diff --git a/test/dbapi/conftest.py b/test/dbapi/conftest.py
index e6eb659..0d23126 100644
--- a/test/dbapi/conftest.py
+++ b/test/dbapi/conftest.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+from test.utils import parse_server_version
+
 import pg8000.dbapi
 
 
@@ -57,5 +59,5 @@ def pg_version(cursor):
     cursor.execute("select current_setting('server_version')")
     retval = cursor.fetchall()
     version = retval[0][0]
-    idx = version.index(".")
-    return int(version[:idx])
+    major = parse_server_version(version)
+    return int(major)
diff --git a/test/native/conftest.py b/test/native/conftest.py
index 12af200..5088186 100644
--- a/test/native/conftest.py
+++ b/test/native/conftest.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+from test.utils import parse_server_version
+
 import pg8000.native
 
 
@@ -45,5 +47,5 @@ def fin():
 def pg_version(con):
     retval = con.run("select current_setting('server_version')")
     version = retval[0][0]
-    idx = version.index(".")
-    return int(version[:idx])
+    major = parse_server_version(version)
+    return int(major)
diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..254c564
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from test.utils import parse_server_version
+
+
+def test_parse_server_version():
+    assert parse_server_version("17rc1") == 17
diff --git a/test/utils.py b/test/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e60778
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import re
+
+
+def parse_server_version(version):
+    major = re.match(r"\d+", version).group()  # leading digits in 17.0, 17rc1
+    return int(major)