diff --git a/go/base/context.go b/go/base/context.go
index 6142f9c..55c858a 100644
--- a/go/base/context.go
+++ b/go/base/context.go
@@ -135,7 +135,9 @@ type MigrationContext struct {
 	OriginalBinlogFormat                   string
 	OriginalBinlogRowImage                 string
 	InspectorConnectionConfig              *mysql.ConnectionConfig
+	InspectorMySQLVersion                  string
 	ApplierConnectionConfig                *mysql.ConnectionConfig
+	ApplierMySQLVersion                    string
 	StartTime                              time.Time
 	RowCopyStartTime                       time.Time
 	RowCopyEndTime                         time.Time
diff --git a/go/logic/applier.go b/go/logic/applier.go
index d1ad331..d1d7970 100644
--- a/go/logic/applier.go
+++ b/go/logic/applier.go
@@ -70,14 +70,15 @@ func (this *Applier) InitDBConnections() (err error) {
 	if err := this.readTableColumns(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	log.Infof("Applier initiated on %+v, version %+v", this.connectionConfig.ImpliedKey, this.migrationContext.ApplierMySQLVersion)
 	return nil
 }
 
 // validateConnection issues a simple can-connect to MySQL
 func (this *Applier) validateConnection(db *gosql.DB) error {
-	query := `select @@global.port`
+	query := `select @@global.port, @@global.version`
 	var port int
-	if err := db.QueryRow(query).Scan(&port); err != nil {
+	if err := db.QueryRow(query).Scan(&port, &this.migrationContext.ApplierMySQLVersion); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	if port != this.connectionConfig.Key.Port {
diff --git a/go/logic/inspect.go b/go/logic/inspect.go
index 9daef39..862be16 100644
--- a/go/logic/inspect.go
+++ b/go/logic/inspect.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ func (this *Inspector) InitDBConnections() (err error) {
 	if err := this.applyBinlogFormat(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	log.Infof("Inspector initiated on %+v, version %+v", this.connectionConfig.ImpliedKey, this.migrationContext.InspectorMySQLVersion)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -168,9 +169,9 @@ func (this *Inspector) inspectOriginalAndGhostTables() (err error) {
 
 // validateConnection issues a simple can-connect to MySQL
 func (this *Inspector) validateConnection() error {
-	query := `select @@global.port`
+	query := `select @@global.port, @@global.version`
 	var port int
-	if err := this.db.QueryRow(query).Scan(&port); err != nil {
+	if err := this.db.QueryRow(query).Scan(&port, &this.migrationContext.InspectorMySQLVersion); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	if port != this.connectionConfig.Key.Port {