diff --git a/pkg/server/server_sql.go b/pkg/server/server_sql.go
index 98ef2f815b63..ea141d4f48f8 100644
--- a/pkg/server/server_sql.go
+++ b/pkg/server/server_sql.go
@@ -1459,6 +1459,18 @@ func (s *SQLServer) preStart(
 	if err := s.settingsWatcher.Start(ctx); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "initializing settings")
 	}
+
+	// Prevent a secondary tenant's server from starting if its binary version is too low
+	// for the current tenant cluster version.
+	if !s.execCfg.Codec.ForSystemTenant() {
+		tenantActiveVersion := s.settingsWatcher.GetTenantClusterVersion().ActiveVersion(ctx).Version
+		if s.execCfg.Settings.Version.BinaryVersion().Less(tenantActiveVersion) {
+			return errors.Newf("preventing SQL server from starting because its binary version "+
+				"is too low for the tenant active version: server binary version = %v, tenant active version = %v",
+				s.execCfg.Settings.Version.BinaryVersion(), tenantActiveVersion)
+		}
+	}
+
 	if err := s.systemConfigWatcher.Start(ctx, s.stopper); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "initializing settings")
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/server/settingswatcher/settings_watcher.go b/pkg/server/settingswatcher/settings_watcher.go
index a5733e35ee59..ffb11b36aa50 100644
--- a/pkg/server/settingswatcher/settings_watcher.go
+++ b/pkg/server/settingswatcher/settings_watcher.go
@@ -440,3 +440,7 @@ func (s *SettingsWatcher) GetStorageClusterVersion() clusterversion.ClusterVersi
 	}
 	return s.mu.storageClusterVersion
 }
+
+func (s *SettingsWatcher) GetTenantClusterVersion() clusterversion.Handle {
+	return s.settings.Version
+}