diff --git a/docs/Maestro/scheduling.md b/docs/Maestro/scheduling.md
index 487152c1..2c908581 100644
--- a/docs/Maestro/scheduling.md
+++ b/docs/Maestro/scheduling.md
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ Flux adapter also supports some keys that control batch job behavior instead of
 | **Maestro** | **Description** | **Default** |
 | :-          | :-              | :-          |
 | `nested`    | Flag to control whether to run the step inside a nested flux instance.  This is usually the desired option. | True |
+| `waitable` | Whether to mark a job as 'waitable'; this is restricted to owners of an instance, and thus cannot be used if scheduling to a system instance (i.e. not to a broker with a specific uri). Note: this option is likely only of interest if using the script adapters directly to build a custom tool. New flag as of 0.49.0 adapter. Let us know via [github issues](https://github.com/LLNL/maestrowf/issues) if you find a need/use for this in the spec. | False |
 
 See the [flux framework](https://flux-framework.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html) for more information on flux.  Additionally, checkout the [flux-how-to-guides](how_to_guides/running_with_flux.md) for the options available for using flux with Maestro.  Also check out a [full example spec run with flux](specification.md#full-example).
 
diff --git a/maestrowf/abstracts/interfaces/flux.py b/maestrowf/abstracts/interfaces/flux.py
index 3aac7d78..b7d8c5fb 100644
--- a/maestrowf/abstracts/interfaces/flux.py
+++ b/maestrowf/abstracts/interfaces/flux.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def connect_to_flux(cls):
             if not versions_parsed:
                 return
 
-            if adaptor_version > broker_version:
+            if adaptor_version.base_version > broker_version.base_version:
                 LOGGER.error(
                     "Maestro adapter version (%s) is too new for the Flux "
                     "broker version (%s). Functionality not present in "
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def connect_to_flux(cls):
                     "cause errors. Please switch to an older adapter.",
                     adaptor_version, broker_version
                 )
-            elif adaptor_version < broker_version:
+            elif adaptor_version.base_version < broker_version.base_version:
                 LOGGER.debug(
                     "Maestro adaptor version (%s) is older than the Flux "
                     "broker version (%s). This is usually OK, but if a "
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ def connect_to_flux(cls):
                     "upgrading to maximize performance and compatibility.",
                     adaptor_version, broker_version
                 )
+            # TODO: add custom version object to more properly handle dev
+            #       and prerelease versions for both semver and pep440 version
+            #       schemes.  Then add log message reflecting it if detected
 
     @classmethod
     def get_flux_version(cls):
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index ce4024e6..5c3b441a 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# This file is automatically @generated by Poetry 1.4.0 and should not be changed by hand.
+# This file is automatically @generated by Poetry 1.4.2 and should not be changed by hand.
 
 [[package]]
 name = "astroid"
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ setuptools = "*"
 name = "packaging"
 version = "23.1"
 description = "Core utilities for Python packages"
-category = "dev"
+category = "main"
 optional = false
 python-versions = ">=3.7"
 files = [
@@ -1756,4 +1756,4 @@ testing = ["big-O", "flake8 (<5)", "jaraco.functools", "jaraco.itertools", "more
 [metadata]
 lock-version = "2.0"
 python-versions = ">=3.7.1,<4.0"
-content-hash = "b19a057d3b470b68a89eb0014ba3930167466b938fc33f4e207a2ff3c000ae64"
+content-hash = "6c16153f95a16d95051b6f7ca98d567c3d1648cd721973f8879f347c8922394e"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 32aa5d6a..0dfc0924 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [tool]
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "maestrowf"
-version = "1.1.10dev3"
+version = "1.1.10dev4"
 description = "A tool to easily orchestrate general computational workflows both locally and on supercomputers."
 license = "MIT License"
 classifiers = [
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ dill = "*"
 filelock = "*"
 importlib_metadata = {version = "*", python = "<3.8"}
 jsonschema = ">=3.2.0"
+packaging = ">=22.0"
 pyyaml = ">=4.2b1"
 rich = "*"
 six = "*"
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_utils.py b/tests/utils/test_utils.py
index 00309c7c..6729ff03 100644
--- a/tests/utils/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils/test_utils.py
@@ -31,3 +31,30 @@ def test_parse_version(version_string, expected_version, error):
     with error:
         version_parts = parse_version(version_string)
         assert version_parts == expected_version
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "test_version_string, ref_version, expected, base_expected",
+    [
+        ("0.49.0", Version("0.49.0"), True, True),
+        ("0.50.0rc2", Version("0.49.0"), True, True),
+        ("0.49.0-225-g53e087510", Version("0.49.0"), True, True),
+        ("0.48.0", Version("0.49.0"), False, False),
+        ("0.49.0rc1", Version("0.49.0"), False, True),
+    ],
+)
+def test_version_greater(test_version_string, ref_version, expected, base_expected):
+    """
+    Test version comparison between variants of flux core's version strings
+    and Maestro's flux verison adapters to ensure correct adapter version
+    selection and error handling.  Tests raw comparisons as well as fallback
+    to base_version for ignoring dev/pre-release variants
+    """
+    test_version = parse_version(test_version_string)
+    ver_cmp = test_version >= ref_version
+    print(f"Version '{test_version}': base = '{test_version.base_version}', is prerelease = '{test_version.is_prerelease}'")
+
+    assert ver_cmp == expected
+
+    ver_cmp_base = test_version.base_version >= ref_version.base_version
+    assert ver_cmp_base == base_expected