diff --git a/x/wasm/module.go b/x/wasm/module.go
index c7ea6339c0..7973c8db97 100644
--- a/x/wasm/module.go
+++ b/x/wasm/module.go
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ package wasm
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
+	"runtime/debug"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client"
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/codec"
@@ -24,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd/x/wasm/keeper"
 	"github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd/x/wasm/simulation"
 	"github.com/CosmWasm/wasmd/x/wasm/types"
+	wasmvm "github.com/CosmWasm/wasmvm"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -217,6 +221,8 @@ func AddModuleInitFlags(startCmd *cobra.Command) {
 	startCmd.Flags().Uint32(flagWasmMemoryCacheSize, defaults.MemoryCacheSize, "Sets the size in MiB (NOT bytes) of an in-memory cache for Wasm modules. Set to 0 to disable.")
 	startCmd.Flags().Uint64(flagWasmQueryGasLimit, defaults.SmartQueryGasLimit, "Set the max gas that can be spent on executing a query with a Wasm contract")
 	startCmd.Flags().String(flagWasmSimulationGasLimit, "", "Set the max gas that can be spent when executing a simulation TX")
+
+	startCmd.PreRunE = chainPreRuns(checkLibwasmVersion, startCmd.PreRunE)
 }
 
 // ReadWasmConfig reads the wasm specifig configuration
@@ -250,3 +256,50 @@ func ReadWasmConfig(opts servertypes.AppOptions) (types.WasmConfig, error) {
 	}
 	return cfg, nil
 }
+
+func getExpectedLibwasmVersion() string {
+	buildInfo, ok := debug.ReadBuildInfo()
+	if !ok {
+		panic("can't read build info")
+	}
+	for _, d := range buildInfo.Deps {
+		if d.Path != "github.com/CosmWasm/wasmvm" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if d.Replace != nil {
+			return d.Replace.Version
+		}
+		return d.Version
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+func checkLibwasmVersion(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	wasmVersion, err := wasmvm.LibwasmvmVersion()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to retrieve libwasmversion %w", err)
+	}
+	wasmExpectedVersion := getExpectedLibwasmVersion()
+	if wasmExpectedVersion == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("wasmvm module not exist")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(wasmExpectedVersion, wasmVersion) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("libwasmversion mismatch. got: %s; expected: %s", wasmVersion, wasmExpectedVersion)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+type preRunFn func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error
+
+func chainPreRuns(pfns ...preRunFn) preRunFn {
+	return func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+		for _, pfn := range pfns {
+			if pfn != nil {
+				if err := pfn(cmd, args); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}