diff --git a/plugins/rocksdb/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory.java b/plugins/rocksdb/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory.java
index 0f08e3c0f..250d2b3ad 100644
--- a/plugins/rocksdb/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory.java
+++ b/plugins/rocksdb/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory.java
@@ -258,6 +258,13 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory implements KeyValueStorageFactory {
     final int databaseVersion;
     if (databaseExists) {
       databaseVersion = DatabaseMetadata.lookUpFrom(dataDir).getVersion();
+      if (databaseVersion != commonConfiguration.getDatabaseVersion()) {
+        String error =
+            String.format(
+                "Mismatch detected: Database at %s is version '%s', but configuration expects version '%s'.",
+                dataDir, databaseVersion, commonConfiguration.getDatabaseVersion());
+        throw new StorageException(error);
+      }
       LOG.info(
           "Existing database detected at {}. Version {}. Compacting database...",
           dataDir,
diff --git a/plugins/rocksdb/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValuePrivacyStorageFactoryTest.java b/plugins/rocksdb/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValuePrivacyStorageFactoryTest.java
index 65d8ee7b5..26707073b 100644
--- a/plugins/rocksdb/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValuePrivacyStorageFactoryTest.java
+++ b/plugins/rocksdb/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValuePrivacyStorageFactoryTest.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValuePrivacyStorageFactoryTest {
     Files.createDirectories(tempDataDir);
     when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
     when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempDataDir);
+    when(commonConfiguration.getDatabaseVersion()).thenReturn(DEFAULT_VERSION);
 
     final RocksDBKeyValuePrivacyStorageFactory storageFactory =
         new RocksDBKeyValuePrivacyStorageFactory(
diff --git a/plugins/rocksdb/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest.java b/plugins/rocksdb/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest.java
index 8f1e116b3..91d7e9c2c 100644
--- a/plugins/rocksdb/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest.java
+++ b/plugins/rocksdb/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/plugin/services/storage/rocksdb/RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest.java
@@ -56,9 +56,7 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest {
   public void shouldCreateCorrectMetadataFileForLatestVersion() throws Exception {
     final Path tempDataDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("data");
     final Path tempDatabaseDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("db");
-    when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempDataDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDatabaseVersion()).thenReturn(DEFAULT_VERSION);
+    mockCommonConfiguration(tempDataDir, tempDatabaseDir);
 
     final RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory storageFactory =
         new RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory(
@@ -70,14 +68,19 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest {
     assertThat(DatabaseMetadata.lookUpFrom(tempDataDir).getVersion()).isEqualTo(DEFAULT_VERSION);
   }
 
+  private void mockCommonConfiguration(final Path tempDataDir, final Path tempDatabaseDir) {
+    when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
+    when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempDataDir);
+    when(commonConfiguration.getDatabaseVersion()).thenReturn(DEFAULT_VERSION);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void shouldDetectVersion1DatabaseIfNoMetadataFileFound() throws Exception {
     final Path tempDataDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("data");
     final Path tempDatabaseDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("db");
     Files.createDirectories(tempDatabaseDir);
     Files.createDirectories(tempDataDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempDataDir);
+    mockCommonConfiguration(tempDataDir, tempDatabaseDir);
 
     final RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory storageFactory =
         new RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory(
@@ -93,9 +96,7 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest {
     final Path tempDataDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("data");
     final Path tempDatabaseDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("db");
     Files.createDirectories(tempDataDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempDataDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDatabaseVersion()).thenReturn(DEFAULT_VERSION);
+    mockCommonConfiguration(tempDataDir, tempDatabaseDir);
 
     final RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory storageFactory =
         new RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory(
@@ -113,8 +114,7 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest {
     final Path tempDatabaseDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("db");
     Files.createDirectories(tempDatabaseDir);
     Files.createDirectories(tempDataDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempDataDir);
+    mockCommonConfiguration(tempDataDir, tempDatabaseDir);
 
     final RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory storageFactory =
         new RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory(
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest {
     final Path tempDatabaseDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("db");
     Files.createDirectories(tempDatabaseDir);
     Files.createDirectories(tempDataDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempDataDir);
+    mockCommonConfiguration(tempDataDir, tempDatabaseDir);
+
     new DatabaseMetadata(-1).writeToDirectory(tempDataDir);
     assertThatThrownBy(
             () ->
@@ -148,14 +148,42 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest {
         .isInstanceOf(StorageException.class);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenExistingDatabaseVersionDifferentFromConfig()
+      throws Exception {
+
+    final int actualDatabaseVersion = 1;
+    final int expectedDatabaseVersion = 2;
+
+    final Path tempDataDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("data");
+    final Path tempDatabaseDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("db");
+    Files.createDirectories(tempDatabaseDir);
+    Files.createDirectories(tempDataDir);
+    mockCommonConfiguration(tempDataDir, tempDatabaseDir);
+    when(commonConfiguration.getDatabaseVersion()).thenReturn(expectedDatabaseVersion);
+
+    new DatabaseMetadata(actualDatabaseVersion).writeToDirectory(tempDataDir);
+    assertThatThrownBy(
+            () ->
+                new RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory(
+                        () -> rocksDbConfiguration,
+                        segments,
+                        RocksDBMetricsFactory.PUBLIC_ROCKS_DB_METRICS)
+                    .create(segment, commonConfiguration, metricsSystem))
+        .isInstanceOf(StorageException.class)
+        .hasMessage(
+            String.format(
+                "Mismatch detected: Database at %s is version '%s', but configuration expects version '%s'.",
+                tempDataDir.toAbsolutePath(), actualDatabaseVersion, expectedDatabaseVersion));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void shouldSetSegmentationFieldDuringCreation() throws Exception {
     final Path tempDataDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("data");
     final Path tempDatabaseDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("db");
     Files.createDirectories(tempDatabaseDir);
     Files.createDirectories(tempDataDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempDataDir);
+    mockCommonConfiguration(tempDataDir, tempDatabaseDir);
 
     final RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory storageFactory =
         new RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory(
@@ -170,8 +198,7 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest {
     final Path tempDatabaseDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("db");
     Files.createDirectories(tempDatabaseDir);
     Files.createDirectories(tempDataDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempDataDir);
+    mockCommonConfiguration(tempDataDir, tempDatabaseDir);
 
     final String badVersion = "{\"🦄\":1}";
     Files.write(
@@ -206,9 +233,7 @@ public class RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactoryTest {
     final Path tempSymLinkDataDir =
         Files.createSymbolicLink(temporaryFolder.resolve("symlink-data-dir"), tempRealDataDir);
     final Path tempDatabaseDir = temporaryFolder.resolve("db");
-    when(commonConfiguration.getStoragePath()).thenReturn(tempDatabaseDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDataPath()).thenReturn(tempSymLinkDataDir);
-    when(commonConfiguration.getDatabaseVersion()).thenReturn(DEFAULT_VERSION);
+    mockCommonConfiguration(tempSymLinkDataDir, tempDatabaseDir);
 
     final RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory storageFactory =
         new RocksDBKeyValueStorageFactory(