diff --git a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
index 6611a70e4..8bf6eb1e8 100644
--- a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
+++ b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
@@ -1262,10 +1262,21 @@ fn month_compare(a: &str, b: &str) -> Ordering {
     }
 }
 
+fn version_parse(a: &str) -> Version {
+    let result = Version::parse(a);
+
+    match result {
+        Ok(vers_a) => vers_a,
+        // Non-version lines parse to 0.0.0
+        Err(_e) => Version::parse("0.0.0").unwrap(),
+    }
+}
+
 fn version_compare(a: &str, b: &str) -> Ordering {
     #![allow(clippy::comparison_chain)]
-    let ver_a = Version::parse(a);
-    let ver_b = Version::parse(b);
+    let ver_a = version_parse(a);
+    let ver_b = version_parse(b);
+
     // Version::cmp is not implemented; implement comparison directly
     if ver_a > ver_b {
         Ordering::Greater
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
index 23ce3258d..0f8020688 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,15 @@ fn test_months_whitespace() {
     test_helper("months-whitespace", "-M");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_version_empty_lines() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+    .arg("-V")
+    .arg("version-empty-lines.txt")
+    .succeeds()
+    .stdout_is("\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1.2.3-alpha\n1.2.3-alpha2\n\t\t\t1.12.4\n11.2.3\n");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_human_numeric_whitespace() {
     test_helper("human-numeric-whitespace", "-h");
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sort/version-empty-lines.expected b/tests/fixtures/sort/version-empty-lines.expected
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c496c0ff5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sort/version-empty-lines.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+1.2.3-alpha
+1.2.3-alpha2
+11.2.3
+			1.12.4
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/sort/version-empty-lines.txt b/tests/fixtures/sort/version-empty-lines.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9b6b89788
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/sort/version-empty-lines.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+11.2.3
+
+
+
+1.2.3-alpha2
+
+
+1.2.3-alpha
+
+
+			1.12.4