diff --git a/src/Negentropy/Negentropy.cs b/src/Negentropy/Negentropy.cs
index 476bc17..d25181a 100644
--- a/src/Negentropy/Negentropy.cs
+++ b/src/Negentropy/Negentropy.cs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public NegentropyReconciliation Reconcile(string query)
             if (version != PROTOCOL_VERSION)
             {
                 if (this.isInitiator) throw new InvalidOperationException("unsupported negentropy protocol version requested: " + (version - 0x60));
-                else writer.ToHexString();
+                else return new NegentropyReconciliation(writer.ToHexString(), [], []);
             }
 
             var prevBoundOut = Bound.Min;
diff --git a/test/Negentropy.Tests/ReconcileTests.cs b/test/Negentropy.Tests/ReconcileTests.cs
index 90bcec7..5f8432e 100644
--- a/test/Negentropy.Tests/ReconcileTests.cs
+++ b/test/Negentropy.Tests/ReconcileTests.cs
@@ -223,6 +223,16 @@ public void LoadFromFileFrameSizeLimit()
 
             //result = ne1.Reconcile(result.Query);
             //result.Query.Should().Be(expectations[4]);
+
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void VersionFallbackTest()
+        {
+            var ne = new NegentropyBuilder(new NegentropyOptions()).Build();
+            var result = ne.Reconcile("62aabbccddeeff");
+
+            result.Query.Should().Be("61");
         }
     }
 }