diff --git a/__tests__/__data__/parser.js b/__tests__/__data__/parser.js
index c60a9b7..bfc0d6f 100644
--- a/__tests__/__data__/parser.js
+++ b/__tests__/__data__/parser.js
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ exports.parseTagScenarios = [
   ['%X.Y%-foobar', '1.0.0-rc.1', '1.0-rc.1-foobar'],
   ['%X%-foobar', '1.0.0-rc1', '1-rc1-foobar'],
   ['%X%-foobar', '1.0.0-rc.1', '1-rc.1-foobar'],
-  ['%X%-foobar', '1.0.0', '1-foobar']
+  ['%X%-foobar', '1.0.0', '1-foobar'],
+  ['%X%', '2.0.0rc3', '2-rc3'],
+  ['%X.Y%', '2.0.0rc3', '2.0-rc3']
 ]
 
 exports.parseInputListScenarios = [
diff --git a/__tests__/__data__/taggingStrategy.js b/__tests__/__data__/taggingStrategy.js
index ddbe53e..1561b9e 100644
--- a/__tests__/__data__/taggingStrategy.js
+++ b/__tests__/__data__/taggingStrategy.js
@@ -27,4 +27,20 @@ exports.scenarios = [
     'hello/world:1-foobar,hello/world:1.0-foobar,hello/world:1.0.0-foobar,hello/world:latest',
     {inputTags:'%X%-foobar,%X.Y%-foobar,%X.Y.Z%-foobar', tagName:'1.0.0', latest: true, imageName: 'hello/world'}
   ],
+  [
+    '1-rc1,1.0-rc1,1.0.0-rc1',
+    {inputTags:'%X%,%X.Y%,%X.Y.Z%', tagName:'1.0.0rc1'}
+  ],
+  [
+    '1-rc1-foobar,1.0-rc1-foobar,1.0.0-rc1-foobar',
+    {inputTags:'%X%-foobar,%X.Y%-foobar,%X.Y.Z%-foobar', tagName:'1.0.0rc1'}
+  ],
+  [
+    'hello/world:1-rc1-foobar,hello/world:1.0-rc1-foobar,hello/world:1.0.0-rc1-foobar',
+    {inputTags:'%X%-foobar,%X.Y%-foobar,%X.Y.Z%-foobar', tagName:'1.0.0rc1', imageName: 'hello/world'}
+  ],
+  [
+    'hello/world:1-rc1-foobar,hello/world:1.0-rc1-foobar,hello/world:1.0.0-rc1-foobar,hello/world:latest',
+    {latest: true, inputTags:'%X%-foobar,%X.Y%-foobar,%X.Y.Z%-foobar', tagName:'1.0.0rc1', imageName: 'hello/world'}
+  ],
 ]
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index ebc6252..58467fa 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -7982,7 +7982,7 @@ exports.parseTag = (pattern, tag) => {
 
     // if 'tag' is valid, attempt to parse it
   // otherwise error: value is not valid or cannot be coerced
-  var parsedTag = s.parse(tag, {includePrerelease: true})
+  var parsedTag = s.parse(s.clean(tag, {loose: true}), {includePrerelease: true})
   if (!parsedTag){
     parsedTag = s.parse(s.valid(s.coerce(tag)))
     if (!parsedTag) return {error: invalidTag}
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 8c256ba..a055f69 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "tagging-strategy",
-  "version": "2.0.0-rc2",
+  "version": "2.1.0",
   "lockfileVersion": 1,
   "requires": true,
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 45db91b..1cd5408 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "tagging-strategy",
-  "version": "2.0.0-rc2",
+  "version": "2.1.0",
   "description": "A github action for specifying tagging strategies for docker images using semver or other common docker tags",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/src/parser.js b/src/parser.js
index 7cdadd2..fea1ce7 100644
--- a/src/parser.js
+++ b/src/parser.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ exports.parseTag = (pattern, tag) => {
 
     // if 'tag' is valid, attempt to parse it
   // otherwise error: value is not valid or cannot be coerced
-  var parsedTag = s.parse(tag, {includePrerelease: true})
+  var parsedTag = s.parse(s.clean(tag, {loose: true}), {includePrerelease: true})
   if (!parsedTag){
     parsedTag = s.parse(s.valid(s.coerce(tag)))
     if (!parsedTag) return {error: invalidTag}
diff --git a/try.js b/try.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 054927f..0000000
--- a/try.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-const {taggingStrategy} = require('./src/taggingStrategy')
-
-const strategy = {
-  latest: true,
-  tagName: '1.7.3',
-  inputTags: '%X%,%X.Y%,%X.Y.Z%'
-}
-
-console.log(taggingStrategy(strategy))
\ No newline at end of file