diff --git a/aleph_alpha_client/aleph_alpha_client.py b/aleph_alpha_client/aleph_alpha_client.py
index fd4d260..7e15e30 100644
--- a/aleph_alpha_client/aleph_alpha_client.py
+++ b/aleph_alpha_client/aleph_alpha_client.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import warnings
+
+from packaging import version
 from tokenizers import Tokenizer  # type: ignore
 from types import TracebackType
 from typing import (
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@
     SemanticEmbeddingRequest,
     SemanticEmbeddingResponse,
 )
+from aleph_alpha_client.version import MIN_API_VERSION
 
 POOLING_OPTIONS = ["mean", "max", "last_token", "abs_max"]
 RETRY_STATUS_CODES = frozenset({408, 429, 500, 502, 503, 504})
@@ -80,6 +83,16 @@ def _raise_for_status(status_code: int, text: str):
             raise RuntimeError(status_code, text)
 
 
+def _check_api_version(version_str: str):
+    api_ver = version.parse(MIN_API_VERSION)
+    ver = version.parse(version_str)
+    valid = api_ver.major == ver.major and api_ver <= ver
+    if not valid:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"The aleph alpha client requires at least api version {api_ver}, found version {ver}"
+        )
+
+
 AnyRequest = Union[
     CompletionRequest,
     EmbeddingRequest,
@@ -179,6 +192,10 @@ def __init__(
         self.session.mount("https://", adapter)
         self.session.mount("http://", adapter)
 
+    def validate_version(self) -> None:
+        """Gets version of the AlephAlpha HTTP API."""
+        _check_api_version(self.get_version())
+
     def get_version(self) -> str:
         """Gets version of the AlephAlpha HTTP API."""
         return self._get_request("version").text
@@ -687,6 +704,9 @@ async def __aexit__(
     ):
         await self.session.__aexit__(exc_type=exc_type, exc_val=exc_val, exc_tb=exc_tb)
 
+    async def validate_version(self) -> None:
+        _check_api_version(await self.get_version())
+
     async def get_version(self) -> str:
         """Gets version of the AlephAlpha HTTP API."""
         return await self._get_request_text("version")
diff --git a/aleph_alpha_client/version.py b/aleph_alpha_client/version.py
index ba7be38..1e16b39 100644
--- a/aleph_alpha_client/version.py
+++ b/aleph_alpha_client/version.py
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 __version__ = "5.0.0"
+MIN_API_VERSION = "1.15.0"
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 274c374..386c79d 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ def version():
         "Pillow >= 9.2.0",
         "tqdm >= v4.62.0",
         "python-liquid >= 1.9.4",
+        "packaging >= 23.2"
     ],
     tests_require=tests_require,
     extras_require={
diff --git a/tests/test_clients.py b/tests/test_clients.py
index 6f454ba..d1b5f2e 100644
--- a/tests/test_clients.py
+++ b/tests/test_clients.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 from pytest_httpserver import HTTPServer
 import os
 import pytest
+
+from aleph_alpha_client.version import MIN_API_VERSION
 from aleph_alpha_client.aleph_alpha_client import AsyncClient, Client
 from aleph_alpha_client.completion import (
     CompletionRequest,
@@ -11,6 +13,32 @@
 from tests.common import model_name, sync_client, async_client
 
 
+def test_api_version_mismatch_client(httpserver: HTTPServer):
+    httpserver.expect_request("/version").respond_with_data("0.0.0")
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        Client(host=httpserver.url_for(""), token="AA_TOKEN").validate_version()
+
+
+async def test_api_version_mismatch_async_client(httpserver: HTTPServer):
+    httpserver.expect_request("/version").respond_with_data("0.0.0")
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        async with AsyncClient(host=httpserver.url_for(""), token="AA_TOKEN") as client:
+            await client.validate_version()
+
+
+def test_api_version_correct_client(httpserver: HTTPServer):
+    httpserver.expect_request("/version").respond_with_data(MIN_API_VERSION)
+    Client(host=httpserver.url_for(""), token="AA_TOKEN").validate_version()
+
+
+async def test_api_version_correct_async_client(httpserver: HTTPServer):
+    httpserver.expect_request("/version").respond_with_data(MIN_API_VERSION)
+    async with AsyncClient(host=httpserver.url_for(""), token="AA_TOKEN") as client:
+        await client.validate_version()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.system_test
 async def test_can_use_async_client_without_context_manager(model_name: str):
     request = CompletionRequest(