diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/compiler/cpp/file.cc b/src/google/protobuf/compiler/cpp/file.cc
index 4539e5fcb88f9..0ef0e64d45c47 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/compiler/cpp/file.cc
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/compiler/cpp/file.cc
@@ -1375,21 +1375,14 @@ void FileGenerator::GenerateLibraryIncludes(io::Printer* p) {
     IncludeFile("third_party/protobuf/port_def.inc", p);
     p->Emit(
         {
-            {"min_version", PROTOBUF_MIN_HEADER_VERSION_FOR_PROTOC},
             {"version", PROTOBUF_VERSION},
         },
         R"(
-        #if PROTOBUF_VERSION < $min_version$
-        #error "This file was generated by a newer version of protoc which is"
-        #error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please update"
-        #error "your headers."
-        #endif  // PROTOBUF_VERSION
-
-        #if $version$ < PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
-        #error "This file was generated by an older version of protoc which is"
-        #error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please"
-        #error "regenerate this file with a newer version of protoc."
-        #endif  // PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
+      #if PROTOBUF_VERSION != $version$
+      #error "Protobuf C++ gencode is built with an incompatible version of"
+      #error "Protobuf C++ headers/runtime. See"
+      #error "https://protobuf.dev/support/cross-version-runtime-guarantee/#cpp"
+      #endif
     )");
     IncludeFile("third_party/protobuf/port_undef.inc", p);
   }
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/compiler/java/java_features.pb.h b/src/google/protobuf/compiler/java/java_features.pb.h
index 17dbae00efe07..5794d1397e508 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/compiler/java/java_features.pb.h
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/compiler/java/java_features.pb.h
@@ -11,17 +11,11 @@
 #include <utility>
 
 #include "google/protobuf/port_def.inc"
-#if PROTOBUF_VERSION < 4025000
-#error "This file was generated by a newer version of protoc which is"
-#error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please update"
-#error "your headers."
-#endif  // PROTOBUF_VERSION
-
-#if 4025000 < PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
-#error "This file was generated by an older version of protoc which is"
-#error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please"
-#error "regenerate this file with a newer version of protoc."
-#endif  // PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
+#if PROTOBUF_VERSION != 4026000
+#error "Protobuf C++ gencode is built with an incompatible version of"
+#error "Protobuf C++ headers/runtime. See"
+#error "https://protobuf.dev/support/cross-version-runtime-guarantee/#cpp"
+#endif
 #include "google/protobuf/port_undef.inc"
 #include "google/protobuf/io/coded_stream.h"
 #include "google/protobuf/arena.h"
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/compiler/plugin.pb.h b/src/google/protobuf/compiler/plugin.pb.h
index 80fc7fd4aa4b2..5175f3993134f 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/compiler/plugin.pb.h
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/compiler/plugin.pb.h
@@ -11,17 +11,11 @@
 #include <utility>
 
 #include "google/protobuf/port_def.inc"
-#if PROTOBUF_VERSION < 4025000
-#error "This file was generated by a newer version of protoc which is"
-#error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please update"
-#error "your headers."
-#endif  // PROTOBUF_VERSION
-
-#if 4025000 < PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
-#error "This file was generated by an older version of protoc which is"
-#error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please"
-#error "regenerate this file with a newer version of protoc."
-#endif  // PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
+#if PROTOBUF_VERSION != 4026000
+#error "Protobuf C++ gencode is built with an incompatible version of"
+#error "Protobuf C++ headers/runtime. See"
+#error "https://protobuf.dev/support/cross-version-runtime-guarantee/#cpp"
+#endif
 #include "google/protobuf/port_undef.inc"
 #include "google/protobuf/io/coded_stream.h"
 #include "google/protobuf/arena.h"
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/cpp_features.pb.h b/src/google/protobuf/cpp_features.pb.h
index bf0c77ff011e2..7f653c99b2170 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/cpp_features.pb.h
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/cpp_features.pb.h
@@ -11,17 +11,11 @@
 #include <utility>
 
 #include "google/protobuf/port_def.inc"
-#if PROTOBUF_VERSION < 4025000
-#error "This file was generated by a newer version of protoc which is"
-#error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please update"
-#error "your headers."
-#endif  // PROTOBUF_VERSION
-
-#if 4025000 < PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
-#error "This file was generated by an older version of protoc which is"
-#error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please"
-#error "regenerate this file with a newer version of protoc."
-#endif  // PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
+#if PROTOBUF_VERSION != 4026000
+#error "Protobuf C++ gencode is built with an incompatible version of"
+#error "Protobuf C++ headers/runtime. See"
+#error "https://protobuf.dev/support/cross-version-runtime-guarantee/#cpp"
+#endif
 #include "google/protobuf/port_undef.inc"
 #include "google/protobuf/io/coded_stream.h"
 #include "google/protobuf/arena.h"
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/descriptor.pb.h b/src/google/protobuf/descriptor.pb.h
index 5df785680c382..2e0812323068a 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/descriptor.pb.h
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/descriptor.pb.h
@@ -11,17 +11,11 @@
 #include <utility>
 
 #include "google/protobuf/port_def.inc"
-#if PROTOBUF_VERSION < 4025000
-#error "This file was generated by a newer version of protoc which is"
-#error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please update"
-#error "your headers."
-#endif  // PROTOBUF_VERSION
-
-#if 4025000 < PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
-#error "This file was generated by an older version of protoc which is"
-#error "incompatible with your Protocol Buffer headers. Please"
-#error "regenerate this file with a newer version of protoc."
-#endif  // PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
+#if PROTOBUF_VERSION != 4026000
+#error "Protobuf C++ gencode is built with an incompatible version of"
+#error "Protobuf C++ headers/runtime. See"
+#error "https://protobuf.dev/support/cross-version-runtime-guarantee/#cpp"
+#endif
 #include "google/protobuf/port_undef.inc"
 #include "google/protobuf/io/coded_stream.h"
 #include "google/protobuf/arena.h"
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/port_def.inc b/src/google/protobuf/port_def.inc
index 42ffca6fd62c3..9320a0bb6cbfb 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/port_def.inc
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/port_def.inc
@@ -192,20 +192,12 @@ static_assert(PROTOBUF_ABSL_MIN(20230125, 3),
 
 #endif
 
+// Defines the Protobuf C++ Version for checking version compatibility at
+// compilation time.
 #ifdef PROTOBUF_VERSION
 #error PROTOBUF_VERSION was previously defined
 #endif
-#define PROTOBUF_VERSION 4025000
-
-#ifdef PROTOBUF_MIN_HEADER_VERSION_FOR_PROTOC
-#error PROTOBUF_MIN_HEADER_VERSION_FOR_PROTOC was previously defined
-#endif
-#define PROTOBUF_MIN_HEADER_VERSION_FOR_PROTOC 4025000
-
-#ifdef PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
-#error PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION was previously defined
-#endif
-#define PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION 4025000
+#define PROTOBUF_VERSION 4026000
 
 #ifdef PROTOBUF_VERSION_SUFFIX
 #error PROTOBUF_VERSION_SUFFIX was previously defined
@@ -319,10 +311,6 @@ static_assert(PROTOBUF_ABSL_MIN(20230125, 3),
 #define PROTOBUF_IGNORE_DEPRECATION_STOP
 #endif
 
-// The minimum library version which works with the current version of the
-// headers.
-#define GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_MIN_LIBRARY_VERSION 4025000
-
 #ifdef PROTOBUF_RTTI
 #error PROTOBUF_RTTI was previously defined
 #endif
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/port_undef.inc b/src/google/protobuf/port_undef.inc
index 3f20dfb0bab8e..04ddeaecf771d 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/port_undef.inc
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/port_undef.inc
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@
 #undef PROTOBUF_MINIMUM_EDITION
 #undef PROTOBUF_MAXIMUM_EDITION
 #undef PROTOBUF_FIELD_OFFSET
-#undef PROTOBUF_MIN_HEADER_VERSION_FOR_PROTOC
-#undef PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION
 #undef PROTOBUF_PREDICT_TRUE
 #undef PROTOBUF_PREDICT_FALSE
 #undef PROTOBUF_EXPORT
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/stubs/common.cc b/src/google/protobuf/stubs/common.cc
index faff493a4e90f..3313150d15e53 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/stubs/common.cc
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/stubs/common.cc
@@ -41,38 +41,21 @@ namespace protobuf {
 
 namespace internal {
 
-void VerifyVersion(int headerVersion,
-                   int minLibraryVersion,
-                   const char* filename) {
-  if (GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION < minLibraryVersion) {
-    // Library is too old for headers.
+void VerifyVersion(int protobufVersionCompiledWith, const char* filename) {
+  // If the user's program is linked against a different version of Protobuf,
+  // GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION will have a different value.
+  if (GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION != protobufVersionCompiledWith) {
     ABSL_LOG(FATAL)
-        << "This program requires version " << VersionString(minLibraryVersion)
-        << " of the Protocol Buffer runtime library, but the installed version "
-           "is "
+        << "This program was compiled with Protobuf C++ version "
+        << VersionString(protobufVersionCompiledWith)
+        << ", but the linked version is "
         << VersionString(GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION)
-        << ".  Please update "
-           "your library.  If you compiled the program yourself, make sure "
-           "that "
+        << ".  Please update your library.  If you compiled the program "
+           "yourself, make sure that"
            "your headers are from the same version of Protocol Buffers as your "
            "link-time library.  (Version verification failed in \""
         << filename << "\".)";
   }
-  if (headerVersion < kMinHeaderVersionForLibrary) {
-    // Headers are too old for library.
-    ABSL_LOG(FATAL)
-        << "This program was compiled against version "
-        << VersionString(headerVersion)
-        << " of the Protocol Buffer runtime "
-           "library, which is not compatible with the installed version ("
-        << VersionString(GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION)
-        << ").  Contact the program "
-           "author for an update.  If you compiled the program yourself, make "
-           "sure that your headers are from the same version of Protocol "
-           "Buffers "
-           "as your link-time library.  (Version verification failed in \""
-        << filename << "\".)";
-  }
 }
 
 std::string VersionString(int version) {
diff --git a/src/google/protobuf/stubs/common.h b/src/google/protobuf/stubs/common.h
index 2a95199d545a8..459bd15d16e2f 100644
--- a/src/google/protobuf/stubs/common.h
+++ b/src/google/protobuf/stubs/common.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #define GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_COMMON_H__
 
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <iostream>
 #include <memory>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
@@ -44,27 +45,14 @@ namespace internal {
 
 // The current version, represented as a single integer to make comparison
 // easier:  major * 10^6 + minor * 10^3 + micro
-#define GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION 4025000
+#define GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION 4026000
 
 // A suffix string for alpha, beta or rc releases. Empty for stable releases.
 #define GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION_SUFFIX ""
 
-// The minimum header version which works with the current version of
-// the library.  This constant should only be used by protoc's C++ code
-// generator.
-static const int kMinHeaderVersionForLibrary = 4025000;
-
-// The minimum protoc version which works with the current version of the
-// headers.
-#define GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_MIN_PROTOC_VERSION 4025000
-
-// The minimum header version which works with the current version of
-// protoc.  This constant should only be used in VerifyVersion().
-static const int kMinHeaderVersionForProtoc = 4025000;
-
-// Verifies that the headers and libraries are compatible.  Use the macro
-// below to call this.
-void PROTOBUF_EXPORT VerifyVersion(int headerVersion, int minLibraryVersion,
+// Verifies that the protobuf version a program was compiled with matches what
+// it is linked/running with. Use the macro below to call this function.
+void PROTOBUF_EXPORT VerifyVersion(int protobufVersionCompiledWith,
                                    const char* filename);
 
 // Converts a numeric version number to a string.
@@ -81,9 +69,8 @@ ProtocVersionString(int version);  // NOLINT(runtime/string)
 // to use the protobuf library) to verify that the version you link against
 // matches the headers you compiled against.  If a version mismatch is
 // detected, the process will abort.
-#define GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERIFY_VERSION         \
-  ::google::protobuf::internal::VerifyVersion( \
-      GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION, GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_MIN_LIBRARY_VERSION, __FILE__)
+#define GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERIFY_VERSION \
+  ::google::protobuf::internal::VerifyVersion(GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_VERSION, __FILE__)
 
 // This lives in message_lite.h now, but we leave this here for any users that
 // #include common.h and not message_lite.h.