diff --git a/plugins/nvme/fu-nvme-device.c b/plugins/nvme/fu-nvme-device.c
index 2c9518385..234f5e01f 100644
--- a/plugins/nvme/fu-nvme-device.c
+++ b/plugins/nvme/fu-nvme-device.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 
 struct _FuNvmeDevice {
 	FuUdevDevice		 parent_instance;
-	gchar			*version_format;
 	guint			 pci_depth;
 	gint			 fd;
 	guint64			 write_block_size;
@@ -186,13 +185,13 @@ static gboolean
 fu_nvme_device_set_version (FuNvmeDevice *self, const gchar *version, GError **error)
 {
 	/* unset */
-	if (self->version_format == NULL) {
+	if (fu_device_get_version_format (FU_DEVICE (self)) == FU_VERSION_FORMAT_UNKNOWN) {
 		fu_device_set_version (FU_DEVICE (self), version);
 		return TRUE;
 	}
 
 	/* AA.BB.CC.DD */
-	if (g_strcmp0 (self->version_format, "quad") == 0) {
+	if (fu_device_get_version_format (FU_DEVICE (self)) == FU_VERSION_FORMAT_QUAD) {
 		guint64 tmp = g_ascii_strtoull (version, NULL, 16);
 		g_autofree gchar *version_new = NULL;
 		if (tmp == 0 || tmp > G_MAXUINT32) {
@@ -203,17 +202,16 @@ fu_nvme_device_set_version (FuNvmeDevice *self, const gchar *version, GError **e
 				     version);
 			return FALSE;
 		}
-		version_new = as_utils_version_from_uint32 (tmp, FU_VERSION_FORMAT_QUAD);
+		version_new = fu_common_version_from_uint32 (tmp, FU_VERSION_FORMAT_QUAD);
 		fu_device_set_version (FU_DEVICE (self), version_new);
 		return TRUE;
 	}
 
 	/* invalid, or not supported */
-	g_set_error (error,
-		     G_IO_ERROR,
-		     G_IO_ERROR_INVALID_DATA,
-		     "version format %s not recognised",
-		     self->version_format);
+	g_set_error_literal (error,
+			     G_IO_ERROR,
+			     G_IO_ERROR_INVALID_DATA,
+			     "version format not recognised");
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
@@ -422,10 +420,6 @@ fu_nvme_device_set_quirk_kv (FuDevice *device,
 			     GError **error)
 {
 	FuNvmeDevice *self = FU_NVME_DEVICE (device);
-	if (g_strcmp0 (key, "NvmeVersionFormat") == 0) {
-		self->version_format = g_strdup (value);
-		return TRUE;
-	}
 	if (g_strcmp0 (key, "NvmeBlockSize") == 0) {
 		self->write_block_size = fu_common_strtoull (value);
 		return TRUE;
@@ -451,8 +445,6 @@ fu_nvme_device_init (FuNvmeDevice *self)
 static void
 fu_nvme_device_finalize (GObject *object)
 {
-	FuNvmeDevice *self = FU_NVME_DEVICE (object);
-	g_free (self->version_format);
 	G_OBJECT_CLASS (fu_nvme_device_parent_class)->finalize (object);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fu-device.c b/src/fu-device.c
index 7e7bde909..b03dbfb9a 100644
--- a/src/fu-device.c
+++ b/src/fu-device.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	GPtrArray			*children;
 	guint				 remove_delay;	/* ms */
 	FwupdStatus			 status;
+	FuVersionFormat			 version_format;
 	guint				 progress;
 	guint				 order;
 	guint				 priority;
@@ -676,6 +677,10 @@ fu_device_set_quirk_kv (FuDevice *self,
 		fu_device_set_install_duration (self, fu_common_strtoull (value));
 		return TRUE;
 	}
+	if (g_strcmp0 (key, FU_QUIRKS_VERSION_FORMAT) == 0) {
+		fu_device_set_version_format (self, fu_common_version_format_from_string (value));
+		return TRUE;
+	}
 	if (g_strcmp0 (key, FU_QUIRKS_CHILDREN) == 0) {
 		g_auto(GStrv) sections = g_strsplit (value, ",", -1);
 		for (guint i = 0; sections[i] != NULL; i++) {
@@ -1351,6 +1356,43 @@ fu_device_set_status (FuDevice *self, FwupdStatus status)
 	g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (self), "status");
 }
 
+/**
+ * fu_device_get_version_format:
+ * @self: A #FuDevice
+ *
+ * Returns how the device version should be formatted.
+ *
+ * Returns: the version format, e.g. %FU_VERSION_FORMAT_TRIPLET
+ *
+ * Since: 1.2.0
+ **/
+FuVersionFormat
+fu_device_get_version_format (FuDevice *self)
+{
+	FuDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (FU_IS_DEVICE (self), 0);
+	return priv->version_format;
+}
+
+/**
+ * fu_device_set_version_format:
+ * @self: A #FuDevice
+ * @version_format: the version_format value, e.g. %FU_VERSION_FORMAT_TRIPLET
+ *
+ * Sets how the version should be formatted.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.2.0
+ **/
+void
+fu_device_set_version_format (FuDevice *self, FuVersionFormat version_format)
+{
+	FuDevicePrivate *priv = GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	g_return_if_fail (FU_IS_DEVICE (self));
+	if (priv->version_format == version_format)
+		return;
+	priv->version_format = version_format;
+}
+
 /**
  * fu_device_get_progress:
  * @self: A #FuDevice
diff --git a/src/fu-device.h b/src/fu-device.h
index 3f421d41a..1b80db894 100644
--- a/src/fu-device.h
+++ b/src/fu-device.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <fwupd.h>
 
 #include "fu-quirks.h"
+#include "fu-common-version.h"
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
@@ -176,6 +177,9 @@ void		 fu_device_set_remove_delay		(FuDevice	*self,
 FwupdStatus	 fu_device_get_status			(FuDevice	*self);
 void		 fu_device_set_status			(FuDevice	*self,
 							 FwupdStatus	 status);
+FuVersionFormat	 fu_device_get_version_format		(FuDevice	*self);
+void		 fu_device_set_version_format		(FuDevice	*self,
+							 FuVersionFormat version_format);
 void		 fu_device_set_firmware_size_min	(FuDevice	*self,
 							 guint64	 size_min);
 void		 fu_device_set_firmware_size_max	(FuDevice	*self,
diff --git a/src/fu-quirks.h b/src/fu-quirks.h
index c677de157..02d4947fd 100644
--- a/src/fu-quirks.h
+++ b/src/fu-quirks.h
@@ -242,6 +242,17 @@ gboolean	 fu_quirks_get_kvs_for_guid		(FuQuirks	*self,
  */
 #define	FU_QUIRKS_INSTALL_DURATION		"InstallDuration"
 
+/**
+ * FU_QUIRKS_VERSION_FORMAT:
+ * @key: the device ID, e.g. `HwId=USB\VID_0763&PID_2806`
+ * @value: the quirk format, e.g. `quad`
+ *
+ * Sets the version format the device should use for conversion.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.2.0
+ */
+#define	FU_QUIRKS_VERSION_FORMAT		"VersionFormat"
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __FU_QUIRKS_H */