diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_resetwal.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_resetwal.sgml
index 0d93b56ddd..defaf170dc 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_resetwal.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_resetwal.sgml
@@ -281,6 +281,11 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
    <command>pg_resetwal</command> to run.  But before you do
    so, make doubly certain that there is no server process still alive.
   </para>
+
+  <para>
+   <command>pg_resetwal</command> works only with servers of the same
+   major version.
+  </para>
  </refsect1>
 
  <refsect1>
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_resetwal/pg_resetwal.c b/src/bin/pg_resetwal/pg_resetwal.c
index a3ecccb035..9c39422329 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_resetwal/pg_resetwal.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_resetwal/pg_resetwal.c
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ static MultiXactOffset set_mxoff = (MultiXactOffset) -1;
 static uint32 minXlogTli = 0;
 static XLogSegNo minXlogSegNo = 0;
 
+static void CheckDataVersion(char *datadir);
 static bool ReadControlFile(void);
 static void GuessControlValues(void);
 static void PrintControlValues(bool guessed);
@@ -294,6 +295,11 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 
 	/*
+	 * Canonicalize path, which makes error and logging messages look nicer.
+	 */
+	canonicalize_path(DataDir);
+
+	/*
 	 * Don't allow pg_resetwal to be run as root, to avoid overwriting the
 	 * ownership of files in the data directory. We need only check for root
 	 * -- any other user won't have sufficient permissions to modify files in
@@ -340,6 +346,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
+	/* Check version of server */
+	CheckDataVersion(DataDir);
+
 	/*
 	 * Attempt to read the existing pg_control file
 	 */
@@ -453,6 +462,62 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 
 /*
+ * Look at the version string stored in PG_VERSION and decide if this
+ * utility can be safely run or not.
+ */
+static void
+CheckDataVersion(char *datadir)
+{
+	FILE	   *ver_fd;
+	char		ver_file[MAXPGPATH];
+	char		rawline[64];
+	int			len;
+
+	snprintf(ver_file, MAXPGPATH, "%s/PG_VERSION", datadir);
+	if ((ver_fd = fopen(ver_file, "r")) == NULL)
+	{
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not open file \"%s\" for reading: %s\n"),
+				progname, ver_file, strerror(errno));
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
+	/* version number has to be the first line read */
+	if (!fgets(rawline, sizeof(rawline), ver_fd))
+	{
+		if (!ferror(ver_fd))
+		{
+			fprintf(stderr, _("%s: unexpected empty file \"%s\"\n"),
+					progname, ver_file);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not read file \"%s\": %s\n"),
+					progname, ver_file, strerror(errno));
+		}
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
+	/* remove trailing newline, handling Windows as well */
+	len = strlen(rawline);
+	if (len > 0 && rawline[len - 1] == '\n')
+	{
+		rawline[--len] = '\0';
+		if (len > 0 && rawline[len - 1] == '\r')
+			rawline[--len] = '\0';
+	}
+
+	if (strcmp(rawline, PG_MAJORVERSION) != 0)
+	{
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: unexpected version in file \"%s\": expected \"%s\" but found \"%s\"\n"),
+				progname, ver_file, PG_MAJORVERSION, rawline);
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
+	fclose(ver_fd);
+}
+
+
+/*
  * Try to read the existing pg_control file.
  *
  * This routine is also responsible for updating old pg_control versions