diff --git a/kmod/src/format.h b/kmod/src/format.h
index 66bbf1c1..1482eeea 100644
--- a/kmod/src/format.h
+++ b/kmod/src/format.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  */
 #define SCOUTFS_FORMAT_VERSION_MIN		1
 #define SCOUTFS_FORMAT_VERSION_MIN_STR	__stringify(SCOUTFS_FORMAT_VERSION_MIN)
-#define SCOUTFS_FORMAT_VERSION_MAX		1
+#define SCOUTFS_FORMAT_VERSION_MAX		2
 #define SCOUTFS_FORMAT_VERSION_MAX_STR	__stringify(SCOUTFS_FORMAT_VERSION_MAX)
 
 /* statfs(2) f_type */
diff --git a/utils/src/change_format_version.c b/utils/src/change_format_version.c
index 071e6303..1e5e1507 100644
--- a/utils/src/change_format_version.c
+++ b/utils/src/change_format_version.c
@@ -119,6 +119,16 @@ static int do_change_fmt_vers(struct change_fmt_vers_args *args)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
+	if (le64_to_cpu(meta_super->fmt_vers) > args->fmt_vers ||
+	    le64_to_cpu(data_super->fmt_vers) > args->fmt_vers) {
+		ret = -EPERM;
+		printf("Downgrade of Meta Format Version: %llu and Data Format Version: %llu to Format Version: %llu is not allowed\n",
+		       le64_to_cpu(meta_super->fmt_vers),
+		       le64_to_cpu(data_super->fmt_vers),
+		       args->fmt_vers);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
 	if (le64_to_cpu(meta_super->fmt_vers) != args->fmt_vers) {
 		meta_super->fmt_vers = cpu_to_le64(args->fmt_vers);