diff --git a/Modernize/Sniffs/FunctionCalls/DirnameSniff.php b/Modernize/Sniffs/FunctionCalls/DirnameSniff.php
index 63e9c680..14dfed1a 100644
--- a/Modernize/Sniffs/FunctionCalls/DirnameSniff.php
+++ b/Modernize/Sniffs/FunctionCalls/DirnameSniff.php
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 use PHP_CodeSniffer\Files\File;
 use PHP_CodeSniffer\Sniffs\Sniff;
 use PHP_CodeSniffer\Util\Tokens;
+use PHPCSUtils\BackCompat\Helper;
 use PHPCSUtils\Tokens\Collections;
 use PHPCSUtils\Utils\Context;
 use PHPCSUtils\Utils\PassedParameters;
@@ -25,6 +26,15 @@
 final class DirnameSniff implements Sniff
 {
 
+    /**
+     * PHP version as configured or 0 if unknown.
+     *
+     * @since 1.1.1
+     *
+     * @var int
+     */
+    private $phpVersion;
+
     /**
      * Registers the tokens that this sniff wants to listen for.
      *
@@ -50,6 +60,21 @@ public function register()
      */
     public function process(File $phpcsFile, $stackPtr)
     {
+        if (isset($this->phpVersion) === false || \defined('PHP_CODESNIFFER_IN_TESTS')) {
+            // Set default value to prevent this code from running every time the sniff is triggered.
+            $this->phpVersion = 0;
+
+            $phpVersion = Helper::getConfigData('php_version');
+            if ($phpVersion !== null) {
+                $this->phpVersion = (int) $phpVersion;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if ($this->phpVersion !== 0 && $this->phpVersion < 50300) {
+            // PHP version too low, nothing to do.
+            return;
+        }
+
         $tokens = $phpcsFile->getTokens();
 
         if (\strtolower($tokens[$stackPtr]['content']) !== 'dirname') {
@@ -182,6 +207,11 @@ public function process(File $phpcsFile, $stackPtr)
         /*
          * PHP 7.0+: Detect use of nested calls to dirname().
          */
+        if ($this->phpVersion !== 0 && $this->phpVersion < 70000) {
+            // No need to check for this issue if the PHP version would not allow for it anyway.
+            return;
+        }
+
         if (\preg_match('`^\s*\\\\?dirname\s*\(`i', $pathParam['clean']) !== 1) {
             return;
         }
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.inc b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.1.inc
similarity index 100%
rename from Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.inc
rename to Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.1.inc
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.inc.fixed b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.1.inc.fixed
similarity index 100%
rename from Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.inc.fixed
rename to Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.1.inc.fixed
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.2.inc b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.2.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e88858be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.2.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This test file is run with php_version set to a value of 50000.
+ *
+ * Neither of the fixes the sniff offers will be applied as the PHP version is too low.
+ */
+
+$path = dirname(__FILE__);
+$path = dirname(dirname(__DIR__));
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.2.inc.fixed b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.2.inc.fixed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e88858be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.2.inc.fixed
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This test file is run with php_version set to a value of 50000.
+ *
+ * Neither of the fixes the sniff offers will be applied as the PHP version is too low.
+ */
+
+$path = dirname(__FILE__);
+$path = dirname(dirname(__DIR__));
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.3.inc b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.3.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fed355ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.3.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This test file is run with php_version set to a value of 50300.
+ *
+ * The `FileConstant` error code should trigger, but the `Nested` error code
+ * should be ignored as the PHP version is too low.
+ */
+
+$path = dirname(__FILE__);
+$path = dirname(dirname(__DIR__));
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.3.inc.fixed b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.3.inc.fixed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c4fc76d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.3.inc.fixed
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This test file is run with php_version set to a value of 50300.
+ *
+ * The `FileConstant` error code should trigger, but the `Nested` error code
+ * should be ignored as the PHP version is too low.
+ */
+
+$path = __DIR__;
+$path = dirname(dirname(__DIR__));
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.4.inc b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.4.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..74578175
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.4.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This test file is run with php_version set to a value of 70000.
+ *
+ * Both of the fixes the sniff offers will be applied as the PHP version allows for it.
+ */
+
+$path = dirname(__FILE__);
+$path = dirname(dirname(__DIR__));
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.4.inc.fixed b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.4.inc.fixed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a67da25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.4.inc.fixed
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This test file is run with php_version set to a value of 70000.
+ *
+ * Both of the fixes the sniff offers will be applied as the PHP version allows for it.
+ */
+
+$path = __DIR__;
+$path = dirname(__DIR__, 2);
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.5.inc b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.5.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ad7b3a45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.5.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This test file is only here to reset the value of the php_version configuration option.
+ */
+
+dirname($path);
diff --git a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.php b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.php
index eaa73dba..7b687ac0 100644
--- a/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.php
+++ b/Modernize/Tests/FunctionCalls/DirnameUnitTest.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 namespace PHPCSExtra\Modernize\Tests\FunctionCalls;
 
+use PHPCSUtils\BackCompat\Helper;
 use PHP_CodeSniffer\Tests\Standards\AbstractSniffUnitTest;
 
 /**
@@ -22,49 +23,97 @@
 final class DirnameUnitTest extends AbstractSniffUnitTest
 {
 
+    /**
+     * Set CLI values before the file is tested.
+     *
+     * @param string                  $testFile The name of the file being tested.
+     * @param \PHP_CodeSniffer\Config $config   The config data for the test run.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function setCliValues($testFile, $config)
+    {
+        switch ($testFile) {
+            case 'DirnameUnitTest.2.inc':
+                Helper::setConfigData('php_version', '50000', true, $config); // PHP 5.0.
+                break;
+
+            case 'DirnameUnitTest.3.inc':
+                Helper::setConfigData('php_version', '50300', true, $config); // PHP 5.3.
+                break;
+
+            case 'DirnameUnitTest.4.inc':
+                Helper::setConfigData('php_version', '70000', true, $config); // PHP 7.0.
+                break;
+
+            default:
+                Helper::setConfigData('php_version', null, true, $config); // No PHP version set.
+                break;
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the lines where errors should occur.
      *
      * The key of the array should represent the line number and the value
      * should represent the number of errors that should occur on that line.
      *
+     * @param string $testFile The name of the file being tested.
+     *
      * @return array<int, int>
      */
-    public function getErrorList()
+    public function getErrorList($testFile = '')
     {
-        return [
-            50  => 1,
-            51  => 1,
-            53  => 1,
-            56  => 1,
-            61  => 1,
-            62  => 1,
-            63  => 1,
-            65  => 1,
-            66  => 1,
-            69  => 1,
-            70  => 1,
-            73  => 1,
-            79  => 3,
-            80  => 3,
-            82  => 1,
-            83  => 2,
-            86  => 1,
-            94  => 1,
-            99  => 1,
-            107 => 1,
-            108 => 1,
-            110 => 2,
-            113 => 3,
-            114 => 3,
-            120 => 4,
-            121 => 4,
-            124 => 4,
-            127 => 1,
-            128 => 1,
-            130 => 1,
-            131 => 1,
-        ];
+        switch ($testFile) {
+            case 'DirnameUnitTest.1.inc':
+                return [
+                    50  => 1,
+                    51  => 1,
+                    53  => 1,
+                    56  => 1,
+                    61  => 1,
+                    62  => 1,
+                    63  => 1,
+                    65  => 1,
+                    66  => 1,
+                    69  => 1,
+                    70  => 1,
+                    73  => 1,
+                    79  => 3,
+                    80  => 3,
+                    82  => 1,
+                    83  => 2,
+                    86  => 1,
+                    94  => 1,
+                    99  => 1,
+                    107 => 1,
+                    108 => 1,
+                    110 => 2,
+                    113 => 3,
+                    114 => 3,
+                    120 => 4,
+                    121 => 4,
+                    124 => 4,
+                    127 => 1,
+                    128 => 1,
+                    130 => 1,
+                    131 => 1,
+                ];
+
+            case 'DirnameUnitTest.3.inc':
+                return [
+                    10 => 1,
+                ];
+
+            case 'DirnameUnitTest.4.inc':
+                return [
+                    9  => 1,
+                    10 => 1,
+                ];
+
+            default:
+                return [];
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c5af005d..22ba5382 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ This sniff will detect and auto-fix two typical code modernizations which can be
 2. Since PHP 7.0, nested function calls to `dirname()` can be changed to use the `$levels` parameter.
     Errorcode: `Modernize.FunctionCalls.Dirname.Nested`.
 
+If a [`php_version` configuration option][php_version-config] has been passed to PHPCS using either `--config-set` or `--runtime-set`, it will be respected by the sniff.
+In effect, this means that the sniff will only report on modernizations which can be applied for the PHP version as configured.
+
 
 ### NormalizedArrays