diff --git a/interpreter.py b/interpreter.py
index b9f91c4b8..914caa10c 100644
--- a/interpreter.py
+++ b/interpreter.py
@@ -1269,6 +1269,11 @@ class Interpreter():
         if not self.is_subproject() and 'subproject_dir' in kwargs:
             self.subproject_dir = kwargs['subproject_dir']
 
+        if 'meson_version' in kwargs:
+            cv = coredata.version
+            pv = kwargs['meson_version']
+            if not mesonlib.version_compare(cv, pv):
+                raise InterpreterException('Meson version is %s but project requires %s.' % (cv, pv))
         self.build.projects[self.subproject] = args[0]
         mlog.log('Project name: ', mlog.bold(args[0]), sep='')
         self.add_languages(node, args[1:])
diff --git a/test cases/common/1 trivial/meson.build b/test cases/common/1 trivial/meson.build
index 2e0426acb..3f1453996 100644
--- a/test cases/common/1 trivial/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/1 trivial/meson.build	
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Comment on the first line
-project('trivial test', 'c')
+project('trivial test', 'c', meson_version : '>=0.27.0')
 #this is a comment
 sources = 'trivial.c'
 
diff --git a/test cases/failing/20 version/meson.build b/test cases/failing/20 version/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a3a851cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/failing/20 version/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+project('version mismatch', 'c', meson_version : '>100.0.0')