diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2c22d75..eff40d7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -90,3 +90,6 @@ ENV/
 
 # CPython checkout for cherry_picker.
 cherry_picker/cpython
+
+# pytest
+.pytest_cache/
diff --git a/cherry_picker/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py b/cherry_picker/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py
index ff046a4..a107ee1 100755
--- a/cherry_picker/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py
+++ b/cherry_picker/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import pathlib
 import subprocess
 import webbrowser
+import re
 import sys
 import requests
 import toml
@@ -72,10 +73,16 @@ def upstream(self):
 
     @property
     def sorted_branches(self):
+        def version_from_branch(branch):
+            try:
+                return tuple(map(int, re.match(r'^.*(?P<version>\d+(\.\d+)+).*$', branch).groupdict()['version'].split('.')))
+            except AttributeError as attr_err:
+                raise ValueError(f'Branch {branch} seems to not have a version in its name.') from attr_err
+
         return sorted(
             self.branches,
             reverse=True,
-            key=lambda v: tuple(map(int, v.split('.'))))
+            key=version_from_branch)
 
     @property
     def username(self):
diff --git a/cherry_picker/cherry_picker/test.py b/cherry_picker/cherry_picker/test.py
index 7ce83be..9be3498 100644
--- a/cherry_picker/cherry_picker/test.py
+++ b/cherry_picker/cherry_picker/test.py
@@ -64,13 +64,29 @@ def test_get_author_info_from_short_sha(subprocess_check_output):
     assert get_author_info_from_short_sha('22a594a') == 'Armin Rigo <armin.rigo@gmail.com>'
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('input_branches,sorted_branches', [
+    (['3.1', '2.7', '3.10', '3.6'], ['3.10', '3.6', '3.1', '2.7']),
+    (['stable-3.1', 'lts-2.7', '3.10-other', 'smth3.6else'], ['3.10-other', 'smth3.6else', 'stable-3.1', 'lts-2.7']),
+])
 @mock.patch('os.path.exists')
-def test_sorted_branch(os_path_exists, config):
+def test_sorted_branch(os_path_exists, config, input_branches, sorted_branches):
     os_path_exists.return_value = True
-    branches = ["3.1", "2.7", "3.10", "3.6"]
     cp = CherryPicker('origin', '22a594a0047d7706537ff2ac676cdc0f1dcb329c',
-                      branches, config=config)
-    assert cp.sorted_branches == ["3.10", "3.6", "3.1", "2.7"]
+                      input_branches, config=config)
+    assert cp.sorted_branches == sorted_branches
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('input_branches', [
+    (['3.1', '2.7', '3.x10', '3.6', '']),
+    (['stable-3.1', 'lts-2.7', '3.10-other', 'smth3.6else', 'invalid']),
+])
+@mock.patch('os.path.exists')
+def test_invalid_branches(os_path_exists, config, input_branches):
+    os_path_exists.return_value = True
+    cp = CherryPicker('origin', '22a594a0047d7706537ff2ac676cdc0f1dcb329c',
+                      input_branches, config=config)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        cp.sorted_branches
 
 
 @mock.patch('os.path.exists')
diff --git a/cherry_picker/readme.rst b/cherry_picker/readme.rst
index e0d4a38..1e4f16f 100644
--- a/cherry_picker/readme.rst
+++ b/cherry_picker/readme.rst
@@ -11,8 +11,15 @@ Usage (from a cloned CPython directory) ::
 About
 =====
 
-Use this to backport CPython changes from ``master`` into one or more of the
-maintenance branches (``3.6``, ``3.5``, ``2.7``).
+This tool is used to backport CPython changes from ``master`` into one or more
+of the maintenance branches (``3.6``, ``3.5``, ``2.7``).
+
+``cherry_picker`` can be configured to backport other projects with similar
+workflow as CPython. See the configuration file options below for more details.
+
+The maintenance branch names should contain some sort of version number (X.Y).
+For example: ``3.6``, ``3.5``, ``2.7``, ``stable-2.6``, ``2.5-lts``, are all 
+supported branch names.
 
 It will prefix the commit message with the branch, e.g. ``[3.6]``, and then
 opens up the pull request page.
@@ -142,8 +149,12 @@ To customize the tool for used by other project:
    by ``pip install cherry_picker``
 
 5. Now everything is ready, use ``cherry_picker <commit_sha> <branch1>
-   <branch2>`` for cherry-picking changes from ``<commit_sha`` into
+   <branch2>`` for cherry-picking changes from ``<commit_sha>`` into
    maintenance branches.
+   Branch name should contain at least major and minor version numbers
+   and may have some prefix or suffix.
+   Only the first version-like substring is matched when the version
+   is extracted from branch name.
 
 Demo
 ----