diff --git a/packaging/release/tests/version_helper_test.py b/packaging/release/tests/version_helper_test.py
index f06e00012f1..ff14bd4d64f 100644
--- a/packaging/release/tests/version_helper_test.py
+++ b/packaging/release/tests/version_helper_test.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from versionhelper.version_helper import AnsibleVersionMunger
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('version,revision,codename,output_propname,expected', [
     ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'raw', '2.5.0.dev1'),
+    ('2.5.0a0.post0', None, None, 'raw', '2.5.0a0.post0'),
     ('2.5.0', None, None, 'raw', '2.5.0'),
     ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'major_version', '2.5'),
     ('2.5.0', None, None, 'major_version', '2.5'),
@@ -17,11 +18,13 @@ from versionhelper.version_helper import AnsibleVersionMunger
     ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0~dev1'),
     ('2.5.0b1', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0~b1'),
     ('2.5.0b1.dev1', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0~b1~dev1'),
+    ('2.5.0b1.post0', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0~b1~post0'),
     ('2.5.0', None, None, 'deb_version', '2.5.0'),
     ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'deb_release', '1'),
     ('2.5.0b1', 2, None, 'deb_release', '2'),
     ('2.5.0.dev1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.1.dev1'),
     ('2.5.0a1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.101.a1'),
+    ('2.5.0a1.post0', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.101.a1.post0'),
     ('2.5.0b1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.201.b1'),
     ('2.5.0rc1', None, None, 'rpm_release', '0.1001.rc1'),
     ('2.5.0rc1', '0.99', None, 'rpm_release', '0.99.rc1'),
diff --git a/packaging/release/versionhelper/version_helper.py b/packaging/release/versionhelper/version_helper.py
index 018d979a006..fab4dbb3f3f 100644
--- a/packaging/release/versionhelper/version_helper.py
+++ b/packaging/release/versionhelper/version_helper.py
@@ -31,21 +31,25 @@ class AnsibleVersionMunger(object):
 
         match = self._parsed_regex_match
 
-        # treat dev as prerelease for now
-        if v.is_prerelease or match.group('dev'):
+        # treat dev/post as prerelease for now; treat dev/post as equivalent and disallow together
+        if v.is_prerelease or match.group('dev') or match.group('post'):
+            if match.group('dev') and match.group('post'):
+                raise Exception("dev and post may not currently be used together")
             if match.group('pre'):
                 tag_value = match.group('pre')
                 tag_type = match.group('pre_l')
                 if match.group('dev'):
                     tag_value += ('~%s' % match.group('dev').strip('.'))
+                if match.group('post'):
+                    tag_value += ('~%s' % match.group('post').strip('.'))
             elif match.group('dev'):
                 tag_type = "dev"
                 tag_value = match.group('dev').strip('.')
+            elif match.group('post'):
+                tag_type = "dev"
+                tag_value = match.group('post').strip('.')
             else:
                 raise Exception("unknown prerelease type for version {0}".format(self._raw_version))
-
-        elif v.is_postrelease:
-            raise Exception("post-release identifiers are not supported")
         else:
             tag_type = None
             tag_value = ''
@@ -66,23 +70,28 @@ class AnsibleVersionMunger(object):
         v = self._parsed_version
         match = self._parsed_regex_match
 
-        # treat presence of dev as prerelease for now
-        if v.is_prerelease or match.group('dev'):
+        # treat presence of dev/post as prerelease for now; treat dev/post the same and disallow together
+        if v.is_prerelease or match.group('dev') or match.group('post'):
+            if match.group('dev') and match.group('post'):
+                raise Exception("dev and post may not currently be used together")
             if match.group('pre'):
                 tag_value = match.group('pre')
                 tag_type = match.group('pre_l')
                 tag_ver = match.group('pre_n')
                 if match.group('dev'):
                     tag_value += match.group('dev')
+                if match.group('post'):
+                    tag_value += match.group('post')
             elif match.group('dev'):
                 tag_type = "dev"
                 tag_value = match.group('dev')
                 tag_ver = match.group('dev_n')
+            elif match.group('post'):
+                tag_type = "dev"
+                tag_value = match.group('post')
+                tag_ver = match.group('post_n')
             else:
                 raise Exception("unknown prerelease type for version {0}".format(self._raw_version))
-
-        elif v.is_postrelease:
-            raise Exception("post-release identifiers are not supported")
         else:
             tag_type = None
             tag_value = ''