diff --git a/port/unix/omrmmap.c b/port/unix/omrmmap.c
index b5390c4c867..e4ee0de3f20 100644
--- a/port/unix/omrmmap.c
+++ b/port/unix/omrmmap.c
@@ -56,6 +56,14 @@
 #endif /* !defined(MAP_FAILED) */
 #endif /* defined(J9ZOS390) */
 
+#if defined(J9ZOS39064)
+#if !defined(__MAP_64)
+#define __MAP_64 0x10
+#endif /* !defined(__MAP_64) */
+#define ZOS_V2R4_RELEASE 27.00
+#define ZOS_V2R4_VERSION 4
+#endif /* defined(J9ZOS39064) */
+
 #if defined(AIXPPC)
 #include <sys/shm.h>
 #include <sys/vminfo.h>
@@ -205,11 +213,21 @@ omrmmap_map_file(struct OMRPortLibrary *portLibrary, intptr_t file, uint64_t off
 		spCount++;
 	}
 
-#if defined(J9ZOS39064) && defined(__MAP_64)
+#if defined(J9ZOS39064)
 	if (OMR_ARE_ANY_BITS_SET(flags, OMRPORT_MMAP_FLAG_ZOS_64BIT)) {
-		mmapFlags |= __MAP_64;
+		if (zos_version_at_least(ZOS_V2R4_RELEASE, ZOS_V2R4_VERSION)) {
+			mmapFlags |= __MAP_64;
+		} else {
+			Trc_PRT_mmap_map_file_unix_invalidFlags();
+			errMsg = portLibrary->nls_lookup_message(portLibrary,
+						J9NLS_ERROR | J9NLS_DO_NOT_APPEND_NEWLINE,
+						J9NLS_PORT_MMAP_INVALID_MEMORY_PROTECTION,
+						NULL);
+			portLibrary->error_set_last_error_with_message(portLibrary, OMRPORT_ERROR_MMAP_MAP_FILE_INVALIDFLAGS, errMsg);
+			return NULL;
+		}
 	}
-#endif /* defined(J9ZOS39064) && defined(__MAP_64) */
+#endif /* defined(J9ZOS39064) */
 
 	if (1 != rwCount) {
 		Trc_PRT_mmap_map_file_unix_invalidFlags();