diff --git a/app/src/cli/mod.rs b/app/src/cli/mod.rs
index aaf2c2f9ea..06d1c325be 100644
--- a/app/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/app/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -144,6 +144,13 @@ pub struct RunCli {
     #[clap(short, long)]
     pub user_id: Option<String>,
 
+    /// Allows connecting to servers with a mismatched version. Only available in non-production builds.
+    ///
+    /// DO NOT USE THIS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "production"))]
+    #[arg(long)]
+    pub dev_allow_version_mismatch: bool,
+
     /// Specify a trusted certificate authority
     #[arg(long)]
     pub ca: Option<PathBuf>,
diff --git a/app/src/client/mod.rs b/app/src/client/mod.rs
index be74f80d5d..78b6021ff3 100644
--- a/app/src/client/mod.rs
+++ b/app/src/client/mod.rs
@@ -91,9 +91,16 @@ pub fn run(
 
     *app.world.resource_mut(window_title()) = "Ambient".to_string();
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "production")]
+    let fail_on_version_mismatch = true;
+
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "production"))]
+    let fail_on_version_mismatch = !run.dev_allow_version_mismatch;
+
     MainApp {
         server_addr,
         user_id,
+        fail_on_version_mismatch,
         show_debug: is_debug,
         golden_image_cmd: run.golden_image,
         golden_image_output_dir,
@@ -137,6 +144,7 @@ fn MainApp(
     server_addr: ResolvedAddr,
     golden_image_output_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
     user_id: String,
+    fail_on_version_mismatch: bool,
     show_debug: bool,
     golden_image_cmd: Option<GoldenImageCommand>,
     cert: Option<Vec<u8>>,
@@ -150,6 +158,7 @@ fn MainApp(
         WindowSized::el([ClientView {
             server_addr,
             user_id,
+            fail_on_version_mismatch,
             // NOTE: client.game_state is **locked** and accesible through game_state.
             //
             // This is to prevent another thread from updating using the client after connection but
diff --git a/crates/network/src/native/client.rs b/crates/network/src/native/client.rs
index c3ded6ddb2..c36e3970fe 100644
--- a/crates/network/src/native/client.rs
+++ b/crates/network/src/native/client.rs
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ pub struct ClientView {
     pub server_addr: ResolvedAddr,
     pub cert: Option<Vec<u8>>,
     pub user_id: String,
+    pub fail_on_version_mismatch: bool,
     pub systems_and_resources: Cb<dyn Fn() -> (SystemGroup, Entity) + Sync + Send>,
     pub on_loaded: LoadedFunc,
     pub create_rpc_registry: Cb<dyn Fn() -> RpcRegistry<RpcArgs> + Sync + Send>,
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ impl ElementComponent for ClientView {
         let Self {
             server_addr,
             user_id,
+            fail_on_version_mismatch,
             systems_and_resources,
             create_rpc_registry,
             on_loaded,
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ impl ElementComponent for ClientView {
                     conn.clone(),
                     &assets,
                     user_id,
+                    fail_on_version_mismatch,
                     move |args| {
                         let OnConnectionState {
                             assets,
@@ -277,6 +280,7 @@ async fn handle_connection(
     conn: quinn::Connection,
     assets: &AssetCache,
     user_id: String,
+    fail_on_version_mismatch: bool,
     mut on_loaded: impl FnMut(OnConnectionState) -> anyhow::Result<(SharedClientGameState, CleanupFunc)>
         + Send
         + Sync,
@@ -300,7 +304,7 @@ async fn handle_connection(
 
     while client.is_pending() {
         if let Some(frame) = push_recv.next().await {
-            client.process_push(assets, frame?)?;
+            client.process_push(assets, fail_on_version_mismatch, frame?)?;
         }
     }
 
@@ -343,7 +347,7 @@ async fn handle_connection(
     while let ClientProtoState::Connected(connected) = &mut client {
         tokio::select! {
             Some(frame) = push_recv.next() => {
-                client.process_push(assets, frame?)?;
+                client.process_push(assets, fail_on_version_mismatch, frame?)?;
             }
             _ = stats_timer.tick() => {
                 let stats = conn.stats();
diff --git a/crates/network/src/proto/client.rs b/crates/network/src/proto/client.rs
index 3629cde7ad..70edf7c661 100644
--- a/crates/network/src/proto/client.rs
+++ b/crates/network/src/proto/client.rs
@@ -51,17 +51,28 @@ impl ClientProtoState {
 
     /// Processes an incoming control frame from the server.
     #[tracing::instrument(level = "debug")]
-    pub fn process_push(&mut self, assets: &AssetCache, frame: ServerPush) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    pub fn process_push(
+        &mut self,
+        assets: &AssetCache,
+        fail_on_version_mismatch: bool,
+        frame: ServerPush,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         match (frame, &self) {
             (ServerPush::ServerInfo(server_info), Self::Pending(_user_id)) => {
                 let current_version = ambient_version().to_string();
 
                 if server_info.version != current_version {
-                    tracing::error!(
-                        "Client version does not match server version. Server version: {:?}, Client version {:?}",
+                    let msg = format!(
+                        "Client version does not match server version.\n\nServer version: {}\nClient version: {}",
                         server_info.version,
                         current_version
                     );
+
+                    if fail_on_version_mismatch {
+                        anyhow::bail!(msg);
+                    } else {
+                        tracing::error!("{}", msg);
+                    }
                 }
 
                 tracing::debug!(content_base_url=?server_info.content_base_url, "Inserting content base url");
diff --git a/crates/network/src/web/client.rs b/crates/network/src/web/client.rs
index e9c39fc96b..24c871ee35 100644
--- a/crates/network/src/web/client.rs
+++ b/crates/network/src/web/client.rs
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ async fn handle_connection(
     while client.is_pending() {
         tracing::info!("Waiting for server to accept connection and send server info");
         if let Some(frame) = push_recv.next().await {
-            client.process_push(&assets, frame?)?;
+            client.process_push(&assets, true, frame?)?;
         }
     }
 
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ async fn handle_connection(
     while let ClientProtoState::Connected(connected) = &mut client {
         tokio::select! {
             Some(frame) = push_recv.next() => {
-                client.process_push(&assets, frame?)?;
+                client.process_push(&assets, true, frame?)?;
             }
 
             Some(message) = proxy_rx.next() => {