diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.c
index 6f4bbe625..f8c0979f5 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	FuFirmwareFlags			 flags;
 	GPtrArray			*images;	/* FuFirmwareImage */
 	gchar				*version;
+	guint64				 version_raw;
 } FuFirmwarePrivate;
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_PRIVATE (FuFirmware, fu_firmware, G_TYPE_OBJECT)
@@ -157,6 +158,45 @@ fu_firmware_set_version (FuFirmware *self, const gchar *version)
 	priv->version = g_strdup (version);
 }
 
+/**
+ * fu_firmware_get_version_raw:
+ * @self: A #FuFirmware
+ *
+ * Gets an raw version that represents the firmware. This is most frequently
+ * used when building firmware with `<version_raw>0x123456</version_raw>` in a
+ * `firmware.builder.xml` file to avoid string splitting and sanity checks.
+ *
+ * Returns: an integer, or %G_MAXUINT64 for invalid
+ *
+ * Since:  1.5.7
+ **/
+guint64
+fu_firmware_get_version_raw (FuFirmware *self)
+{
+	FuFirmwarePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (FU_IS_FIRMWARE (self), G_MAXUINT64);
+	return priv->version_raw;
+}
+
+/**
+ * fu_firmware_set_version_raw:
+ * @self: A #FuFirmware
+ * @version: A raw version, or %G_MAXUINT64 for invalid
+ *
+ * Sets an raw version that represents the firmware.
+ *
+ * This is optional, and is typically only used for debugging.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.5.7
+ **/
+void
+fu_firmware_set_version_raw (FuFirmware *self, guint64 version_raw)
+{
+	FuFirmwarePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	g_return_if_fail (FU_IS_FIRMWARE (self));
+	priv->version_raw = version_raw;
+}
+
 /**
  * fu_firmware_tokenize:
  * @self: A #FuFirmware
@@ -316,6 +356,7 @@ fu_firmware_build (FuFirmware *self, XbNode *n, GError **error)
 {
 	FuFirmwareClass *klass = FU_FIRMWARE_GET_CLASS (self);
 	const gchar *tmp;
+	guint64 version_raw;
 	g_autoptr(GPtrArray) xb_images = NULL;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (FU_IS_FIRMWARE (self), FALSE);
@@ -326,6 +367,9 @@ fu_firmware_build (FuFirmware *self, XbNode *n, GError **error)
 	tmp = xb_node_query_text (n, "version", NULL);
 	if (tmp != NULL)
 		fu_firmware_set_version (self, tmp);
+	version_raw = xb_node_query_text_as_uint (n, "version_raw", NULL);
+	if (version_raw != G_MAXUINT64)
+		fu_firmware_set_version_raw (self, version_raw);
 
 	/* parse images */
 	xb_images = xb_node_query (n, "image", 0, NULL);
@@ -847,6 +891,8 @@ fu_firmware_to_string (FuFirmware *self)
 	}
 	if (priv->version != NULL)
 		fu_common_string_append_kv (str, 0, "Version", priv->version);
+	if (priv->version_raw != 0x0)
+		fu_common_string_append_kx (str, 0, "VersionRaw", priv->version_raw);
 
 	/* vfunc */
 	if (klass->to_string != NULL)
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.h b/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.h
index d2224d31b..4bf02c4ba 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.h
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.h
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ gchar		*fu_firmware_to_string			(FuFirmware	*self);
 const gchar	*fu_firmware_get_version		(FuFirmware	*self);
 void		 fu_firmware_set_version		(FuFirmware	*self,
 							 const gchar	*version);
+guint64		 fu_firmware_get_version_raw		(FuFirmware	*self);
+void		 fu_firmware_set_version_raw		(FuFirmware	*self,
+							 guint64	 version_raw);
 void		 fu_firmware_add_flag			(FuFirmware	*firmware,
 							 FuFirmwareFlags flag);
 gboolean	 fu_firmware_has_flag			(FuFirmware	*firmware,
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-smbios.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-smbios.c
index 359abbc56..576a2c3b2 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-smbios.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-smbios.c
@@ -288,6 +288,9 @@ fu_smbios_parse_ep32 (FuSmbios *self, const gchar *buf, gsize sz, GError **error
 				       ep->smbios_major_ver,
 				       ep->smbios_minor_ver);
 	fu_firmware_set_version (FU_FIRMWARE (self), version_str);
+	fu_firmware_set_version_raw (FU_FIRMWARE (self),
+				     (((guint16) ep->smbios_major_ver) << 8) +
+				     ep->smbios_minor_ver);
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
index bef200512..b8dd39dd9 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fwupdplugin.map
@@ -759,3 +759,10 @@ LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.5.6 {
     fu_plugin_runner_backend_device_changed;
   local: *;
 } LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.5.5;
+
+LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.5.7 {
+  global:
+    fu_firmware_get_version_raw;
+    fu_firmware_set_version_raw;
+  local: *;
+} LIBFWUPDPLUGIN_1.5.6;
diff --git a/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-dmc-firmware.c b/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-dmc-firmware.c
index 22a3d8b99..059d4e1a3 100644
--- a/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-dmc-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-dmc-firmware.c
@@ -298,6 +298,7 @@ fu_ccgx_dmc_firmware_parse (FuFirmware *firmware,
 		ver = fu_common_version_from_uint32 (self->fwct_info.composite_version,
 						     FWUPD_VERSION_FORMAT_QUAD);
 		fu_firmware_set_version (firmware, ver);
+		fu_firmware_set_version_raw (firmware, self->fwct_info.composite_version);
 	}
 
 	/* read fwct data */
diff --git a/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-firmware.c b/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-firmware.c
index 96ed713d4..bd8340bba 100644
--- a/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-firmware.c
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ fu_ccgx_firmware_parse_md_block (FuCcgxFirmware *self, FuFirmwareImage *img, GEr
 		self->app_type = version & 0xffff;
 		version_str = fu_ccgx_version_to_string (version);
 		fu_firmware_set_version (FU_FIRMWARE (self), version_str);
+		fu_firmware_set_version_raw (FU_FIRMWARE (self), version);
 	}
 
 	/* work out the FWMode */
diff --git a/plugins/ebitdo/fu-ebitdo-firmware.c b/plugins/ebitdo/fu-ebitdo-firmware.c
index 1a0286a40..5f0feb13c 100644
--- a/plugins/ebitdo/fu-ebitdo-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/ebitdo/fu-ebitdo-firmware.c
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ fu_ebitdo_firmware_parse (FuFirmware *firmware,
 	/* parse version */
 	version = g_strdup_printf ("%.2f", GUINT32_FROM_LE(hdr->version) / 100.f);
 	fu_firmware_set_version (firmware, version);
+	fu_firmware_set_version_raw (firmware, GUINT32_FROM_LE(hdr->version));
 
 	/* add header */
 	fw_hdr = fu_common_bytes_new_offset (fw, 0x0,
diff --git a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-pd-firmware.c b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-pd-firmware.c
index 36a327e55..209912464 100644
--- a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-pd-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-pd-firmware.c
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ fu_vli_pd_firmware_parse (FuFirmware *firmware,
 	}
 	fwver_str = fu_common_version_from_uint32 (fwver, FWUPD_VERSION_FORMAT_QUAD);
 	fu_firmware_set_version (firmware, fwver_str);
+	fu_firmware_set_version_raw (firmware, fwver);
 
 	/* check size */
 	if (bufsz != fu_vli_common_device_kind_get_size (self->device_kind)) {
diff --git a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-usbhub-firmware.c b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-usbhub-firmware.c
index e6cdf0bd2..6cb9d701e 100644
--- a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-usbhub-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-usbhub-firmware.c
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ fu_vli_usbhub_firmware_parse (FuFirmware *firmware,
 		g_autofree gchar *version_str = NULL;
 		version_str = fu_common_version_from_uint16 (version, FWUPD_VERSION_FORMAT_BCD);
 		fu_firmware_set_version (firmware, version_str);
+		fu_firmware_set_version_raw (firmware, version);
 	}
 
 	/* get device type from firmware image */