diff --git a/contrib/ivshmem-client/ivshmem-client.c b/contrib/ivshmem-client/ivshmem-client.c
index ad210c8..0c4e016 100644
--- a/contrib/ivshmem-client/ivshmem-client.c
+++ b/contrib/ivshmem-client/ivshmem-client.c
@@ -184,10 +184,18 @@ ivshmem_client_connect(IvshmemClient *client)
         goto err_close;
     }
 
-    /* first, we expect our index + a fd == -1 */
+    /* first, we expect a protocol version */
+    if (read_one_msg(client, &tmp, &fd) < 0 ||
+        (tmp != IVSHMEM_PROTOCOL_VERSION) || fd != -1) {
+        debug_log(client, "cannot read from server\n");
+        goto err_close;
+    }
+    debug_log(client, "our_id=%ld\n", client->local.id);
+
+    /* then, we expect our index + a fd == -1 */
     if (read_one_msg(client, &client->local.id, &fd) < 0 ||
         client->local.id < 0 || fd != -1) {
-        debug_log(client, "cannot read from server\n");
+        debug_log(client, "cannot read from server (2)\n");
         goto err_close;
     }
     debug_log(client, "our_id=%ld\n", client->local.id);
@@ -196,7 +204,7 @@ ivshmem_client_connect(IvshmemClient *client)
      * is not used */
     if (read_one_msg(client, &tmp, &fd) < 0 ||
         tmp != -1 || fd < 0) {
-        debug_log(client, "cannot read from server (2)\n");
+        debug_log(client, "cannot read from server (3)\n");
         goto err_close;
     }
     debug_log(client, "shm_fd=%d\n", fd);
diff --git a/contrib/ivshmem-client/ivshmem-client.h b/contrib/ivshmem-client/ivshmem-client.h
index 45f2b64..8d6ab35 100644
--- a/contrib/ivshmem-client/ivshmem-client.h
+++ b/contrib/ivshmem-client/ivshmem-client.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <sys/select.h>
 
 #include "qemu/queue.h"
+#include "hw/misc/ivshmem.h"
 
 /**
  * Maximum number of notification vectors supported by the client
diff --git a/contrib/ivshmem-server/ivshmem-server.c b/contrib/ivshmem-server/ivshmem-server.c
index f441da7..670c58c 100644
--- a/contrib/ivshmem-server/ivshmem-server.c
+++ b/contrib/ivshmem-server/ivshmem-server.c
@@ -99,6 +99,13 @@ send_initial_info(IvshmemServer *server, IvshmemServerPeer *peer)
 {
     int ret;
 
+    /* send our protool version first */
+    ret = send_one_msg(peer->sock_fd, IVSHMEM_PROTOCOL_VERSION, -1);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        debug_log(server, "cannot send version: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     /* send the peer id to the client */
     ret = send_one_msg(peer->sock_fd, peer->id, -1);
     if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/contrib/ivshmem-server/ivshmem-server.h b/contrib/ivshmem-server/ivshmem-server.h
index 5ccc7af..e76e4fe 100644
--- a/contrib/ivshmem-server/ivshmem-server.h
+++ b/contrib/ivshmem-server/ivshmem-server.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <sys/select.h>
 
 #include "qemu/queue.h"
+#include "hw/misc/ivshmem.h"
 
 /**
  * Maximum number of notification vectors supported by the server
diff --git a/docs/specs/ivshmem_device_spec.txt b/docs/specs/ivshmem_device_spec.txt
index f5f2b95..bae87de 100644
--- a/docs/specs/ivshmem_device_spec.txt
+++ b/docs/specs/ivshmem_device_spec.txt
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ It creates a shared memory object then waits for clients to connect on an unix
 socket.
 
 For each client (QEMU processes) that connects to the server:
+- the server sends a protocol version, if client does not support it, the client
+  closes the communication,
 - the server assigns an ID for this client and sends this ID to him as the first
   message,
 - the server sends a fd to the shared memory object to this client,
@@ -86,9 +88,10 @@ been provided in qemu.git/contrib/ivshmem-client for debug.
 
 *QEMU as an ivshmem client*
 
-At initialisation, when creating the ivshmem device, QEMU gets its ID from the
-server then make it available through BAR0 IVPosition register for the VM to use
-(see 'PCI device registers' subsection).
+At initialisation, when creating the ivshmem device, QEMU first receives a
+protocol version and closes communication with server if it does not match.
+Then, QEMU gets its ID from the server then make it available through BAR0
+IVPosition register for the VM to use (see 'PCI device registers' subsection).
 QEMU then uses the fd to the shared memory to map it to BAR2.
 eventfds for all other clients received from the server are stored to implement
 BAR0 Doorbell register (see 'PCI device registers' subsection).
diff --git a/hw/misc/ivshmem.c b/hw/misc/ivshmem.c
index bd9d718..305dab8 100644
--- a/hw/misc/ivshmem.c
+++ b/hw/misc/ivshmem.c
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 #include "qemu/event_notifier.h"
 #include "sysemu/char.h"
 
+#include "hw/misc/ivshmem.h"
+
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
@@ -528,6 +530,36 @@ static void ivshmem_read(void *opaque, const uint8_t * buf, int flags)
     }
 }
 
+static void ivshmem_check_version(void *opaque, const uint8_t * buf, int flags)
+{
+    IVShmemState *s = opaque;
+    PCIDevice *dev = PCI_DEVICE(s);
+    int tmp;
+    long version;
+
+    memcpy(&version, buf, sizeof(long));
+    tmp = qemu_chr_fe_get_msgfd(s->server_chr);
+    if (tmp != -1 || version != IVSHMEM_PROTOCOL_VERSION) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "incompatible version, you are connecting to a ivhsmem-"
+                "server using a different protocol please check your setup\n");
+        qemu_chr_delete(s->server_chr);
+        s->server_chr = NULL;
+        return;
+    }
+
+    IVSHMEM_DPRINTF("version check ok, finish init and switch to real chardev "
+                    "handler\n");
+
+    pci_register_bar(dev, 2, s->ivshmem_attr, &s->bar);
+
+    /* allocate/initialize space for interrupt handling */
+    s->peers = g_malloc0(s->nb_peers * sizeof(Peer));
+    s->eventfd_chr = g_malloc0(s->vectors * sizeof(CharDriverState *));
+
+    qemu_chr_add_handlers(s->server_chr, ivshmem_can_receive, ivshmem_read,
+                          ivshmem_event, s);
+}
+
 /* Select the MSI-X vectors used by device.
  * ivshmem maps events to vectors statically, so
  * we just enable all vectors on init and after reset. */
@@ -735,15 +767,8 @@ static int pci_ivshmem_init(PCIDevice *dev)
         s->nb_peers = 16;
         s->vm_id = -1;
 
-        /* allocate/initialize space for interrupt handling */
-        s->peers = g_malloc0(s->nb_peers * sizeof(Peer));
-
-        pci_register_bar(dev, 2, s->ivshmem_attr, &s->bar);
-
-        s->eventfd_chr = g_malloc0(s->vectors * sizeof(CharDriverState *));
-
-        qemu_chr_add_handlers(s->server_chr, ivshmem_can_receive, ivshmem_read,
-                     ivshmem_event, s);
+        qemu_chr_add_handlers(s->server_chr, ivshmem_can_receive,
+                              ivshmem_check_version, ivshmem_event, s);
     } else {
         /* just map the file immediately, we're not using a server */
         int fd;
diff --git a/include/hw/misc/ivshmem.h b/include/hw/misc/ivshmem.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22c9f1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/hw/misc/ivshmem.h
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 6WIND S.A., 2014
+ *
+ * This work is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL, version 2 or
+ * (at your option) any later version.  See the COPYING file in the
+ * top-level directory.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _IVSHMEM_H_
+#define _IVSHMEM_H_
+
+/**
+ * Protocol version
+ */
+#define IVSHMEM_PROTOCOL_VERSION 0x0
+
+#endif
