diff --git a/autopkgtest.py b/autopkgtest.py
index ae15545..8e43d88 100644
--- a/autopkgtest.py
+++ b/autopkgtest.py
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ class AutoPackageTest(object):
                                 self.log_verbose('Checking hints for %s/%s/%s: %s' % (testsrc, testver, arch, [str(h) for h in hints]))
                                 for hint in hints:
                                     if [mi for mi in hint.packages if mi.architecture in ['source', arch] and
-                                            (mi.version == 'all' or same_source(mi.version, testver))]:
+                                            (mi.version == 'all' or apt_pkg.version_compare(testver, mi.version) <= 0)]:
                                         result = 'IGNORE-FAIL'
                                         break
                         else:
diff --git a/tests/test_autopkgtest.py b/tests/test_autopkgtest.py
index 03d9f26..8f7615d 100755
--- a/tests/test_autopkgtest.py
+++ b/tests/test_autopkgtest.py
@@ -1368,6 +1368,7 @@ class T(TestBase):
             'series/amd64/g/green/20150101_100200@': (0, 'green 2', tr('green/2')),
         }})
 
+        # lower hint version should not apply
         self.create_hint('pitti', 'force-badtest lightgreen/0.1')
 
         exc = self.do_test(
@@ -1381,6 +1382,18 @@ class T(TestBase):
         )[1]
         self.assertNotIn('forced-reason', exc['green'])
 
+        # higher hint version should apply
+        self.create_hint('pitti', 'force-badtest lightgreen/3')
+        self.do_test(
+            [],
+            {'green': (True, {'green 2': {'amd64': 'PASS', 'i386': 'PASS'},
+                              'lightgreen 1': {'amd64': 'IGNORE-FAIL', 'i386': 'IGNORE-FAIL'},
+                              'darkgreen 1': {'amd64': 'PASS', 'i386': 'PASS'},
+                             }),
+            },
+            {}
+        )
+
     def test_hint_force_badtest_arch(self):
         '''force-badtest hint for architecture instead of version'''