diff --git a/cumulusci/core/utils.py b/cumulusci/core/utils.py
index 88cd570657..16e643d494 100644
--- a/cumulusci/core/utils.py
+++ b/cumulusci/core/utils.py
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ def process_list_of_pairs_dict_arg(arg):
     except TypeError as e:
         raise TaskOptionsError(e) from e
 
+def process_none_arg(arg):
+    if arg == "None":
+        return None
+    else:
+        return arg
 
 def decode_to_unicode(content):
     """decode ISO-8859-1 to unicode, when using sf api"""
diff --git a/cumulusci/tasks/create_package_version.py b/cumulusci/tasks/create_package_version.py
index ac958df95b..7990717fdd 100644
--- a/cumulusci/tasks/create_package_version.py
+++ b/cumulusci/tasks/create_package_version.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 )
 from cumulusci.core.github import get_version_id_from_tag
 from cumulusci.core.sfdx import convert_sfdx_source
-from cumulusci.core.utils import process_bool_arg
+from cumulusci.core.utils import process_bool_arg, process_none_arg
 from cumulusci.core.versions import PackageType, PackageVersionNumber, VersionTypeEnum
 from cumulusci.salesforce_api.package_zip import (
     BasePackageZipBuilder,
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def _init_options(self, kwargs):
             namespace=self.options.get("namespace")
             or self.project_config.project__package__namespace,
             version_name=self.options.get("version_name") or "Release",
-            version_base=self.options.get("version_base"),
+            version_base=process_none_arg(self.options.get("version_base")),
             version_type=self.options.get("version_type") or VersionTypeEnum("build"),
         )
         self.options["skip_validation"] = process_bool_arg(
@@ -226,7 +226,9 @@ def _run_task(self):
                 context=self.context,
             )
 
-        ancestor_id = self._resolve_ancestor_id(self.options.get("ancestor_id"))
+        ancestor_id = self._resolve_ancestor_id(
+            process_none_arg(self.options.get("ancestor_id"))
+        )
 
         self.request_id = self._create_version_request(
             self.package_id,
diff --git a/cumulusci/tests/test_utils.py b/cumulusci/tests/test_utils.py
index 74d872e7d4..dc68890602 100644
--- a/cumulusci/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/cumulusci/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -655,3 +655,15 @@ def test_get_git_config_error(self, Command):
 
         assert utils.get_git_config("user.email") is None
         p.run.assert_called_once()
+
+    def test_process_none_arg__none(self):
+        none_value = utils.process_none_arg(None)
+        assert none_value is None
+
+    def test_process_none_arg__none_str(self):
+        none_value = utils.process_none_arg("None")
+        assert none_value is None
+
+    def test_process_none_arg__not_none_str(self):
+        some_value = utils.process_none_arg("Value")
+        assert some_value == "Value"
\ No newline at end of file