diff --git a/lib/rubygems/specification_policy.rb b/lib/rubygems/specification_policy.rb
index c076881915d7..a05edcd5c9c6 100644
--- a/lib/rubygems/specification_policy.rb
+++ b/lib/rubygems/specification_policy.rb
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ def validate_dependencies # :nodoc:
   if #{dep.name} is semantically versioned, use:
     add_#{dep.type}_dependency '#{dep.name}', '~> #{base.join '.'}', '>= #{dep_version}'
   if #{dep.name} is not semantically versioned, you can bypass this warning with:
-    add_#{dep.type}_dependency '#{dep.name}', '>= #{dep_version}', '< #{upper_bound.join '.'}'
+    add_#{dep.type}_dependency '#{dep.name}', '>= #{dep_version}', '< #{upper_bound.join '.'}.a'
         WARNING
       end
 
diff --git a/test/rubygems/test_gem_requirement.rb b/test/rubygems/test_gem_requirement.rb
index 974f5891e5d4..7bca00e58b32 100644
--- a/test/rubygems/test_gem_requirement.rb
+++ b/test/rubygems/test_gem_requirement.rb
@@ -330,6 +330,20 @@ def test_satisfied_by_boxed
     refute_satisfied_by "2.0",   "~> 1.4.4"
   end
 
+  def test_satisfied_by_explicitly_bounded
+    req = [">= 1.4.4", "< 1.5"]
+
+    assert_satisfied_by "1.4.5",     req
+    assert_satisfied_by "1.5.0.rc1", req
+    refute_satisfied_by "1.5.0",     req
+
+    req = [">= 1.4.4", "< 1.5.a"]
+
+    assert_satisfied_by "1.4.5",     req
+    refute_satisfied_by "1.5.0.rc1", req
+    refute_satisfied_by "1.5.0",     req
+  end
+
   def test_specific
     refute req('> 1') .specific?
     refute req('>= 1').specific?
diff --git a/test/rubygems/test_gem_specification.rb b/test/rubygems/test_gem_specification.rb
index 87ad724e6b17..81f113b60e9f 100644
--- a/test/rubygems/test_gem_specification.rb
+++ b/test/rubygems/test_gem_specification.rb
@@ -2614,12 +2614,12 @@ def test_validate_dependencies
   if d is semantically versioned, use:
     add_runtime_dependency 'd', '~> 1.2', '>= 1.2.3'
   if d is not semantically versioned, you can bypass this warning with:
-    add_runtime_dependency 'd', '>= 1.2.3', '< 1.3'
+    add_runtime_dependency 'd', '>= 1.2.3', '< 1.3.a'
 #{w}:  pessimistic dependency on e (~> 1.2.3.4) may be overly strict
   if e is semantically versioned, use:
     add_runtime_dependency 'e', '~> 1.2', '>= 1.2.3.4'
   if e is not semantically versioned, you can bypass this warning with:
-    add_runtime_dependency 'e', '>= 1.2.3.4', '< 1.2.4'
+    add_runtime_dependency 'e', '>= 1.2.3.4', '< 1.2.4.a'
 #{w}:  open-ended dependency on i (>= 1.2) is not recommended
   if i is semantically versioned, use:
     add_runtime_dependency 'i', '~> 1.2'
@@ -2636,7 +2636,7 @@ def test_validate_dependencies
   if m is semantically versioned, use:
     add_runtime_dependency 'm', '~> 2.1', '>= 2.1.0'
   if m is not semantically versioned, you can bypass this warning with:
-    add_runtime_dependency 'm', '>= 2.1.0', '< 2.2'
+    add_runtime_dependency 'm', '>= 2.1.0', '< 2.2.a'
 #{w}:  See http://guides.rubygems.org/specification-reference/ for help
       EXPECTED