diff --git a/manager/eris-mint/eris-mint_test.go b/manager/eris-mint/eris-mint_test.go
index 51633878f0b638a7ee6cd3445fd1828aa0415a66..8919ad4fc176a48bde74d2102caa80590bd61c78 100644
--- a/manager/eris-mint/eris-mint_test.go
+++ b/manager/eris-mint/eris-mint_test.go
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ func TestCompatibleConsensus(t *testing.T) {
   // compatible consensus engine
 
   for _, listedConsensus := range compatibleConsensus {
-    assert.Equal(t, IsCompatibleConsensus(listedConsensus), true,
-      fmt.Sprintf("ErisMint (%s) failed compatibility test with consensus %s",
-      GetErisMintVersion(), listedConsensus))
+    assert.Nil(t, AssertCompatibleConsensus(listedConsensus))
   }
 }
diff --git a/manager/eris-mint/version.go b/manager/eris-mint/version.go
index 96f42c5f60791b85a0a74c8f674d39fb3753ab80..a9120ad8219e1993c2273278deb8d6291f3f4923 100644
--- a/manager/eris-mint/version.go
+++ b/manager/eris-mint/version.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 package erismint
 
 import (
+  "fmt"
+
   version "github.com/eris-ltd/eris-db/version"
 )
 
@@ -43,11 +45,12 @@ func GetErisMintVersion() *version.VersionIdentifier {
     erisMintVersionMinor, erisMintVersionPatch)
 }
 
-func IsCompatibleConsensus(consensusMinorVersion string) bool {
+func AssertCompatibleConsensus(consensusMinorVersion string) error {
   for _, supported := range compatibleConsensus {
     if consensusMinorVersion == supported {
-      return true
+      return nil
     }
   }
-  return false
+  return fmt.Errorf("ErisMint (%s) is not compatible with consensus engine %s",
+    GetErisMintVersion(), consensusMinorVersion)
 }
diff --git a/manager/manager.go b/manager/manager.go
index 77e0d9b8b835d196150b099b7c0519b9ff227d3b..07a662f8d47c709ccf08c9a37058c5faf9e5065e 100644
--- a/manager/manager.go
+++ b/manager/manager.go
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ func NewApplication(moduleConfig *config.ModuleConfig,
   error) {
   switch moduleConfig.Name {
   case "erismint" :
-
+    if err := erismint.AssertCompatibleConsensus(consensusMinorVersion); err != nil {
+      return nil, err
+    }
     return newErisMintPH(moduleConfig)
   }
   return nil, fmt.Errorf("PLACEHOLDER")