Index: src/main/groovy/lang/GroovySystem.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/groovy/lang/GroovySystem.java	(revision 18415)
+++ src/main/groovy/lang/GroovySystem.java	(working copy)
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@
     }
 
     /**
-     * Returns the groovy version
+     * Returns the groovy version string
      */
     public static String getVersion() {
-        return ReleaseInfo.getVersion();
+        return ReleaseInfo.getVersion().toString();
     }
 }
Index: src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/runtime/InvokerHelper.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/runtime/InvokerHelper.java	(revision 18400)
+++ src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/runtime/InvokerHelper.java	(working copy)
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@
      * @deprecated Use GroovySystem version instead. 
      */
     public static String getVersion() {
-        return ReleaseInfo.getVersion();
+        return GroovySystem.getVersion();
     }
     
     /**
Index: src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/util/GroovyVersion.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/util/GroovyVersion.java	(revision 0)
+++ src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/util/GroovyVersion.java	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+package org.codehaus.groovy.util;
+
+import java.util.regex.Matcher;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
+/**
+ * Groovy version information 
+ * 
+ * @author Roshan Dawrani
+ */
+public class GroovyVersion implements Comparable<GroovyVersion> {
+    public static final String GROOVY_VERSION_FORMAT = "(\\d+)\\.{1}(\\d+)(?:\\.{1}(\\d+))?(?:\\-{1}(.*))?";
+
+    private final String version;
+
+    private String major = "";
+    private String minor = "";
+    private String micro = "";
+    private String qualifier = "";
+
+    boolean parsed = false;
+    
+    public GroovyVersion(String ver) {
+        version = (ver != null) ? ver : "";
+    }
+
+    public String getMajor() {
+        parse();
+        return major != null ? major : "";
+    }
+
+    public String getMinor() {
+        parse();
+        return minor != null ? minor : "";
+    }
+    
+    public String getMicro() {
+        parse();
+        return micro != null ? micro : "";
+    }
+    
+    public String getQualifier() {
+        parse();
+        return qualifier != null ? qualifier : "";
+    }
+    
+    public String toString() {
+        return version;
+    }
+    
+    public int compareTo(GroovyVersion that) {
+        if(that == null) return -1;
+        return this.toString().compareTo(that.toString());
+    }
+    
+    public boolean equals(Object that) {
+        if (that instanceof GroovyVersion) {
+            return equals((GroovyVersion) that);
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    public boolean equals(GroovyVersion that) {
+        return toString().equals(that.toString());
+    }
+
+    public int hashCode() {
+        return 37 + toString().hashCode();
+    }
+    
+    private void parse() {
+        if(!parsed) {
+            parsed = true;
+            if(version == null || version.length() == 0) return;
+            Pattern versionPattern = Pattern.compile(GROOVY_VERSION_FORMAT);
+            Matcher m = versionPattern.matcher(version);
+            if (!m.find()) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Groovy version must be in form <major>.<minor>[.<micro>][-<qualifier>]");
+            } else {
+                major = m.group(1); 
+                minor = m.group(2);
+                micro = m.group(3);
+                qualifier = m.group(4);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
Index: src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/util/ReleaseInfo.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/util/ReleaseInfo.java	(revision 18415)
+++ src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/util/ReleaseInfo.java	(working copy)
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@
     private static String KEY_BUILD_TIME = "BuildTime";
     private static boolean loaded = false;
 
-    public static String getVersion() {
-        return get(KEY_IMPLEMENTATION_VERSION);
+    public static GroovyVersion getVersion() {
+        return new GroovyVersion(get(KEY_IMPLEMENTATION_VERSION));
     }
     
     public static Properties getAllProperties() {
Index: src/test/groovy/bugs/Groovy3884Bug.groovy
===================================================================
--- src/test/groovy/bugs/Groovy3884Bug.groovy	(revision 0)
+++ src/test/groovy/bugs/Groovy3884Bug.groovy	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+package groovy.bugs
+
+import org.codehaus.groovy.util.GroovyVersion
+
+class Groovy3884Bug extends GroovyTestCase {
+    void testEmptyGroovyVersion() {
+        def ver = new GroovyVersion("")
+        assert ver.major == '' 
+        assert ver.minor == ''
+        assert ver.micro == ''
+        assert ver.qualifier == ''
+    }
+
+    void testNullGroovyVersion() {
+        def ver = new GroovyVersion(null)
+        assert ver.major == '' 
+        assert ver.minor == ''
+        assert ver.micro == ''
+        assert ver.qualifier == ''
+    }
+
+    void testGroovyVersionString1() {
+        def ver = new GroovyVersion("1.7-rc-1-SNAPSHOT")
+        assert ver.major == '1' 
+        assert ver.minor == '7'
+        assert ver.micro == ''
+        assert ver.qualifier == 'rc-1-SNAPSHOT'
+    }
+
+    void testGroovyVersionString2() {
+        def ver = new GroovyVersion("1.6.2")
+        assert ver.major == '1' 
+        assert ver.minor == '6'
+        assert ver.micro == '2'
+        assert ver.qualifier == ''
+    }
+
+    void testGroovyVersionString3() {
+        def ver = new GroovyVersion("1.5.3-SNAPSHOT")
+        assert ver.major == '1' 
+        assert ver.minor == '5'
+        assert ver.micro == '3'
+        assert ver.qualifier == 'SNAPSHOT'
+    }
+
+    void testGroovyVersionsComparsion1() {
+        def ver1 = new GroovyVersion("1.5.3-SNAPSHOT")
+        def ver2 = new GroovyVersion("1.5.3-SNAPSHOT")
+        assert ver1.compareTo(ver2) == 0
+    }
+
+    void testGroovyVersionsComparsion2() {
+        def list = []
+        def ver1 = new GroovyVersion("1.5.3-SNAPSHOT")
+        list << ver1
+        def ver2 = new GroovyVersion("1.5.3-SNAPSHOT")
+        assert list.contains(ver2)
+    }
+}