diff --git a/awx_collection/plugins/module_utils/controller_api.py b/awx_collection/plugins/module_utils/controller_api.py
index aefe0d5d01..51020336bc 100644
--- a/awx_collection/plugins/module_utils/controller_api.py
+++ b/awx_collection/plugins/module_utils/controller_api.py
@@ -261,22 +261,29 @@ class ControllerAPIModule(ControllerModule):
                 controller_version = response.info().getheader('X-API-Product-Version', None)
 
             parsed_collection_version = Version(self._COLLECTION_VERSION).version
-            parsed_controller_version = Version(controller_version).version
-            if controller_type == 'AWX':
-                collection_compare_ver = parsed_collection_version[0]
-                controller_compare_ver = parsed_controller_version[0]
-            else:
-                collection_compare_ver = "{0}.{1}".format(parsed_collection_version[0], parsed_collection_version[1])
-                controller_compare_ver = '{0}.{1}'.format(parsed_controller_version[0], parsed_controller_version[1])
-
-            if self._COLLECTION_TYPE not in self.collection_to_version or self.collection_to_version[self._COLLECTION_TYPE] != controller_type:
-                self.warn("You are using the {0} version of this collection but connecting to {1}".format(self._COLLECTION_TYPE, controller_type))
-            elif collection_compare_ver != controller_compare_ver:
+            if not controller_version:
                 self.warn(
-                    "You are running collection version {0} but connecting to {2} version {1}".format(
-                        self._COLLECTION_VERSION, controller_version, controller_type
+                    "You are using the {0} version of this collection but connecting to a controller that did not return a version".format(
+                        self._COLLECTION_VERSION
                     )
                 )
+            else:
+                parsed_controller_version = Version(controller_version).version
+                if controller_type == 'AWX':
+                    collection_compare_ver = parsed_collection_version[0]
+                    controller_compare_ver = parsed_controller_version[0]
+                else:
+                    collection_compare_ver = "{0}.{1}".format(parsed_collection_version[0], parsed_collection_version[1])
+                    controller_compare_ver = '{0}.{1}'.format(parsed_controller_version[0], parsed_controller_version[1])
+
+                if self._COLLECTION_TYPE not in self.collection_to_version or self.collection_to_version[self._COLLECTION_TYPE] != controller_type:
+                    self.warn("You are using the {0} version of this collection but connecting to {1}".format(self._COLLECTION_TYPE, controller_type))
+                elif collection_compare_ver != controller_compare_ver:
+                    self.warn(
+                        "You are running collection version {0} but connecting to {2} version {1}".format(
+                            self._COLLECTION_VERSION, controller_version, controller_type
+                        )
+                    )
 
             self.version_checked = True
 
diff --git a/awx_collection/test/awx/test_module_utils.py b/awx_collection/test/awx/test_module_utils.py
index d5be56d6cc..088b5368a7 100644
--- a/awx_collection/test/awx/test_module_utils.py
+++ b/awx_collection/test/awx/test_module_utils.py
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ def getAWXheader(self, header_name, default):
     return mock_headers.get(header_name, default)
 
 
+def getNoheader(self, header_name, default):
+    mock_headers = {}
+    return mock_headers.get(header_name, default)
+
+
 def read(self):
     return json.dumps({})
 
@@ -48,6 +53,14 @@ def mock_awx_ping_response(self, method, url, **kwargs):
     return r
 
 
+def mock_no_ping_response(self, method, url, **kwargs):
+    r = Response()
+    r.getheader = getNoheader.__get__(r)
+    r.read = read.__get__(r)
+    r.status = status.__get__(r)
+    return r
+
+
 def test_version_warning(collection_import, silence_warning):
     ControllerAPIModule = collection_import('plugins.module_utils.controller_api').ControllerAPIModule
     cli_data = {'ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS': {}}
@@ -63,6 +76,21 @@ def test_version_warning(collection_import, silence_warning):
     )
 
 
+def test_no_version_warning(collection_import, silence_warning):
+    ControllerAPIModule = collection_import('plugins.module_utils.controller_api').ControllerAPIModule
+    cli_data = {'ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS': {}}
+    testargs = ['module_file2.py', json.dumps(cli_data)]
+    with mock.patch.object(sys, 'argv', testargs):
+        with mock.patch('ansible.module_utils.urls.Request.open', new=mock_no_ping_response):
+            my_module = ControllerAPIModule(argument_spec=dict())
+            my_module._COLLECTION_VERSION = "2.0.0"
+            my_module._COLLECTION_TYPE = "awx"
+            my_module.get_endpoint('ping')
+    silence_warning.assert_called_once_with(
+        'You are using the {0} version of this collection but connecting to a controller that did not return a version'.format(my_module._COLLECTION_VERSION)
+    )
+
+
 def test_version_warning_strictness_awx(collection_import, silence_warning):
     ControllerAPIModule = collection_import('plugins.module_utils.controller_api').ControllerAPIModule
     cli_data = {'ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS': {}}