diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_broker_helpers.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_broker_helpers.erl
index 00eb0262ef72..6edff885905d 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_broker_helpers.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_ct_helpers/src/rabbit_ct_broker_helpers.erl
@@ -173,7 +173,8 @@
     user/1,
 
     configured_metadata_store/1,
-    await_metadata_store_consistent/2
+    await_metadata_store_consistent/2,
+    do_nodes_run_same_ra_machine_version/2
   ]).
 
 %% Internal functions exported to be used by rpc:call/4.
@@ -1174,6 +1175,12 @@ ra_last_applied(ServerId) ->
     #{last_applied := LastApplied} = ra:key_metrics(ServerId),
     LastApplied.
 
+do_nodes_run_same_ra_machine_version(Config, RaMachineMod) ->
+    [MacVer1 | MacVerN] = MacVers = rpc_all(Config, RaMachineMod, version, []),
+    ct:pal("Ra machine versions of ~s: ~0p", [RaMachineMod, MacVers]),
+    is_integer(MacVer1) andalso
+    lists:all(fun(MacVer) -> MacVer =:= MacVer1 end, MacVerN).
+
 rewrite_node_config_file(Config, Node) ->
     NodeConfig = get_node_config(Config, Node),
     I = if
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_peer_discovery_consul/test/system_SUITE.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_peer_discovery_consul/test/system_SUITE.erl
index a39e2bc7bf9e..417e3b773d04 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_peer_discovery_consul/test/system_SUITE.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_peer_discovery_consul/test/system_SUITE.erl
@@ -83,9 +83,27 @@ init_per_testcase(Testcase, Config)
     case Config3 of
         _ when is_list(Config3) ->
             try
-                _ = rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:rpc_all(
-                      Config3, rabbit_peer_discovery_backend, api_version, []),
-                Config3
+                SameMacVer = (
+                  rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:
+                  do_nodes_run_same_ra_machine_version(
+                    Config3, khepri_machine)),
+                case SameMacVer of
+                    true ->
+                        _ = rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:rpc_all(
+                              Config3,
+                              rabbit_peer_discovery_backend, api_version, []),
+                        Config3;
+                    false ->
+                        Config5 = rabbit_ct_helpers:run_steps(
+                                    Config3,
+                                    rabbit_ct_client_helpers:teardown_steps()
+                                    ++
+                                    rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:teardown_steps()),
+                        rabbit_ct_helpers:testcase_finished(Config5, Testcase),
+                        {skip,
+                         "Nodes are using different Khepri Ra machine "
+                         "versions; clustering will likely fail"}
+                end
             catch
                 error:{exception, undef,
                        [{rabbit_peer_discovery_backend, api_version, _, _}
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_peer_discovery_etcd/test/system_SUITE.erl b/deps/rabbitmq_peer_discovery_etcd/test/system_SUITE.erl
index 7531f3bd92eb..1dfef24b0d06 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_peer_discovery_etcd/test/system_SUITE.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_peer_discovery_etcd/test/system_SUITE.erl
@@ -92,9 +92,27 @@ init_per_testcase(Testcase, Config)
     case Config3 of
         _ when is_list(Config3) ->
             try
-                _ = rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:rpc_all(
-                      Config3, rabbit_peer_discovery_backend, api_version, []),
-                Config3
+                SameMacVer = (
+                  rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:
+                  do_nodes_run_same_ra_machine_version(
+                    Config3, khepri_machine)),
+                case SameMacVer of
+                    true ->
+                        _ = rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:rpc_all(
+                              Config3,
+                              rabbit_peer_discovery_backend, api_version, []),
+                        Config3;
+                    false ->
+                        Config5 = rabbit_ct_helpers:run_steps(
+                                    Config3,
+                                    rabbit_ct_client_helpers:teardown_steps()
+                                    ++
+                                    rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:teardown_steps()),
+                        rabbit_ct_helpers:testcase_finished(Config5, Testcase),
+                        {skip,
+                         "Nodes are using different Khepri Ra machine "
+                         "versions; clustering will likely fail"}
+                end
             catch
                 error:{exception, undef,
                        [{rabbit_peer_discovery_backend, api_version, _, _}
@@ -239,7 +257,9 @@ wait_for_etcd(EtcdEndpoints) ->
     Timeout = 60000,
     rabbit_ct_helpers:await_condition(
       fun() ->
-              case eetcd:open(test, EtcdEndpoints) of
+              Ret = eetcd:open(test, EtcdEndpoints),
+              ct:pal("Ret = ~p", [Ret]),
+              case Ret of
                   {ok, _Pid} -> true;
                   _          -> false
               end