diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 4fedf32835187..b0ec498ce3b99 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -5427,6 +5427,7 @@ name = "node-template"
 version = "4.0.0-dev"
 dependencies = [
  "clap 4.2.7",
+ "enum-as-inner",
  "frame-benchmarking",
  "frame-benchmarking-cli",
  "frame-system",
@@ -11881,6 +11882,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "build-helper",
  "cargo_metadata",
  "filetime",
+ "parity-wasm",
  "sp-maybe-compressed-blob",
  "strum",
  "tempfile",
diff --git a/bin/node-template/node/Cargo.toml b/bin/node-template/node/Cargo.toml
index 1801caad676ab..ceac4fa8db1cd 100644
--- a/bin/node-template/node/Cargo.toml
+++ b/bin/node-template/node/Cargo.toml
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ node-template-runtime = { version = "4.0.0-dev", path = "../runtime" }
 # CLI-specific dependencies
 try-runtime-cli = { version = "0.10.0-dev", optional = true, path = "../../../utils/frame/try-runtime/cli" }
 
+# Workaround until https://github.com/bluejekyll/enum-as-inner/issues/98 is fixed.
+enum-as-inner = "=0.5.1"
+
 [build-dependencies]
 substrate-build-script-utils = { version = "3.0.0", path = "../../../utils/build-script-utils" }
 
diff --git a/client/executor/runtime-test/build.rs b/client/executor/runtime-test/build.rs
index 745742123a8f6..088c93110d855 100644
--- a/client/executor/runtime-test/build.rs
+++ b/client/executor/runtime-test/build.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ fn main() {
 			.with_current_project()
 			.export_heap_base()
 			.import_memory()
+			.disable_runtime_version_section_check()
 			.build();
 	}
 
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ fn main() {
 			.import_memory()
 			.set_file_name("wasm_binary_with_tracing.rs")
 			.append_to_rust_flags(r#"--cfg feature="with-tracing""#)
+			.disable_runtime_version_section_check()
 			.build();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/primitives/runtime-interface/test-wasm-deprecated/build.rs b/primitives/runtime-interface/test-wasm-deprecated/build.rs
index b7676a70dfe84..651f57388e0d0 100644
--- a/primitives/runtime-interface/test-wasm-deprecated/build.rs
+++ b/primitives/runtime-interface/test-wasm-deprecated/build.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ fn main() {
 			.with_current_project()
 			.export_heap_base()
 			.import_memory()
+			.disable_runtime_version_section_check()
 			.build();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/primitives/runtime-interface/test-wasm/build.rs b/primitives/runtime-interface/test-wasm/build.rs
index b7676a70dfe84..651f57388e0d0 100644
--- a/primitives/runtime-interface/test-wasm/build.rs
+++ b/primitives/runtime-interface/test-wasm/build.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ fn main() {
 			.with_current_project()
 			.export_heap_base()
 			.import_memory()
+			.disable_runtime_version_section_check()
 			.build();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/utils/wasm-builder/Cargo.toml b/utils/wasm-builder/Cargo.toml
index 5228f26d57c6d..79ff4d19ac675 100644
--- a/utils/wasm-builder/Cargo.toml
+++ b/utils/wasm-builder/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,4 +22,5 @@ toml = "0.7.3"
 walkdir = "2.3.2"
 sp-maybe-compressed-blob = { version = "4.1.0-dev", path = "../../primitives/maybe-compressed-blob" }
 filetime = "0.2.16"
-wasm-opt = "0.112"
\ No newline at end of file
+wasm-opt = "0.112"
+parity-wasm = "0.45"
diff --git a/utils/wasm-builder/src/builder.rs b/utils/wasm-builder/src/builder.rs
index 72d32445e8da5..d0bed8d22a036 100644
--- a/utils/wasm-builder/src/builder.rs
+++ b/utils/wasm-builder/src/builder.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ impl WasmBuilderSelectProject {
 			file_name: None,
 			project_cargo_toml: get_manifest_dir().join("Cargo.toml"),
 			features_to_enable: Vec::new(),
+			disable_runtime_version_section_check: false,
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ impl WasmBuilderSelectProject {
 				file_name: None,
 				project_cargo_toml: path,
 				features_to_enable: Vec::new(),
+				disable_runtime_version_section_check: false,
 			})
 		} else {
 			Err("Project path must point to the `Cargo.toml` of the project")
@@ -93,6 +95,8 @@ pub struct WasmBuilder {
 	project_cargo_toml: PathBuf,
 	/// Features that should be enabled when building the wasm binary.
 	features_to_enable: Vec<String>,
+	/// Should the builder not check that the `runtime_version` section exists in the wasm binary?
+	disable_runtime_version_section_check: bool,
 }
 
 impl WasmBuilder {
@@ -143,6 +147,17 @@ impl WasmBuilder {
 		self
 	}
 
+	/// Disable the check for the `runtime_version` wasm section.
+	///
+	/// By default the `wasm-builder` will ensure that the `runtime_version` section will
+	/// exists in the build wasm binary. This `runtime_version` section is used to get the
+	/// `RuntimeVersion` without needing to call into the wasm binary. However, for some
+	/// use cases (like tests) you may want to disable this check.
+	pub fn disable_runtime_version_section_check(mut self) -> Self {
+		self.disable_runtime_version_section_check = true;
+		self
+	}
+
 	/// Build the WASM binary.
 	pub fn build(self) {
 		let out_dir = PathBuf::from(env::var("OUT_DIR").expect("`OUT_DIR` is set by cargo!"));
@@ -165,6 +180,7 @@ impl WasmBuilder {
 			self.rust_flags.into_iter().map(|f| format!("{} ", f)).collect(),
 			self.features_to_enable,
 			self.file_name,
+			!self.disable_runtime_version_section_check,
 		);
 
 		// As last step we need to generate our `rerun-if-changed` stuff. If a build fails, we don't
@@ -215,7 +231,7 @@ fn generate_rerun_if_changed_instructions() {
 /// The current project is determined by using the `CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR` environment variable.
 ///
 /// `file_name` - The name + path of the file being generated. The file contains the
-/// constant `WASM_BINARY`, which contains the built WASM binary.
+/// constant `WASM_BINARY`, which contains the built wasm binary.
 ///
 /// `project_cargo_toml` - The path to the `Cargo.toml` of the project that should be built.
 ///
@@ -224,14 +240,17 @@ fn generate_rerun_if_changed_instructions() {
 /// `features_to_enable` - Features that should be enabled for the project.
 ///
 /// `wasm_binary_name` - The optional wasm binary name that is extended with
-///
 /// `.compact.compressed.wasm`. If `None`, the project name will be used.
+///
+/// `check_for_runtime_version_section` - Should the wasm binary be checked for the
+/// `runtime_version` section?
 fn build_project(
 	file_name: PathBuf,
 	project_cargo_toml: PathBuf,
 	default_rustflags: String,
 	features_to_enable: Vec<String>,
 	wasm_binary_name: Option<String>,
+	check_for_runtime_version_section: bool,
 ) {
 	let cargo_cmd = match crate::prerequisites::check() {
 		Ok(cmd) => cmd,
@@ -247,6 +266,7 @@ fn build_project(
 		cargo_cmd,
 		features_to_enable,
 		wasm_binary_name,
+		check_for_runtime_version_section,
 	);
 
 	let (wasm_binary, wasm_binary_bloaty) = if let Some(wasm_binary) = wasm_binary {
diff --git a/utils/wasm-builder/src/wasm_project.rs b/utils/wasm-builder/src/wasm_project.rs
index c45a40a6b9202..849af853c6da4 100644
--- a/utils/wasm-builder/src/wasm_project.rs
+++ b/utils/wasm-builder/src/wasm_project.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use crate::{write_file_if_changed, CargoCommandVersioned, OFFLINE};
 
 use build_helper::rerun_if_changed;
 use cargo_metadata::{CargoOpt, Metadata, MetadataCommand};
+use parity_wasm::elements::{deserialize_buffer, Module};
 use std::{
 	borrow::ToOwned,
 	collections::HashSet,
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ pub(crate) fn create_and_compile(
 	cargo_cmd: CargoCommandVersioned,
 	features_to_enable: Vec<String>,
 	wasm_binary_name: Option<String>,
+	check_for_runtime_version_section: bool,
 ) -> (Option<WasmBinary>, WasmBinaryBloaty) {
 	let wasm_workspace_root = get_wasm_workspace_root();
 	let wasm_workspace = wasm_workspace_root.join("wbuild");
@@ -134,6 +136,10 @@ pub(crate) fn create_and_compile(
 	let (wasm_binary, wasm_binary_compressed, bloaty) =
 		compact_wasm_file(&project, profile, project_cargo_toml, wasm_binary_name);
 
+	if check_for_runtime_version_section {
+		ensure_runtime_version_wasm_section_exists(bloaty.wasm_binary_bloaty_path());
+	}
+
 	wasm_binary
 		.as_ref()
 		.map(|wasm_binary| copy_wasm_to_target_directory(project_cargo_toml, wasm_binary));
@@ -159,6 +165,29 @@ pub(crate) fn create_and_compile(
 	(final_wasm_binary, bloaty)
 }
 
+/// Ensures that the `runtime_version` wasm section exists in the given wasm file.
+///
+/// If the section can not be found, it will print an error and exit the builder.
+fn ensure_runtime_version_wasm_section_exists(wasm: &Path) {
+	let wasm_blob = fs::read(wasm).expect("`{wasm}` was just written and should exist; qed");
+
+	let module: Module = match deserialize_buffer(&wasm_blob) {
+		Ok(m) => m,
+		Err(e) => {
+			println!("Failed to deserialize `{}`: {e:?}", wasm.display());
+			process::exit(1);
+		},
+	};
+
+	if !module.custom_sections().any(|cs| cs.name() == "runtime_version") {
+		println!(
+			"Couldn't find the `runtime_version` wasm section. \
+				  Please ensure that you are using the `sp_version::runtime_version` attribute macro!"
+		);
+		process::exit(1);
+	}
+}
+
 /// Adjust the mtime of the bloaty and compressed/compact wasm files.
 ///
 /// We add the bloaty and the compressed/compact wasm file to the `rerun-if-changed` files.