diff --git a/commands/hugo.go b/commands/hugo.go
index 65a3a9556..6bb786904 100644
--- a/commands/hugo.go
+++ b/commands/hugo.go
@@ -1001,15 +1001,7 @@ func (c *commandeer) isThemeVsHugoVersionMismatch() (mismatch bool, requiredMinV
 	config := tomlMeta.(map[string]interface{})
 
 	if minVersion, ok := config["min_version"]; ok {
-		switch minVersion.(type) {
-		case float32:
-			return helpers.HugoVersionNumber < minVersion.(float32), fmt.Sprint(minVersion)
-		case float64:
-			return helpers.HugoVersionNumber < minVersion.(float64), fmt.Sprint(minVersion)
-		default:
-			return
-		}
-
+		return helpers.CompareVersion(minVersion) > 0, fmt.Sprint(minVersion)
 	}
 
 	return
diff --git a/commands/new.go b/commands/new.go
index 6a8cd8565..fbecb6854 100644
--- a/commands/new.go
+++ b/commands/new.go
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ description = ""
 homepage = "http://siteforthistheme.com/"
 tags = []
 features = []
-min_version = 0.19
+min_version = "0.19"
 
 [author]
   name = ""
diff --git a/helpers/hugo.go b/helpers/hugo.go
index 12d37b54d..1853fc4d7 100644
--- a/helpers/hugo.go
+++ b/helpers/hugo.go
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ package helpers
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cast"
 )
 
 // HugoVersionNumber represents the current build version.
@@ -61,3 +64,64 @@ func hugoVersionNoSuffix(version float32, patchVersion int) string {
 	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%.2f", version)
 }
+
+// CompareVersion compares the given version string or number against the
+// running Hugo version.
+// It returns -1 if the given version is less than, 0 if equal and 1 if greater than
+// the running version.
+func CompareVersion(version interface{}) int {
+	return compareVersions(HugoVersionNumber, HugoPatchVersion, version)
+}
+
+func compareVersions(inVersion float32, inPatchVersion int, in interface{}) int {
+	switch d := in.(type) {
+	case float64:
+		return compareFloatVersions(inVersion, inPatchVersion, float32(d))
+	case float32:
+		return compareFloatVersions(inVersion, inPatchVersion, d)
+	case int:
+		return compareFloatVersions(inVersion, inPatchVersion, float32(d))
+	case int32:
+		return compareFloatVersions(inVersion, inPatchVersion, float32(d))
+	case int64:
+		return compareFloatVersions(inVersion, inPatchVersion, float32(d))
+	default:
+		s, err := cast.ToStringE(in)
+		if err != nil {
+			return -1
+		}
+
+		var (
+			v float32
+			p int
+		)
+
+		if strings.Count(s, ".") == 2 {
+			li := strings.LastIndex(s, ".")
+			p = cast.ToInt(s[li+1:])
+			s = s[:li]
+		}
+
+		v = float32(cast.ToFloat64(s))
+
+		if v == inVersion && p == inPatchVersion {
+			return 0
+		}
+
+		if v < inVersion || (v == inVersion && p < inPatchVersion) {
+			return -1
+		}
+
+		return 1
+	}
+}
+
+func compareFloatVersions(version float32, patchVersion int, v float32) int {
+	if v == version {
+		return 0
+	}
+	if v < version {
+		return -1
+	}
+	return 1
+}
diff --git a/helpers/hugo_test.go b/helpers/hugo_test.go
index d901395e2..b71517f71 100644
--- a/helpers/hugo_test.go
+++ b/helpers/hugo_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestHugoVersion(t *testing.T) {
@@ -26,3 +27,21 @@ func TestHugoVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "0.15.2-DEV", hugoVersion(0.15, 2, "-DEV"))
 	assert.Equal(t, "0.17.3", hugoVersionNoSuffix(0.16+0.01, 3))
 }
+
+func TestCompareVersions(t *testing.T) {
+	require.Equal(t, 0, compareVersions(0.20, 0, 0.20))
+	require.Equal(t, 0, compareVersions(0.20, 0, float32(0.20)))
+	require.Equal(t, 0, compareVersions(0.20, 0, float64(0.20)))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions(0.19, 1, 0.20))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions(0.19, 3, "0.20.2"))
+	require.Equal(t, -1, compareVersions(0.19, 1, 0.01))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions(0, 1, 3))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions(0, 1, int32(3)))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions(0, 1, int64(3)))
+	require.Equal(t, 0, compareVersions(0.20, 0, "0.20"))
+	require.Equal(t, 0, compareVersions(0.20, 1, "0.20.1"))
+	require.Equal(t, -1, compareVersions(0.20, 1, "0.20"))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions(0.20, 0, "0.20.1"))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions(0.20, 1, "0.20.2"))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions(0.21, 1, "0.22.1"))
+}