diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 606d8c7a19..aab1ef02ee 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -5,23 +5,47 @@ project(
 # NOTE: When incrementing version also add corresponding
 #       NM_VERSION_x_y_z macros in
 #       "src/libnm-core-public/nm-version-macros.h.in"
-  version: '1.57.1',
+  version: '1.57.1-dev',
   license: 'GPL2+',
   default_options: [
     'buildtype=debugoptimized',
     'c_std=gnu11',
     'warning_level=2' # value "2" will add "-Wall" and "-Wextra" to the compiler flags
   ],
-  meson_version: '>= 0.53.0',
+  meson_version: '>= 0.56.0',
 )
 
 nm_name = meson.project_name()
-
 nm_version = meson.project_version()
-version_array = nm_version.split('.')
-nm_major_version = version_array[0].to_int()
-nm_minor_version = version_array[1].to_int()
-nm_micro_version = version_array[2].to_int()
+
+version_and_suffix = nm_version.split('-')
+version_array = version_and_suffix[0].split('.')
+if version_and_suffix.length() == 2
+  version_suffix = version_and_suffix[1]
+else
+  assert(version_and_suffix.length() == 1)
+  version_suffix = ''
+endif
+
+if version_suffix == '' or version_suffix == 'dev'
+  assert(version_array.length() == 3)
+  nm_major_version = version_array[0].to_int()
+  nm_minor_version = version_array[1].to_int()
+  nm_micro_version = version_array[2].to_int()
+elif version_suffix.startswith('rc')
+  assert(version_array.length() == 2)
+  nm_major_version = version_array[0].to_int()
+  nm_minor_version = version_array[1].to_int() - 1
+  nm_micro_version = version_suffix.substring(2).to_int() + 89
+else
+  error('Invalid suffix: ' + version_suffix)
+endif
+
+if nm_minor_version % 2 == 1 and version_suffix == ''
+  error('Expected a "-dev" or "-rc" suffix')
+elif nm_minor_version %2 == 0 and version_suffix != ''
+  error('Unexpected "' + version_suffix + '" suffix')
+endif
 
 nm_id_prefix = 'NM'
 
diff --git a/src/tests/client/test-client.py b/src/tests/client/test-client.py
index 6220587a9b..3f9620d572 100755
--- a/src/tests/client/test-client.py
+++ b/src/tests/client/test-client.py
@@ -688,7 +688,17 @@ class Util:
         micro = ver & 0xFF
         minor = (ver >> 8) & 0xFF
         major = ver >> 16
-        return "%s.%s.%s" % (major, minor, micro)
+
+        # Convert 1.57.1 -> 1.57.1-dev and 1.55.90 -> 1.56-rc1
+        if micro >= 90:
+            minor += 1
+            micro = "-rc" + str(micro - 89)
+        elif minor % 2 == 1:
+            micro = f".{micro}-dev"
+        else:
+            micro = f".{micro}"
+
+        return "%s.%s%s" % (major, minor, micro)
 
 
 ###############################################################################