--- a/rpm_vercmp/vercmp.py	2016-02-23 19:09:14.000000000 +0300
+++ b/rpm_vercmp/vercmp.py	2021-10-22 16:49:28.675442381 +0300
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 
 
 class Vercmp(object):
-    R_NONALNUMTILDE = re.compile(br"^([^a-zA-Z0-9~]*)(.*)$")
+    R_NONALNUMTILDE = re.compile(br"^([^a-zA-Z0-9~^]*)(.*)$")
     R_NUM = re.compile(br"^([\d]+)(.*)$")
     R_ALPHA = re.compile(br"^([a-zA-Z]+)(.*)$")
 
@@ -46,6 +46,17 @@
             if second.startswith(b'~'):
                 return 1
 
+            # handle the circumflex separator
+            if first.startswith(b'^'):
+                if second.startswith(b'^'):
+                    first, second = first[1:], second[1:]
+                    continue
+                first = first[1:]
+                return -1 if second else 1
+            if second.startswith(b'^'):
+                second = second[1:]
+                return 1 if first else -1
+
             # If we ran to the end of either, we are finished with the loop
             if not first or not second:
                 break