diff --git a/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr.c b/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr.c
index a73223942c..df8065daf5 100644
--- a/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr.c
+++ b/lib/isc/netmgr/netmgr.c
@@ -207,6 +207,18 @@ isc__nm_threadpool_initialize(uint32_t workers) {
 	}
 }
 
+#if HAVE_DECL_UV_UDP_LINUX_RECVERR
+#define MINIMAL_UV_VERSION UV_VERSION(1, 42, 0)
+#elif HAVE_DECL_UV_UDP_MMSG_FREE
+#define MINIMAL_UV_VERSION UV_VERSION(1, 40, 0)
+#elif HAVE_DECL_UV_UDP_RECVMMSG
+#define MINIMAL_UV_VERSION UV_VERSION(1, 37, 0)
+#elif HAVE_DECL_UV_UDP_MMSG_CHUNK
+#define MINIMAL_UV_VERSION UV_VERSION(1, 35, 0)
+#else
+#define MINIMAL_UV_VERSION UV_VERSION(1, 0, 0)
+#endif
+
 void
 isc__netmgr_create(isc_mem_t *mctx, uint32_t workers, isc_nm_t **netmgrp) {
 	isc_nm_t *mgr = NULL;
@@ -214,6 +226,14 @@ isc__netmgr_create(isc_mem_t *mctx, uint32_t workers, isc_nm_t **netmgrp) {
 
 	REQUIRE(workers > 0);
 
+	if (uv_version() < MINIMAL_UV_VERSION) {
+		isc_error_fatal(__FILE__, __LINE__,
+				"libuv version too old: running with libuv %s "
+				"when compiled with libuv %s will lead to "
+				"libuv failures because of unknown flags",
+				uv_version_string(), UV_VERSION_STRING);
+	}
+
 	isc__nm_threadpool_initialize(workers);
 
 	mgr = isc_mem_get(mctx, sizeof(*mgr));
diff --git a/lib/isc/netmgr/uv-compat.h b/lib/isc/netmgr/uv-compat.h
index 387d3c6940..3a103874e4 100644
--- a/lib/isc/netmgr/uv-compat.h
+++ b/lib/isc/netmgr/uv-compat.h
@@ -23,6 +23,23 @@
 
 #define UV_VERSION(major, minor, patch) ((major << 16) | (minor << 8) | (patch))
 
+/*
+ * Copied verbatim from libuv/src/version.c
+ */
+
+#define UV_STRINGIFY(v)	       UV_STRINGIFY_HELPER(v)
+#define UV_STRINGIFY_HELPER(v) #v
+
+#define UV_VERSION_STRING_BASE         \
+	UV_STRINGIFY(UV_VERSION_MAJOR) \
+	"." UV_STRINGIFY(UV_VERSION_MINOR) "." UV_STRINGIFY(UV_VERSION_PATCH)
+
+#if UV_VERSION_IS_RELEASE
+#define UV_VERSION_STRING UV_VERSION_STRING_BASE
+#else
+#define UV_VERSION_STRING UV_VERSION_STRING_BASE "-" UV_VERSION_SUFFIX
+#endif
+
 #if !defined(UV__ERR)
 #define UV__ERR(x) (-(x))
 #endif