diff --git a/runsc/boot/BUILD b/runsc/boot/BUILD
index ebe27a137d..2b7f293d13 100644
--- a/runsc/boot/BUILD
+++ b/runsc/boot/BUILD
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ go_library(
         "//runsc/profile",
         "//runsc/specutils",
         "//runsc/specutils/seccomp",
+        "//runsc/version",
         "@com_github_opencontainers_runtime_spec//specs-go:go_default_library",
         "@com_github_syndtr_gocapability//capability:go_default_library",
         "@org_golang_google_protobuf//proto:go_default_library",
diff --git a/runsc/boot/autosave.go b/runsc/boot/autosave.go
index d2c5e89073..87cfb463da 100644
--- a/runsc/boot/autosave.go
+++ b/runsc/boot/autosave.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ func getSaveOpts(l *Loader, k *kernel.Kernel, isResume bool) state.SaveOpts {
 
 func getTargetForSaveResume(l *Loader) func(k *kernel.Kernel) {
 	return func(k *kernel.Kernel) {
+		l.addVersionToCheckpoint()
 		l.addContainerSpecsToCheckpoint()
 		saveOpts := getSaveOpts(l, k, true /* isResume */)
 		// Store the state file contents in a buffer for save-resume.
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ func getTargetForSaveRestore(l *Loader, files []*fd.FD) func(k *kernel.Kernel) {
 	var once sync.Once
 	return func(k *kernel.Kernel) {
 		once.Do(func() {
+			l.addVersionToCheckpoint()
 			l.addContainerSpecsToCheckpoint()
 			saveOpts := getSaveOpts(l, k, false /* isResume */)
 			saveOpts.Destination = files[0]
diff --git a/runsc/boot/loader.go b/runsc/boot/loader.go
index 97ecbd4eb8..5ba8f3ff2c 100644
--- a/runsc/boot/loader.go
+++ b/runsc/boot/loader.go
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ import (
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/profile"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/specutils"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/specutils/seccomp"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/version"
 
 	// Top-level inet providers.
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/socket/hostinet"
@@ -369,6 +370,10 @@ const (
 	// containerSpecsKey is the key used to add and pop the container specs to the
 	// kernel during save/restore.
 	containerSpecsKey = "container_specs"
+
+	// versionKey is the key used to add and pop runsc version to the kernel
+	// during save/restore.
+	versionKey = "runsc_version"
 )
 
 func getRootCredentials(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config, userNs *auth.UserNamespace) *auth.Credentials {
@@ -1989,3 +1994,13 @@ func popContainerSpecsFromCheckpoint(k *kernel.Kernel) (map[string]*specs.Spec,
 	}
 	return oldSpecs, nil
 }
+
+// addVersionToCheckpoint adds the runsc version to the kernel.
+func (l *Loader) addVersionToCheckpoint() {
+	l.k.AddStateToCheckpoint(versionKey, version.Version())
+}
+
+// popVersionFromCheckpoint pops the runsc version from the kernel.
+func popVersionFromCheckpoint(k *kernel.Kernel) string {
+	return (k.PopCheckpointState(versionKey)).(string)
+}
diff --git a/runsc/boot/restore.go b/runsc/boot/restore.go
index 1c0e28f791..434bbae364 100644
--- a/runsc/boot/restore.go
+++ b/runsc/boot/restore.go
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import (
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/tcpip/stack"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/boot/pprof"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/config"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/version"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -350,7 +351,7 @@ func validateSpecForContainer(oldSpec, newSpec *specs.Spec, cName string) error
 		}
 	}
 
-	// TODO(b/359591006): Validate runsc version, Linux.Resources, Process.Capabilities and Annotations.
+	// TODO(b/359591006): Validate Linux.Resources, Process.Capabilities and Annotations.
 	// TODO(b/359591006): Check other remaining fields for equality.
 	return nil
 }
@@ -464,6 +465,12 @@ func (r *restorer) restore(l *Loader) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	checkpointVersion := popVersionFromCheckpoint(l.k)
+	currentVersion := version.Version()
+	if checkpointVersion != currentVersion {
+		return fmt.Errorf("runsc version does not match across checkpoint restore, checkpoint: %v current: %v", checkpointVersion, currentVersion)
+	}
+
 	oldSpecs, err := popContainerSpecsFromCheckpoint(l.k)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -578,6 +585,9 @@ func (l *Loader) save(o *control.SaveOpts) (err error) {
 	}
 	o.Metadata["container_count"] = strconv.Itoa(l.containerCount())
 
+	// Save runsc version.
+	l.addVersionToCheckpoint()
+
 	// Save container specs.
 	l.addContainerSpecsToCheckpoint()