic, there will be no new releases any more
+assert text.contains("myReleasedVersion.version=1.3.8")
+assert text.contains("myReleasedVersion.majorVersion=1")
+assert text.contains("myReleasedVersion.minorVersion=3")
+assert text.contains("myReleasedVersion.incrementalVersion=8")
+
+return true;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/buildhelper/ReleasedVersionMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/buildhelper/ReleasedVersionMojo.java
index 77d3c7fa..ca6cf53e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/buildhelper/ReleasedVersionMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/buildhelper/ReleasedVersionMojo.java
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ public class ReleasedVersionMojo
     @Parameter( defaultValue = "${project.remoteArtifactRepositories}", readonly = true )
     private List<ArtifactRepository> remoteArtifactRepositories;
 
+    /**
+     * Returned version must before with the version prefix. Allows searching for maximum minor version given a major
+     * version, or maximum increment version given a minor version.
+     */
+    @Parameter( property = "releasedVersion.versionPrefix" )
+    private String versionPrefix = "";
+
     /**
      * Prefix string to use for the set of version properties.
      */
@@ -111,7 +118,8 @@ public void execute()
                                                                   remoteArtifactRepositories );
             for ( ArtifactVersion version : versions )
             {
-                if ( !ArtifactUtils.isSnapshot( version.toString() )
+                if ( version.toString().startsWith(versionPrefix)
+                    && !ArtifactUtils.isSnapshot( version.toString() )
                     && ( releasedVersion == null || version.compareTo( releasedVersion ) > 0 ) )
                 {
                     releasedVersion = version;