diff --git a/automation/script/module.py b/automation/script/module.py
index 64226f574..f5e89b362 100644
--- a/automation/script/module.py
+++ b/automation/script/module.py
@@ -3980,7 +3980,10 @@ def parse_version(self, i):
 
         string = r['string']
 
-        version = r['match'].group(group_number)
+        if r['match'].lastindex and r['match'].lastindex >= group_number:
+            version = r['match'].group(group_number)
+        else:
+            return {'return':1, 'error': 'Invalid version detection group number. Version was not detected. Last index of match = {}. Given group number = {}'.format(r['match'].lastindex, group_number)}
 
         which_env[env_key] = version
         which_env['CM_DETECTED_VERSION'] = version # to be recorded in the cache meta
diff --git a/script/get-generic-sys-util/_cm.json b/script/get-generic-sys-util/_cm.json
index c2731d15a..8db37db16 100644
--- a/script/get-generic-sys-util/_cm.json
+++ b/script/get-generic-sys-util/_cm.json
@@ -457,8 +457,12 @@
     },
     "md5sha1sum": {
       "env": {
-        "CM_SYS_UTIL_NAME": "md5sha1sum"
+        "CM_SYS_UTIL_NAME": "md5sha1sum",
+        "CM_SYS_UTIL_VERSION_CMD": "md5sum --version",
+        "CM_SYS_UTIL_VERSION_RE": "\\b(\\d+\\.\\d+(?:\\.\\d+)?)\\b",
+        "CM_TMP_VERSION_DETECT_GROUP_NUMBER": 0
       },
+      "new_env_keys": ["CM_MD5SHA1SUM_VERSION"],
       "state": {
         "md5sha1sum": {
           "apt": "",
diff --git a/script/get-generic-sys-util/customize.py b/script/get-generic-sys-util/customize.py
index 499645935..28bc35b3e 100644
--- a/script/get-generic-sys-util/customize.py
+++ b/script/get-generic-sys-util/customize.py
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ def preprocess(i):
     if env.get('CM_GENERIC_SYS_UTIL_RUN_MODE', '') == "detect":
         if env.get('CM_SYS_UTIL_VERSION_CMD', '') != '':
             r = automation.run_native_script({'run_script_input':i['run_script_input'], 'env':env, 'script_name':'detect'})
-            if r['return'] > 0: #detection failed, do install via prehook_deps
+            if r['return'] != 0: #detection failed, do install via prehook_deps
+                print("detection failed, going for installation")
                 env['CM_GENERIC_SYS_UTIL_INSTALL_NEEDED'] = "yes"
                 return {'return': 0}
             else: #detection is successful, no need to install
@@ -104,13 +105,14 @@ def detect_version(i):
     env = i['env']
     version_env_key = f"CM_{env['CM_SYS_UTIL_NAME'].upper()}_VERSION"
     version_check_re = env.get('CM_SYS_UTIL_VERSION_RE', '')
+    group_number = env.get('CM_TMP_VERSION_DETECT_GROUP_NUMBER', 1)
 
     if version_check_re == '' or not os.path.exists("tmp-ver.out"):
         version = "undetected"
 
     else:
         r = i['automation'].parse_version({'match_text': version_check_re,
-                                       'group_number': 1,
+                                       'group_number': group_number,
                                        'env_key': version_env_key,
                                        'which_env': env})
         if r['return'] >0: return r
@@ -128,8 +130,8 @@ def postprocess(i):
     if env.get('CM_SYS_UTIL_VERSION_CMD', '') != '' and (env['CM_GENERIC_SYS_UTIL_RUN_MODE'] == "install" or env.get(version_env_key, '') == '') :
         automation = i['automation']
         r = automation.run_native_script({'run_script_input':i['run_script_input'], 'env':env, 'script_name':'detect'})
-        if r['return'] > 0:
-            return r
+        if r['return'] > 0 and str(env.get('CM_GENERIC_SYS_UTIL_IGNORE_VERSION_DETECTION_FAILURE', '')).lower() not in [ "1", "yes", "true" ]:
+            return {'return': 1, 'error': 'Version detection failed after installation. Please check the provided version command or use env.CM_GENERIC_SYS_UTIL_IGNORE_VERSION_DETECTION_FAILURE=yes to ignore the error.'}
 
         r = detect_version(i)