diff --git a/deepsearch/model/__init__.py b/deepsearch/model/__init__.py
index e69de29b..5becc17c 100644
--- a/deepsearch/model/__init__.py
+++ b/deepsearch/model/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+__version__ = "1.0.0"
diff --git a/deepsearch/model/server/deepsearch_annotator_app.py b/deepsearch/model/server/deepsearch_annotator_app.py
index b6574cc7..b53773f6 100644
--- a/deepsearch/model/server/deepsearch_annotator_app.py
+++ b/deepsearch/model/server/deepsearch_annotator_app.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 from typing import Coroutine, Dict, Union
 
+import packaging.version
 import uvicorn
 from anyio import CapacityLimiter
 from anyio.lowlevel import RunVar
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@
 from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse
 from starlette import status
 
+from deepsearch.model import __version__ as MODEL_API_VERSION
 from deepsearch.model.base.base_annotator import BaseAnnotator
 from deepsearch.model.server.request_schemas import AnnotateRequestModel
 
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         # Start the fast API app
         self.app = FastAPI()
         self.annotate_controller = self.AnnotateController(self.annotators_list)
-        _log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+        print(f"Model API version: {MODEL_API_VERSION}")
 
         @self.app.on_event("startup")
         async def startup_event():
@@ -84,6 +86,8 @@ async def annotator_process(
             # TODO pydantic models for return
             request_body = request.dict()
 
+            validate_version(req_api_version=request_body.get("apiVersion", ""))
+
             request_arrival_time = time.time()
             failure_headers = {
                 "X-Request-Arrival-Time": str(request_arrival_time),
@@ -185,6 +189,16 @@ def annotate_process(
                 headers["X-request-id"] = str(request["id"])
             return JSONResponse(content=result, headers=headers)
 
+        def validate_version(req_api_version: str) -> None:
+            supported_versions = [
+                f"api/v{packaging.version.parse(MODEL_API_VERSION).major}",
+            ]
+            if req_api_version not in supported_versions:
+                raise HTTPException(
+                    status_code=400,
+                    detail=f"Unsupported API version '{req_api_version}'",
+                )
+
     def register_annotator(
         self, cls: BaseAnnotator, name: Union[str, None] = None
     ) -> None: