diff --git a/recipe/src/module.rs b/recipe/src/module.rs
index 04a9235..b50778d 100644
--- a/recipe/src/module.rs
+++ b/recipe/src/module.rs
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ impl<'a> Module<'a> {
     }
 
     #[must_use]
-    pub fn generate_akmods_info(&'a self, os_version: &str) -> AkmodsInfo {
+    pub fn generate_akmods_info(&'a self, os_version: &u64) -> AkmodsInfo {
         #[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
         enum NvidiaAkmods {
             Nvidia(bool),
diff --git a/recipe/src/module_ext.rs b/recipe/src/module_ext.rs
index 58a3b90..a6e1885 100644
--- a/recipe/src/module_ext.rs
+++ b/recipe/src/module_ext.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ impl ModuleExt<'_> {
     }
 
     #[must_use]
-    pub fn get_akmods_info_list(&self, os_version: &str) -> Vec<AkmodsInfo> {
+    pub fn get_akmods_info_list(&self, os_version: &u64) -> Vec<AkmodsInfo> {
         trace!("get_akmods_image_list({self:#?}, {os_version})");
 
         let mut seen = HashSet::new();
diff --git a/recipe/src/recipe.rs b/recipe/src/recipe.rs
index 30d60e4..7145169 100644
--- a/recipe/src/recipe.rs
+++ b/recipe/src/recipe.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ pub struct Recipe<'a> {
 
 impl<'a> Recipe<'a> {
     #[must_use]
-    pub fn generate_tags(&self, os_version: &str) -> Vec<String> {
+    pub fn generate_tags(&self, os_version: u64) -> Vec<String> {
         trace!("Recipe::generate_tags()");
         trace!("Generating image tags for {}", &self.name);
 
diff --git a/src/commands/build.rs b/src/commands/build.rs
index 08e05ab..28b20ac 100644
--- a/src/commands/build.rs
+++ b/src/commands/build.rs
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ impl BuildCommand {
 
         let recipe = Recipe::parse(&recipe_path)?;
         let os_version = Driver::get_os_version(&recipe)?;
-        let tags = recipe.generate_tags(&os_version);
+        let tags = recipe.generate_tags(os_version);
         let image_name = self.generate_full_image_name(&recipe)?;
 
         if self.push {
diff --git a/src/drivers.rs b/src/drivers.rs
index b48e891..b88986c 100644
--- a/src/drivers.rs
+++ b/src/drivers.rs
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ static INSPECT_DRIVER: Lazy<Arc<dyn InspectDriver>> = Lazy::new(|| {
 static BUILD_ID: Lazy<Uuid> = Lazy::new(Uuid::new_v4);
 
 /// The cached os versions
-static OS_VERSION: Lazy<Mutex<HashMap<String, String>>> = Lazy::new(|| Mutex::new(HashMap::new()));
+static OS_VERSION: Lazy<Mutex<HashMap<String, u64>>> = Lazy::new(|| Mutex::new(HashMap::new()));
 
 /// Trait for retrieving version of a driver.
 pub trait DriverVersion {
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ impl Driver<'_> {
     /// # Errors
     /// Will error if the image doesn't have OS version info
     /// or we are unable to lock a mutex.
-    pub fn get_os_version(recipe: &Recipe) -> Result<String> {
+    pub fn get_os_version(recipe: &Recipe) -> Result<u64> {
         trace!("Driver::get_os_version({recipe:#?})");
         let image = format!("{}:{}", &recipe.base_image, &recipe.image_version);
 
@@ -339,13 +339,13 @@ impl Driver<'_> {
             }
             Some(os_version) => {
                 debug!("Found cached {os_version} for {image}");
-                os_version.clone()
+                *os_version
             }
         };
 
         if let Entry::Vacant(entry) = os_version_lock.entry(image.clone()) {
             trace!("Caching version {os_version} for {image}");
-            entry.insert(os_version.clone());
+            entry.insert(os_version);
         }
         drop(os_version_lock);
         Ok(os_version)
diff --git a/src/image_metadata.rs b/src/image_metadata.rs
index 4b1eb0e..36631ee 100644
--- a/src/image_metadata.rs
+++ b/src/image_metadata.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use blue_build_utils::constants::IMAGE_VERSION_LABEL;
+use semver::Version;
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use serde_json::Value;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
@@ -13,15 +14,14 @@ pub struct ImageMetadata {
 }
 
 impl ImageMetadata {
-    pub fn get_version(&self) -> Option<String> {
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn get_version(&self) -> Option<u64> {
         Some(
             self.labels
                 .get(IMAGE_VERSION_LABEL)?
                 .as_str()
-                .map(std::string::ToString::to_string)?
-                .split('.')
-                .take(1)
-                .collect(),
+                .and_then(|v| Version::parse(v).ok())?
+                .major,
         )
     }
 }
diff --git a/template/src/lib.rs b/template/src/lib.rs
index 47ff805..9c3badf 100644
--- a/template/src/lib.rs
+++ b/template/src/lib.rs
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ pub struct ContainerFileTemplate<'a> {
     #[builder(setter(into))]
     build_id: Uuid,
 
-    #[builder(setter(into))]
-    os_version: Cow<'a, str>,
+    os_version: u64,
 
     #[builder(setter(into))]
     registry: Cow<'a, str>,