diff --git a/lib/configuration.js b/lib/configuration.js
index 6c87b32b971094eca2e1b09c5053fe603ce0c462..0e231f386e6587a68e8abf9ff94e83d8ae44bab7 100644
--- a/lib/configuration.js
+++ b/lib/configuration.js
@@ -49,6 +49,16 @@ urlparse = require('urlparse'),
 secrets = require('./secrets'),
 temp = require('temp');
 
+// verify the proper version of node.js is in use
+try {
+  var m = /^v0.6.(\d+)$/.exec(process.version);
+  if (!m) throw process.version + " version not supported";
+  if (!(parseInt(m[1], 10) >= 3)) throw "0.6." + m[1] + " not supported" ;
+} catch (e) {
+  process.stderr.write("node 0.6.3 required" + (e ? (" (" + e.toString() + ")") : "") + "\n");
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
 var g_config = {
 };
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f69ed26daa439e8076b689da428881f936c9f743..9eae7bba43acf4e9e311c6e6a96e21fbbb030fe6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,5 +36,8 @@
     "postinstall": "./scripts/generate_ephemeral_keys.sh",
     "test": "./scripts/run_all_tests.sh",
     "start": "./scripts/run_locally.js"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">= 0.6.3"
   }
 }