diff --git a/compiler/builtins-serializer/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/builtins/BuiltInsSerializer.kt b/compiler/builtins-serializer/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/builtins/BuiltInsSerializer.kt
index 3c333865090..de30dc58c27 100644
--- a/compiler/builtins-serializer/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/builtins/BuiltInsSerializer.kt
+++ b/compiler/builtins-serializer/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/builtins/BuiltInsSerializer.kt
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import com.intellij.psi.search.GlobalSearchScope
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analyzer.ModuleContent
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.analyzer.ModuleInfo
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.builtins.BuiltInsSerializedResourcePaths
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.builtins.BuiltinsPackageFragment
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.cli.common.CLIConfigurationKeys
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.cli.common.messages.MessageCollector
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.cli.jvm.compiler.EnvironmentConfigFiles
@@ -149,11 +150,9 @@ public class BuiltInsSerializer(private val dependOnOldBuiltIns: Boolean) {
 
         val builtinsFileStream = ByteArrayOutputStream()
         with(DataOutputStream(builtinsFileStream)) {
-            // TODO: write version properly
-            writeInt(3)
-            writeInt(1)
-            writeInt(0)
-            writeInt(0)
+            val version = BuiltinsPackageFragment.VERSION.toArray()
+            writeInt(version.size)
+            version.forEach { writeInt(it) }
         }
         message.build().writeTo(builtinsFileStream)
         write(destDir, BuiltInsSerializedResourcePaths.getBuiltInsFilePath(fqName), builtinsFileStream)
diff --git a/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/AbiVersionUtil.java b/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/AbiVersionUtil.java
index 1fa031941ce..a634d60bf6e 100644
--- a/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/AbiVersionUtil.java
+++ b/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/AbiVersionUtil.java
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ public final class AbiVersionUtil {
     public static final BinaryVersion INVALID_VERSION = BinaryVersion.create(new int[0]);
 
     public static boolean isAbiVersionCompatible(@NotNull BinaryVersion actual) {
-        return actual.getMajor() == JvmAbi.VERSION.getMajor() &&
-               actual.getMinor() <= JvmAbi.VERSION.getMinor();
+        return actual.isCompatibleTo(JvmAbi.VERSION);
     }
 
     private AbiVersionUtil() {
diff --git a/core/descriptors/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/builtins/BuiltinsPackageFragment.kt b/core/descriptors/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/builtins/BuiltinsPackageFragment.kt
index d745744f919..1713d9dbc74 100644
--- a/core/descriptors/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/builtins/BuiltinsPackageFragment.kt
+++ b/core/descriptors/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/builtins/BuiltinsPackageFragment.kt
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.name.FqName
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.name.Name
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.ProtoBuf
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.builtins.BuiltInsProtoBuf
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.deserialization.BinaryVersion
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.deserialization.DeserializedPackageFragment
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.storage.StorageManager
 import java.io.InputStream
@@ -35,4 +36,9 @@ public class BuiltinsPackageFragment(
     protected override fun loadClassNames(packageProto: ProtoBuf.Package): Collection<Name> {
         return packageProto.getExtension(BuiltInsProtoBuf.className)?.map { id -> nameResolver.getName(id) } ?: listOf()
     }
+
+    companion object {
+        // Advance this version when the common or builtins-specific binary metadata format is changed
+        val VERSION = BinaryVersion.create(1, 0, 0)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/deserialization/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/deserialization/BinaryVersion.kt b/core/deserialization/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/deserialization/BinaryVersion.kt
index d3e0ce538f9..5690c80fe1f 100644
--- a/core/deserialization/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/deserialization/BinaryVersion.kt
+++ b/core/deserialization/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/deserialization/BinaryVersion.kt
@@ -25,6 +25,17 @@ data class BinaryVersion private constructor(
     fun toArray(): IntArray =
             intArrayOf(major, minor, patch, *rest.toIntArray())
 
+    /**
+     * Returns true if this version of some format loaded from some binaries is compatible
+     * to the expected version of that format in the current compiler.
+     *
+     * @param ourVersion the version of this format in the current compiler
+     */
+    fun isCompatibleTo(ourVersion: BinaryVersion): Boolean {
+        return if (major == 0) ourVersion.major == 0 && minor == ourVersion.minor
+        else major == ourVersion.major && minor <= ourVersion.minor
+    }
+
     override fun toString(): String {
         val versions = toArray().takeWhile { it != UNKNOWN }
         return if (versions.isEmpty()) "unknown" else versions.joinToString(".")
diff --git a/core/deserialization/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/deserialization/DeserializedPackageFragment.kt b/core/deserialization/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/deserialization/DeserializedPackageFragment.kt
index f300c494582..87e1165f546 100644
--- a/core/deserialization/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/deserialization/DeserializedPackageFragment.kt
+++ b/core/deserialization/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/serialization/deserialization/DeserializedPackageFragment.kt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.deserialization
 
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.builtins.BuiltinsPackageFragment
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.descriptors.ModuleDescriptor
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.descriptors.impl.PackageFragmentDescriptorImpl
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.name.FqName
@@ -40,15 +41,14 @@ public abstract class DeserializedPackageFragment(
 
     val builtinsMessage = serializedResourcePaths.getBuiltInsFilePath(fqName)?.let(loadResource)?.let { stream ->
         val dataInput = DataInputStream(stream)
-        val version = (1..dataInput.readInt()).map { dataInput.readInt() }
+        val version = BinaryVersion.create((1..dataInput.readInt()).map { dataInput.readInt() }.toIntArray())
 
-        // TODO: check version correctly
-        if (!(version.size == 3 && version.let {
-            val (major, minor, patch) = it
-            major == 1 && minor == 0 && patch == 0
-        })) {
+        if (!version.isCompatibleTo(BuiltinsPackageFragment.VERSION)) {
+            // TODO: report a proper diagnostic
             throw UnsupportedOperationException(
-                    "Kotlin built-in definition format version is not supported: expected 1.0.0, actual ${version.joinToString(".")}"
+                    "Kotlin built-in definition format version is not supported: " +
+                    "expected ${BuiltinsPackageFragment.VERSION}, actual $version. " +
+                    "Please update Kotlin"
             )
         }