diff --git a/circlator/external_progs.py b/circlator/external_progs.py
index a803019..3c75a6a 100644
--- a/circlator/external_progs.py
+++ b/circlator/external_progs.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class Error (Exception): pass
 
 prog_to_version_cmd = {
     'bwa': ('', re.compile('^Version: ([0-9\.]+)')),
-    'nucmer': ('--version', re.compile('^NUCmer \(NUCleotide MUMmer\) version ([0-9\.]+)')),
+    'nucmer': ('--version', re.compile('^(?:NUCmer \(NUCleotide MUMmer\) version )?([0-9\.]+).*')),
     'prodigal': ('-v', re.compile('^Prodigal V([0-9\.]+):')),
     'samtools': ('', re.compile('^Version: ([0-9\.]+)')),
     'spades': ('', re.compile('^SPAdes genome assembler v.?([0-9][0-9\.]+)')),