diff --git a/libmachine/drivers/plugin/register_driver.go b/libmachine/drivers/plugin/register_driver.go
index 52b4dd3c93..48fcb23216 100644
--- a/libmachine/drivers/plugin/register_driver.go
+++ b/libmachine/drivers/plugin/register_driver.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/drivers"
 	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/drivers/plugin/localbinary"
 	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/drivers/rpc"
+	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/version"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -20,9 +21,11 @@ var (
 
 func RegisterDriver(d drivers.Driver) {
 	if os.Getenv(localbinary.PluginEnvKey) != localbinary.PluginEnvVal {
-		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, `This is a Docker Machine plugin binary.
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, `This is a Docker Machine plugin binary.
 Plugin binaries are not intended to be invoked directly.
-Please use this plugin through the main 'docker-machine' binary.`)
+Please use this plugin through the main 'docker-machine' binary.
+(API version: %d)
+`, version.ApiVersion)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
diff --git a/libmachine/drivers/rpc/client_driver.go b/libmachine/drivers/rpc/client_driver.go
index 37165e1897..dab06d81e1 100644
--- a/libmachine/drivers/rpc/client_driver.go
+++ b/libmachine/drivers/rpc/client_driver.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/log"
 	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/mcnflag"
 	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/state"
+	"github.com/docker/machine/libmachine/version"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -93,11 +94,15 @@ func NewRpcClientDriver(rawDriverData []byte, driverName string) (*RpcClientDriv
 		}
 	}(c)
 
-	var version int
-	if err := c.Client.Call("RpcServerDriver.GetVersion", struct{}{}, &version); err != nil {
+	var serverVersion int
+	if err := c.Client.Call("RpcServerDriver.GetVersion", struct{}{}, &serverVersion); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	log.Debug("Using API Version ", version)
+
+	if serverVersion != version.ApiVersion {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Driver binary uses an incompatible API version (%d)", serverVersion)
+	}
+	log.Debug("Using API Version ", serverVersion)
 
 	if err := c.SetConfigRaw(rawDriverData); err != nil {
 		return nil, err