diff --git a/cmd/helm/lint.go b/cmd/helm/lint.go
index 710221bf5..342cc22ea 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/lint.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/lint.go
@@ -156,12 +156,15 @@ func lintChart(path string, vals []byte, namespace string, strict bool) (support
 			return linter, err
 		}
 
-		lastHyphenIndex := strings.LastIndex(filepath.Base(path), "-")
-		if lastHyphenIndex <= 0 {
-			return linter, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse chart archive %q, missing '-'", filepath.Base(path))
+		files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(tempDir)
+		if err != nil {
+			return linter, fmt.Errorf("unable to read temporary output directory %s", tempDir)
+		}
+		if !files[0].IsDir() {
+			return linter, fmt.Errorf("unexpected file %s in temporary output directory %s", files[0].Name(), tempDir)
 		}
-		base := filepath.Base(path)[:lastHyphenIndex]
-		chartPath = filepath.Join(tempDir, base)
+
+		chartPath = filepath.Join(tempDir, files[0].Name())
 	} else {
 		chartPath = path
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/helm/lint_test.go b/cmd/helm/lint_test.go
index 67775893b..fc40151b8 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/lint_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/lint_test.go
@@ -20,35 +20,53 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
-var (
-	values                       = []byte{}
-	namespace                    = "testNamespace"
-	strict                       = false
-	archivedChartPath            = "testdata/testcharts/compressedchart-0.1.0.tgz"
-	archivedChartPathWithHyphens = "testdata/testcharts/compressedchart-with-hyphens-0.1.0.tgz"
-	invalidArchivedChartPath     = "testdata/testcharts/invalidcompressedchart0.1.0.tgz"
-	chartDirPath                 = "testdata/testcharts/decompressedchart/"
-	chartMissingManifest         = "testdata/testcharts/chart-missing-manifest"
-)
-
 func TestLintChart(t *testing.T) {
-	if _, err := lintChart(chartDirPath, values, namespace, strict); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("%s", err)
-	}
-
-	if _, err := lintChart(archivedChartPath, values, namespace, strict); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("%s", err)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name      string
+		chartPath string
+		err       bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:      "decompressed-chart",
+			chartPath: "testdata/testcharts/decompressedchart/",
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "archived-chart-path",
+			chartPath: "testdata/testcharts/compressedchart-0.1.0.tgz",
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "archived-chart-path-with-hyphens",
+			chartPath: "testdata/testcharts/compressedchart-with-hyphens-0.1.0.tgz",
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "pre-release-chart",
+			chartPath: "testdata/testcharts/pre-release-chart-0.1.0-alpha.tgz",
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "invalid-archived-chart-path",
+			chartPath: "testdata/testcharts/invalidcompressedchart0.1.0.tgz",
+			err:       true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "chart-missing-manifest",
+			chartPath: "testdata/testcharts/chart-missing-manifest",
+			err:       true,
+		},
 	}
 
-	if _, err := lintChart(archivedChartPathWithHyphens, values, namespace, strict); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("%s", err)
-	}
-
-	if _, err := lintChart(invalidArchivedChartPath, values, namespace, strict); err == nil {
-		t.Errorf("Expected a chart parsing error")
-	}
+	values := []byte{}
+	namespace := "testNamespace"
+	strict := false
 
-	if _, err := lintChart(chartMissingManifest, values, namespace, strict); err == nil {
-		t.Errorf("Expected a chart parsing error")
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, err := lintChart(tt.chartPath, values, namespace, strict)
+			switch {
+			case err != nil && !tt.err:
+				t.Errorf("%s", err)
+			case err == nil && tt.err:
+				t.Errorf("Expected a chart parsing error")
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/helm/testdata/testcharts/pre-release-chart-0.1.0-alpha.tgz b/cmd/helm/testdata/testcharts/pre-release-chart-0.1.0-alpha.tgz
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d5770fed
Binary files /dev/null and b/cmd/helm/testdata/testcharts/pre-release-chart-0.1.0-alpha.tgz differ
diff --git a/pkg/chartutil/expand_test.go b/pkg/chartutil/expand_test.go
index 80fd4416b..298b0ef4f 100644
--- a/pkg/chartutil/expand_test.go
+++ b/pkg/chartutil/expand_test.go
@@ -39,6 +39,19 @@ func TestExpand(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(dest)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error reading output directory %s: %s", dest, err)
+	}
+
+	if len(files) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected a single chart directory in output directory %s", dest)
+	}
+
+	if !files[0].IsDir() {
+		t.Fatalf("expected a chart directory in output directory %s", dest)
+	}
+
 	expectedChartPath := filepath.Join(dest, "frobnitz")
 	fi, err := os.Stat(expectedChartPath)
 	if err != nil {