diff --git a/lisainstrument/instrument.py b/lisainstrument/instrument.py
index 3161772d86380753e733034e601383a39376ef92..b23a56ee9eaca1706c580a3e7b92899ce6ca94dc 100644
--- a/lisainstrument/instrument.py
+++ b/lisainstrument/instrument.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from h5py import File
 from scipy.signal import lfilter, kaiserord, firwin
 from scipy.interpolate import InterpolatedUnivariateSpline
 from scipy.integrate import cumulative_trapezoid
+from packaging.version import Version
 from packaging.specifiers import SpecifierSet
 
 from lisaconstants import c
@@ -498,9 +499,11 @@ class Instrument:
             self.orbit_file = orbits
             self.orbit_dataset = orbit_dataset
             with File(self.orbit_file, 'r') as orbitf:
-                version = orbitf.attrs['version']
+                version = Version(orbitf.attrs['version'])
                 logger.debug("Using orbit file version %s", version)
-                if version in SpecifierSet('~= 1.0'):
+                if version.is_devrelease:
+                    logger.warning("You are using an orbit file in a development version")
+                if version in SpecifierSet('~= 1.0', True):
                     self.init_orbits_file_1_0(orbitf)
                 else:
                     raise ValueError(f"unsupported orbit file version '{version}'")
@@ -561,9 +564,11 @@ class Instrument:
             logger.info("Interpolating gravitational-wave responses from GW file '%s'", gws)
             self.gw_file = gws
             with File(self.gw_file, 'r') as gwf:
-                version = gwf.attrs['version']
+                version = Version(gwf.attrs['version'])
                 logger.debug("Using GW file version %s", version)
-                if version in SpecifierSet('~= 0.1') or version in SpecifierSet('~= 1.0'):
+                if version.is_devrelease:
+                    logger.warning("You are using a GW file in a development version")
+                if version in SpecifierSet('~= 0.1', True) or version in SpecifierSet('~= 1.0', True):
                     self.gws = ForEachMOSA(lambda mosa: InterpolatedUnivariateSpline(
                         gwf['t'][:], gwf[f'l_{mosa}'][:], k=5, ext='zeros')(self.physics_t)
                     )
@@ -591,9 +596,11 @@ class Instrument:
             self.glitch_file = glitches
             logger.info("Interpolating glitch signals from glitch file '%s'", self.glitch_file)
             with File(self.glitch_file, 'r') as glitchf:
-                version = glitchf.attrs['version']
+                version = Version(glitchf.attrs['version'])
                 logger.debug("Using glitch file version %s", version)
-                if version in SpecifierSet('~= 1.0'):
+                if version.is_devrelease:
+                    logger.warning("You are using a glitch file in a development version")
+                if version in SpecifierSet('~= 1.0', True):
                     self.glitch_tms = ForEachMOSA(lambda mosa:
                         0 if f'tm_{mosa}' not in glitchf else \
                         InterpolatedUnivariateSpline(