diff --git a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectData.cpp b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectData.cpp
index 74e4bc484..d929a471f 100644
--- a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectData.cpp
+++ b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectData.cpp
@@ -143,6 +143,17 @@ frozen::string const& veStruct::getPidAsString() const
  */
 uint32_t veStruct::getFwVersionAsInteger() const
 {
+	if (strlen(firmwareVer_FW) == 0) {
+		if (strlen(firmwareVer_FWE) == 0) { return 0; }
+
+		// the firmware version from the FWE field may be preceeded by a zero
+		// for padding as per VE.Direct protocol, which is fine for strtoul()
+		// when we use a fixed base. however, the postfix (2 chars) might be
+		// numeric as well to indicate a beta release, which we must not parse.
+		std::string strVer(firmwareVer_FWE, strlen(firmwareVer_FWE) - 2);
+		return static_cast<uint32_t>(strtoul(strVer.c_str(), nullptr, 10));
+	}
+
 	char const* strVersion = firmwareVer_FW;
 
 	// VE.Direct protocol manual states that the first char can be a non-digit,
@@ -157,6 +168,34 @@ uint32_t veStruct::getFwVersionAsInteger() const
  */
 String veStruct::getFwVersionFormatted() const
 {
+	if (strlen(firmwareVer_FW) == 0 && strlen(firmwareVer_FWE) == 0) {
+		return "n/a";
+	}
+
+	if (strlen(firmwareVer_FWE) > 0) {
+		char const* strVersion = firmwareVer_FWE;
+
+		// the firmware version from the FWE field may be preceeded by a zero
+		// for padding as per VE.Direct protocol.
+		while (strVersion[0] == '0') { ++strVersion; }
+
+		String res(strVersion[0]);
+		strVersion++;
+		res += ".";
+		res += strVersion[0];
+		strVersion++;
+		res += strVersion[0];
+		strVersion++;
+
+		String suffix(strVersion);
+		suffix.toUpperCase();
+		if (suffix == "FF") { return res; }
+
+		res += "-beta-";
+		res += suffix;
+		return res;
+	}
+
 	char const* strVersion = firmwareVer_FW;
 	char rc = 0;
 
diff --git a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectData.h b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectData.h
index e5b2868c6..4cda91274 100644
--- a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectData.h
+++ b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectData.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ typedef struct {
     uint16_t productID_PID = 0;             // product id
     char serialNr_SER[VE_MAX_VALUE_LEN];    // serial number
     char firmwareVer_FW[VE_MAX_VALUE_LEN];  // firmware release number
+    // some devices use "FWE" instead of "FW" for the firmware version.
+    char firmwareVer_FWE[VE_MAX_VALUE_LEN]; // firmware release number (alternative field)
     uint32_t batteryVoltage_V_mV = 0;       // battery voltage in mV
     int32_t batteryCurrent_I_mA = 0;        // battery current in mA (can be negative)
     float mpptEfficiency_Percent = 0;       // efficiency in percent (calculated, moving average)
diff --git a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.cpp b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.cpp
index 9de8151df..6073c56d2 100644
--- a/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.cpp
+++ b/lib/VeDirectFrameHandler/VeDirectFrameHandler.cpp
@@ -249,10 +249,18 @@ void VeDirectFrameHandler<T>::processTextData(std::string const& name, std::stri
 	}
 
 	if (name == "FW") {
+		_tmpFrame.firmwareVer_FWE[0] = '\0';
 		strncpy(_tmpFrame.firmwareVer_FW, value.c_str(), sizeof(_tmpFrame.firmwareVer_FW));
 		return;
 	}
 
+	// some devices use "FWE" instead of "FW" for the firmware version.
+	if (name == "FWE") {
+		_tmpFrame.firmwareVer_FW[0] = '\0';
+		strncpy(_tmpFrame.firmwareVer_FWE, value.c_str(), sizeof(_tmpFrame.firmwareVer_FWE));
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (name == "V") {
 		_tmpFrame.batteryVoltage_V_mV = atol(value.c_str());
 		return;
diff --git a/src/MqttHandleVedirect.cpp b/src/MqttHandleVedirect.cpp
index 1e56aff90..55334df50 100644
--- a/src/MqttHandleVedirect.cpp
+++ b/src/MqttHandleVedirect.cpp
@@ -110,7 +110,10 @@ void MqttHandleVedirectClass::publish_mppt_data(const VeDirectMpptController::da
 
     PUBLISH(productID_PID,           "PID",  currentData.getPidAsString().data());
     PUBLISH(serialNr_SER,            "SER",  currentData.serialNr_SER);
+    PUBLISH(firmwareVer_FW,          "FWI",  currentData.getFwVersionAsInteger());
+    PUBLISH(firmwareVer_FW,          "FWF",  currentData.getFwVersionFormatted());
     PUBLISH(firmwareVer_FW,           "FW",  currentData.firmwareVer_FW);
+    PUBLISH(firmwareVer_FWE,         "FWE",  currentData.firmwareVer_FWE);
     PUBLISH(currentState_CS,          "CS",  currentData.getCsAsString().data());
     PUBLISH(errorCode_ERR,           "ERR",  currentData.getErrAsString().data());
     PUBLISH(offReason_OR,             "OR",  currentData.getOrAsString().data());
diff --git a/src/MqttHandleVedirectHass.cpp b/src/MqttHandleVedirectHass.cpp
index 0683c130c..279c258d7 100644
--- a/src/MqttHandleVedirectHass.cpp
+++ b/src/MqttHandleVedirectHass.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ void MqttHandleVedirectHassClass::publishConfig()
         if (!optMpptData.has_value()) { continue; }
 
         publishSensor("MPPT serial number", "mdi:counter", "SER", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
-        publishSensor("MPPT firmware number", "mdi:counter", "FW", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
+        publishSensor("MPPT firmware version integer", "mdi:counter", "FWI", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
+        publishSensor("MPPT firmware version formatted", "mdi:counter", "FWF", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
+        publishSensor("MPPT firmware version FW", "mdi:counter", "FW", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
+        publishSensor("MPPT firmware version FWE", "mdi:counter", "FWE", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
         publishSensor("MPPT state of operation", "mdi:wrench", "CS", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
         publishSensor("MPPT error code", "mdi:bell", "ERR", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);
         publishSensor("MPPT off reason", "mdi:wrench", "OR", nullptr, nullptr, nullptr, *optMpptData);