diff --git a/lexver.js b/lexver.js
index d296850..c35e5a1 100644
--- a/lexver.js
+++ b/lexver.js
@@ -126,7 +126,9 @@ Lexver.parseVersion = function (fullVersion, _opts) {
   }
 
   // 1, 0 => 1, 0, 0, 0
-  if (!_opts?._asPrefix) {
+  // Pad to 4 even for prefix parses when input has a release suffix —
+  // keeps parsePrefix(v) a true string-prefix of parseVersion(v).
+  if (!_opts?._asPrefix || rels.length) {
     for (; digits.length < 4; ) {
       digits.push('0');
     }
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 9f5667b..92529e1 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "build-classifier",
-  "version": "1.0.2",
+  "version": "1.0.3",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "build-classifier",
-      "version": "1.0.2",
+      "version": "1.0.3",
       "license": "SEE LICENSE IN LICENSE"
     }
   }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8744cb2..4f21266 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "build-classifier",
-  "version": "1.0.2",
+  "version": "1.0.3",
   "description": "Determine Host Target Triplet (Arch, Libc, OS, Vendor) from a filenames / download URL and uname / User-Agent strings.",
   "main": "index.js",
   "scripts": {