diff --git a/repmgr-action-bdr.c b/repmgr-action-bdr.c
index 91f86385..9a731fcb 100644
--- a/repmgr-action-bdr.c
+++ b/repmgr-action-bdr.c
@@ -93,6 +93,15 @@ do_bdr_register(void)
 		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
 	}
 
+	if (get_bdr_version_num() > 2)
+	{
+		log_error(_("\"repmgr bdr register\" is for BDR 2.x only"));
+		PQfinish(conn);
+		pfree(dbname);
+		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
+	}
+
+
 	/* check for a matching BDR node */
 	{
 		PQExpBufferData bdr_local_node_name;
diff --git a/repmgrd-bdr.c b/repmgrd-bdr.c
index c3d105c7..c3b38441 100644
--- a/repmgrd-bdr.c
+++ b/repmgrd-bdr.c
@@ -96,9 +96,21 @@ monitor_bdr(void)
 	if (!is_bdr_db(local_conn, NULL))
 	{
 		log_error(_("database is not BDR-enabled"));
+		PQfinish(local_conn);
 		exit(ERR_BAD_CONFIG);
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Check this is a supported BDR version (basically BDR 2.x)
+	 */
+	if (get_bdr_version_num() > 2)
+	{
+		log_error(_("\"bdr\" mode is for BDR 2.x only"));
+		log_hint(_("for BDR 3 and later, use \"replication_type=physical\""));
+		log_error(_("database is not BDR-enabled"));
+		exit(ERR_DB_CONN);
+	}
+
 	if (is_table_in_bdr_replication_set(local_conn, "nodes", "repmgr") == false)
 	{
 		log_error(_("repmgr metadata table 'repmgr.%s' is not in the 'repmgr' replication set"),