diff --git a/services/nexus/nexus.service.js b/services/nexus/nexus.service.js
index 955899899b..f232ec8133 100644
--- a/services/nexus/nexus.service.js
+++ b/services/nexus/nexus.service.js
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@ const searchApiSchema = Joi.object({
       Joi.object({
         latestRelease: optionalDottedVersionNClausesWithOptionalSuffix,
         latestSnapshot: optionalDottedVersionNClausesWithOptionalSuffix,
-        version: optionalDottedVersionNClausesWithOptionalSuffix,
+        // `version` will almost always follow the same pattern as optionalDottedVersionNClausesWithOptionalSuffix.
+        // However, there are a couple exceptions where `version` may be a simple string (like `android-SNAPSHOT`)
+        // This schema is relaxed accordingly since for snapshot/release badges the schema has to validate
+        // the entire history of each published version for the artifact.
+        // Example artifact that includes such a historical version: https://oss.sonatype.org/service/local/lucene/search?g=com.google.guava&a=guava
+        version: Joi.string(),
       })
     )
     .required(),
@@ -46,24 +51,23 @@ module.exports = class Nexus extends BaseJsonService {
       base: 'nexus',
       // API pattern:
       // /nexus/(r|s|<repo-name>)/(http|https)/<nexus.host>[:port][/<entry-path>]/<group>/<artifact>[:k1=v1[:k2=v2[...]]]
-      format:
-        '(r|s|[^/]+)/(https?)/((?:[^/]+)(?:/[^/]+)?)/([^/]+)/([^/:]+)(:.+)?',
-      capture: ['repo', 'scheme', 'host', 'groupId', 'artifactId', 'queryOpt'],
+      pattern:
+        ':repo(r|s|[^/]+)/:scheme(http|https)/:hostAndPath+/:groupId/:artifactId([^/:]+):queryOpt(:.+)?',
     }
   }
 
   static get defaultBadgeData() {
-    return { color: 'blue', label: 'nexus' }
+    return { label: 'nexus' }
   }
 
   static get examples() {
     return [
       {
         title: 'Sonatype Nexus (Releases)',
-        pattern: 'r/:scheme/:host/:groupId/:artifactId',
+        pattern: 'r/:scheme(http|https)/:hostAndPath/:groupId/:artifactId',
         namedParams: {
           scheme: 'https',
-          host: 'oss.sonatype.org',
+          hostAndPath: 'oss.sonatype.org',
           groupId: 'com.google.guava',
           artifactId: 'guava',
         },
@@ -73,10 +77,10 @@ module.exports = class Nexus extends BaseJsonService {
       },
       {
         title: 'Sonatype Nexus (Snapshots)',
-        pattern: 's/:scheme/:host/:groupId/:artifactId',
+        pattern: 's/:scheme(http|https)/:hostAndPath/:groupId/:artifactId',
         namedParams: {
           scheme: 'https',
-          host: 'oss.sonatype.org',
+          hostAndPath: 'oss.sonatype.org',
           groupId: 'com.google.guava',
           artifactId: 'guava',
         },
@@ -86,11 +90,11 @@ module.exports = class Nexus extends BaseJsonService {
       },
       {
         title: 'Sonatype Nexus (Repository)',
-        pattern: ':repo/:scheme/:host/:groupId/:artifactId',
+        pattern: ':repo/:scheme(http|https)/:hostAndPath/:groupId/:artifactId',
         namedParams: {
           repo: 'developer',
           scheme: 'https',
-          host: 'repository.jboss.org/nexus',
+          hostAndPath: 'repository.jboss.org/nexus',
           groupId: 'ai.h2o',
           artifactId: 'h2o-automl',
         },
@@ -100,11 +104,12 @@ module.exports = class Nexus extends BaseJsonService {
       },
       {
         title: 'Sonatype Nexus (Query Options)',
-        pattern: ':repo/:scheme/:host/:groupId/:artifactId/:queryOpt',
+        pattern:
+          ':repo/:scheme(http|https)/:hostAndPath/:groupId/:artifactId/:queryOpt',
         namedParams: {
           repo: 'fs-public-snapshots',
           scheme: 'https',
-          host: 'repository.jboss.org/nexus',
+          hostAndPath: 'repository.jboss.org/nexus',
           groupId: 'com.progress.fuse',
           artifactId: 'fusehq',
           queryOpt: ':c=agent-apple-osx:p=tar.gz',
@@ -114,10 +119,10 @@ module.exports = class Nexus extends BaseJsonService {
         }),
         documentation: `
         <p>
-          Note that you can use query options with any Nexus badge type (Releases, Snapshots, or Repository)
+          Note that you can use query options with any Nexus badge type (Releases, Snapshots, or Repository).
         </p>
         <p>
-          Query options should be provided as key=value pairs separated by a semicolon
+          Query options should be provided as key=value pairs separated by a colon.
         </p>
         `,
       },
@@ -125,8 +130,15 @@ module.exports = class Nexus extends BaseJsonService {
   }
 
   transform({ repo, json }) {
+    if (json.data.length === 0) {
+      throw new NotFound({ prettyMessage: 'artifact or version not found' })
+    }
     if (repo === 'r') {
-      return { version: json.data[0].latestRelease }
+      const version = json.data[0].latestRelease
+      if (!version) {
+        throw new InvalidResponse({ prettyMessage: 'invalid artifact version' })
+      }
+      return { version }
     } else if (repo === 's') {
       // only want to match 1.2.3-SNAPSHOT style versions, which may not always be in
       // 'latestSnapshot' so check 'version' as well before continuing to next entry
@@ -140,32 +152,31 @@ module.exports = class Nexus extends BaseJsonService {
       }
       throw new InvalidResponse({ prettyMessage: 'no snapshot versions found' })
     } else {
-      return { version: json.data.baseVersion || json.data.version }
+      const version = json.data.baseVersion || json.data.version
+      if (!version) {
+        throw new InvalidResponse({ prettyMessage: 'invalid artifact version' })
+      }
+      return { version }
     }
   }
 
-  async handle({ repo, scheme, host, groupId, artifactId, queryOpt }) {
+  async handle({ repo, scheme, hostAndPath, groupId, artifactId, queryOpt }) {
     const { json } = await this.fetch({
       repo,
       scheme,
-      host,
+      hostAndPath,
       groupId,
       artifactId,
       queryOpt,
     })
-    if (json.data.length === 0) {
-      throw new NotFound({ prettyMessage: 'artifact or version not found' })
-    }
+
     const { version } = this.transform({ repo, json })
-    if (!version) {
-      throw new InvalidResponse({ prettyMessage: 'invalid artifact version' })
-    }
     return this.constructor.render({ version })
   }
 
   addQueryParamsToQueryString({ qs, queryOpt }) {
     // Users specify query options with 'key=value' pairs, using a
-    // semicolon delimiter between pairs ([:k1=v1[:k2=v2[...]]]).
+    // colon delimiter between pairs ([:k1=v1[:k2=v2[...]]]).
     // queryOpt will be a string containing those key/value pairs,
     // For example:  :c=agent-apple-osx:p=tar.gz
     const keyValuePairs = queryOpt.split(':')
@@ -177,13 +188,13 @@ module.exports = class Nexus extends BaseJsonService {
     })
   }
 
-  async fetch({ repo, scheme, host, groupId, artifactId, queryOpt }) {
+  async fetch({ repo, scheme, hostAndPath, groupId, artifactId, queryOpt }) {
     const qs = {
       g: groupId,
       a: artifactId,
     }
     let schema
-    let url = `${scheme}://${host}/`
+    let url = `${scheme}://${hostAndPath}/`
     // API pattern:
     // for /nexus/[rs]/... pattern, use the search api of the nexus server, and
     // for /nexus/<repo-name>/... pattern, use the resolve api of the nexus server.
diff --git a/services/nexus/nexus.spec.js b/services/nexus/nexus.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cfa665cf16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/nexus/nexus.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+'use strict'
+
+const { expect } = require('chai')
+const { InvalidResponse, NotFound } = require('..')
+const Nexus = require('./nexus.service')
+
+describe('Nexus', function() {
+  context('transform()', function() {
+    it('throws NotFound error when no versions exist', function() {
+      try {
+        Nexus.prototype.transform({ json: { data: [] } })
+        expect.fail('Expected to throw')
+      } catch (e) {
+        expect(e).to.be.an.instanceof(NotFound)
+        expect(e.prettyMessage).to.equal('artifact or version not found')
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('throws InvalidResponse error when no there is no latestRelease version', function() {
+      try {
+        Nexus.prototype.transform({ repo: 'r', json: { data: [{}] } })
+        expect.fail('Expected to throw')
+      } catch (e) {
+        expect(e).to.be.an.instanceof(InvalidResponse)
+        expect(e.prettyMessage).to.equal('invalid artifact version')
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('returns latestSnapshot value', function() {
+      const latestSnapshot = '7.0.1-SNAPSHOT'
+      const { version } = Nexus.prototype.transform({
+        repo: 's',
+        json: {
+          data: [{ latestSnapshot }, { version: '1.2.3' }],
+        },
+      })
+      expect(version).to.equal(latestSnapshot)
+    })
+
+    it('returns version value when it is a snapshot', function() {
+      const latestSnapshot = '1.2.7-SNAPSHOT'
+      const { version } = Nexus.prototype.transform({
+        repo: 's',
+        json: {
+          data: [{ latestSnapshot: '1.2.3' }, { version: latestSnapshot }],
+        },
+      })
+      expect(version).to.equal(latestSnapshot)
+    })
+
+    it('throws InvalidResponse error when no snapshot versions exist', function() {
+      try {
+        Nexus.prototype.transform({ repo: 's', json: { data: [{}] } })
+        expect.fail('Expected to throw')
+      } catch (e) {
+        expect(e).to.be.an.instanceof(InvalidResponse)
+        expect(e.prettyMessage).to.equal('no snapshot versions found')
+      }
+    })
+
+    it('throws InvalidResponse error when repository has no version data', function() {
+      try {
+        Nexus.prototype.transform({ repo: 'developer', json: { data: {} } })
+        expect.fail('Expected to throw')
+      } catch (e) {
+        expect(e).to.be.an.instanceof(InvalidResponse)
+        expect(e.prettyMessage).to.equal('invalid artifact version')
+      }
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/services/nexus/nexus.tester.js b/services/nexus/nexus.tester.js
index 5916cf7c29..3b4ea29a93 100644
--- a/services/nexus/nexus.tester.js
+++ b/services/nexus/nexus.tester.js
@@ -18,32 +18,36 @@ function mockNexusCreds() {
 }
 
 t.create('live: search release version valid artifact')
-  .get('/r/https/repository.jboss.org/nexus/jboss/jboss-client.json')
+  .timeout(15000)
+  .get('/r/https/oss.sonatype.org/com.google.guava/guava.json')
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'nexus',
     message: isVersion,
   })
 
-t.create('live: search release version of an inexistent artifact')
-  .get('/r/https/repository.jboss.org/nexus/jboss/inexistent-artifact-id.json')
+t.create('live: search release version of an nonexistent artifact')
+  .timeout(10000)
+  .get(
+    '/r/https/oss.sonatype.org/com.google.guava/nonexistent-artifact-id.json'
+  )
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'nexus',
     message: 'artifact or version not found',
   })
 
 t.create('live: search snapshot version valid snapshot artifact')
-  .get('/s/https/repository.jboss.org/nexus/com.progress.fuse/fusehq.json')
+  .timeout(10000)
+  .get('/s/https/oss.sonatype.org/com.google.guava/guava.json')
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'nexus',
     message: isVersion,
   })
 
-t.create('live: search snapshot version of a release artifact')
-  .get('/s/https/repository.jboss.org/nexus/jboss/jboss-client.json')
-  .expectBadge({ label: 'nexus', message: 'no snapshot versions found' })
-
-t.create('live: search snapshot version of an inexistent artifact')
-  .get('/s/https/repository.jboss.org/nexus/jboss/inexistent-artifact-id.json')
+t.create('live: search snapshot version of an nonexistent artifact')
+  .timeout(10000)
+  .get(
+    '/s/https/oss.sonatype.org/com.google.guava/nonexistent-artifact-id.json'
+  )
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'nexus',
     message: 'artifact or version not found',
@@ -66,9 +70,9 @@ t.create('live: repository version with query')
     message: isVersion,
   })
 
-t.create('live: repository version of an inexistent artifact')
+t.create('live: repository version of an nonexistent artifact')
   .get(
-    '/developer/https/repository.jboss.org/nexus/jboss/inexistent-artifact-id.json'
+    '/developer/https/repository.jboss.org/nexus/jboss/nonexistent-artifact-id.json'
   )
   .expectBadge({
     label: 'nexus',