diff --git a/core/modules/update/src/Form/UpdateManagerUpdate.php b/core/modules/update/src/Form/UpdateManagerUpdate.php
index b4e50be9db..fb5385c026 100644
--- a/core/modules/update/src/Form/UpdateManagerUpdate.php
+++ b/core/modules/update/src/Form/UpdateManagerUpdate.php
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public function buildForm(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
 
       $recommended_release = $project['releases'][$project['recommended']];
       $recommended_version = '{{ release_version }} (<a href="{{ release_link }}" title="{{ project_title }}">{{ release_notes }}</a>)';
-      $recommended_version_parser = new ModuleVersion($recommended_release['version']);
+      $recommended_version_parser = ModuleVersion::createFromVersionString($recommended_release['version']);
       if ($recommended_version_parser->getMajorVersion() != $project['existing_major']) {
         $recommended_version .= '<div title="{{ major_update_warning_title }}" class="update-major-version-warning">{{ major_update_warning_text }}</div>';
       }
diff --git a/core/modules/update/src/ModuleVersion.php b/core/modules/update/src/ModuleVersion.php
index 2982ca14ef..b43e63680a 100644
--- a/core/modules/update/src/ModuleVersion.php
+++ b/core/modules/update/src/ModuleVersion.php
@@ -10,11 +10,9 @@
 class ModuleVersion {
 
   /**
-   * The version_string.
-   *
-   * @var string
+   * The core compatibility prefix used in version strings.
    */
-  protected $version;
+  const CORE_COMPATIBILITY_PREFIX = \Drupal::CORE_COMPATIBILITY . '-';
 
   /**
    * The major version.
@@ -45,28 +43,64 @@ class ModuleVersion {
   protected $versionExtra;
 
   /**
-   * Constructs a ModuleVersion object.
+   * Whether the core compatibility prefix should be used.
+   *
+   * @var bool
+   */
+  protected $useCorePrefix;
+
+  /**
+   * Constructs a module version object from a version string.
    *
-   * @param string $version
+   * @param string $version_string
    *   The version string.
+   *
+   * @return \Drupal\update\ModuleVersion
+   *   The module version instance.
    */
-  public function __construct($version) {
-    $this->version = $version;
-    $version_parts = explode('.', $this->getVersionStringWithoutCoreCompatibility());
-    $this->majorVersion = $version_parts[0];
+  public static function createFromVersionString($version_string) {
+    $use_compatibility_prefix = strpos($version_string, static::CORE_COMPATIBILITY_PREFIX) === 0;
+    if ($use_compatibility_prefix) {
+      $version_string = str_replace(static::CORE_COMPATIBILITY_PREFIX, '', $version_string);
+    }
+    $version_parts = explode('.', $version_string);
+    $major_version = $version_parts[0];
     if (count($version_parts) === 2) {
       $last_version_part = $version_parts[1];
-      $this->minorVersion = NULL;
+      $minor_version = NULL;
     }
     else {
       $last_version_part = $version_parts[2];
-      $this->minorVersion = $version_parts[1];
+      $minor_version = $version_parts[1];
     }
     $last_version_split = explode('-', $last_version_part);
     // If patch equals 'x' this instance was created from a branch and the patch
     // version cannot be determined.
-    $this->patchVersion = $last_version_split[0] === 'x' ? NULL : $last_version_split[0];
-    $this->versionExtra = count($last_version_split) === 1 ? NULL : $last_version_split[1];
+    $patch_version = $last_version_split[0] === 'x' ? NULL : $last_version_split[0];
+    $version_extra = count($last_version_split) === 1 ? NULL : $last_version_split[1];
+    return new static($major_version, $minor_version, $patch_version, $version_extra, $use_compatibility_prefix);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Constructs a ModuleVersion object.
+   *
+   * @param string $major_version
+   *   The major version.
+   * @param string|null $minor_version
+   *   The minor version.
+   * @param string|null $patch_version
+   *   The patch version.
+   * @param string|null $version_extra
+   *   The extra version string.
+   * @param bool $use_core_compatibility_prefix
+   *   Whether to use the core compatibility prefix.
+   */
+  protected function __construct($major_version, $minor_version, $patch_version, $version_extra, $use_core_compatibility_prefix) {
+    $this->majorVersion = $major_version;
+    $this->minorVersion = $minor_version;
+    $this->patchVersion = $patch_version;
+    $this->versionExtra = $version_extra;
+    $this->useCorePrefix = $use_core_compatibility_prefix;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -82,7 +116,7 @@ public function __construct($version) {
    *   The module version instance.
    */
   public static function createFromSupportBranch($branch) {
-    return new static($branch . 'x');
+    return static::createFromVersionString($branch . 'x');
   }
 
   /**
@@ -115,16 +149,6 @@ public function getPatchVersion() {
     return $this->patchVersion;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Gets the version string with the core compatibility prefix removed.
-   *
-   * @return string
-   *   The version string.
-   */
-  private function getVersionStringWithoutCoreCompatibility() {
-    return strpos($this->version, \Drupal::CORE_COMPATIBILITY) === 0 ? str_replace('8.x-', '', $this->version) : $this->version;
-  }
-
   /**
    * Gets the version extra string at the end of the version number.
    *
@@ -142,13 +166,12 @@ public function getVersionExtra() {
    *   The support branch as is used in update XML files.
    */
   public function getSupportBranch() {
-    $version = $this->version;
-    if ($extra = $this->getVersionExtra()) {
-      $version = str_replace("-$extra", '', $version);
+    $branch = $this->useCorePrefix ? static::CORE_COMPATIBILITY_PREFIX : '';
+    $branch .= $this->majorVersion . '.';
+    if ($this->minorVersion) {
+      $branch .= $this->minorVersion . '.';
     }
-    $parts = explode('.', $version);
-    array_pop($parts);
-    return implode('.', $parts) . '.';
+    return $branch;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/update/tests/src/Unit/ModuleVersionTest.php b/core/modules/update/tests/src/Unit/ModuleVersionTest.php
index dfe0ca8a26..53ec2079f0 100644
--- a/core/modules/update/tests/src/Unit/ModuleVersionTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/update/tests/src/Unit/ModuleVersionTest.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class ModuleVersionTest extends UnitTestCase {
    * @dataProvider providerVersionInfos
    */
   public function testGetMajorVersion($version, $expected_version_info) {
-    $version = new ModuleVersion($version);
+    $version = ModuleVersion::createFromVersionString($version);
     $this->assertSame($expected_version_info['major'], $version->getMajorVersion());
   }
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public function testGetMajorVersion($version, $expected_version_info) {
    * @dataProvider providerVersionInfos
    */
   public function testGetMinorVersion($version, $expected_version_info) {
-    $version = new ModuleVersion($version);
+    $version = ModuleVersion::createFromVersionString($version);
     $this->assertSame($expected_version_info['minor'], $version->getMinorVersion());
   }
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public function testGetMinorVersion($version, $expected_version_info) {
    * @dataProvider providerVersionInfos
    */
   public function testGetPatchVersion($version, $expected_version_info) {
-    $version = new ModuleVersion($version);
+    $version = ModuleVersion::createFromVersionString($version);
     $this->assertSame($expected_version_info['patch'], $version->getPatchVersion());
   }
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public function testGetPatchVersion($version, $expected_version_info) {
    * @dataProvider providerVersionInfos
    */
   public function testGetVersionExtra($version, $expected_version_info) {
-    $version = new ModuleVersion($version);
+    $version = ModuleVersion::createFromVersionString($version);
     $this->assertSame($expected_version_info['extra'], $version->getVersionExtra());
   }
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public function testGetVersionExtra($version, $expected_version_info) {
    * @dataProvider providerVersionInfos
    */
   public function testGetSupportBranch($version, $expected_version_info) {
-    $version = new ModuleVersion($version);
+    $version = ModuleVersion::createFromVersionString($version);
     $this->assertSame($expected_version_info['branch'], $version->getSupportBranch());
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/update/update.compare.inc b/core/modules/update/update.compare.inc
index 27aaccb6a0..ab191fed5b 100644
--- a/core/modules/update/update.compare.inc
+++ b/core/modules/update/update.compare.inc
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ function update_calculate_project_update_status(&$project_data, $available) {
   }
 
   // Figure out the target major version.
-  $existing_module_version = new ModuleVersion($project_data['existing_version']);
+  $existing_module_version = ModuleVersion::createFromVersionString($project_data['existing_version']);
   $existing_major = $existing_module_version->getMajorVersion();
   $supported_branches = [];
   if (isset($available['supported_branches'])) {
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ function update_calculate_project_update_status(&$project_data, $available) {
     return;
   }
   foreach ($available['releases'] as $version => $release) {
-    $release_module_version = new ModuleVersion($release['version']);
+    $release_module_version = ModuleVersion::createFromVersionString($release['version']);
     // First, if this is the existing release, check a few conditions.
     if ($project_data['existing_version'] === $version) {
       if (isset($release['terms']['Release type']) &&