diff --git a/cmd/serve.go b/cmd/serve.go
index 89666e830e2483dc8594e11cec1e69b5b72c0e8c..7f951f3bfe0247fc8aa2890cbd0d8dd82f41e7d2 100644
--- a/cmd/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/serve.go
@@ -153,8 +153,8 @@ func NewCoreFromDo(do *definitions.Do) (*core.Core, error) {
 	}
 
 	logging.Msg(logger, "Modules configured",
-		"consensusModule", consensusConfig.Version,
-		"applicationManager", managerConfig.Version)
+		"consensusModule", consensusConfig.Name,
+		"applicationManager", managerConfig.Name)
 
 	return core.NewCore(do.ChainId, consensusConfig, managerConfig, logger)
 }
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 32f1e59b6bf3fe30a9bd450683297d616c81ff2a..24753b65ffa8d0dd9e88e4a42262198e979fc406 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"text/template"
 
-	tendermint_version "github.com/hyperledger/burrow/consensus/tendermint/version"
 	lconfig "github.com/hyperledger/burrow/logging/config"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/burrow/version"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
@@ -42,8 +41,6 @@ type ConfigChainGeneral struct {
 
 type ConfigChainModule struct {
 	Name               string
-	MajorVersion       uint8
-	MinorVersion       uint8
 	ModuleRelativeRoot string
 }
 
@@ -102,18 +99,13 @@ func GetConfigurationFileBytes(chainId, moniker, seeds string, chainImageName st
 		GenesisRelativePath: "genesis.json",
 	}
 
-	tendermintVersion := tendermint_version.GetTendermintVersion()
 	chainConsensusModule := &ConfigChainModule{
 		Name:               "tendermint",
-		MajorVersion:       tendermintVersion.MajorVersion,
-		MinorVersion:       tendermintVersion.MinorVersion,
 		ModuleRelativeRoot: "tendermint",
 	}
 
 	chainApplicationManagerModule := &ConfigChainModule{
 		Name:               "burrowmint",
-		MajorVersion:       burrowVersion.MajorVersion,
-		MinorVersion:       burrowVersion.MinorVersion,
 		ModuleRelativeRoot: "burrowmint",
 	}
 	tendermintModule := &ConfigTendermint{
diff --git a/config/module.go b/config/module.go
index da0218c5ce47ea9b71f2b9d2b6a52883cb711a5d..8b8eb9456837096b4bc4bd91c39b06817bd3a8b9 100644
--- a/config/module.go
+++ b/config/module.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 type ModuleConfig struct {
 	Module      string
 	Name        string
-	Version     string
 	WorkDir     string
 	DataDir     string
 	RootDir     string
diff --git a/config/templates.go b/config/templates.go
index e31558abd6370f032acbcf1f9033475905964a04..80886e87fb937cc0fad86f254764b80b5916c320 100644
--- a/config/templates.go
+++ b/config/templates.go
@@ -89,10 +89,6 @@ const sectionChainConsensus = `  [chain.consensus]
   # this will define the peer-to-peer consensus network;
   # accepted values are ("noops", "abci",) "tendermint"
   name = "{{.Name}}"
-  # version is the major and minor semantic version;
-  # the version will be asserted on
-  major_version = {{.MajorVersion}}
-  minor_version = {{.MinorVersion}}
   # relative path to consensus' module root folder
   relative_root = "{{.ModuleRelativeRoot}}"
 
@@ -111,10 +107,6 @@ const sectionChainApplicationManager = `  [chain.manager]
   # application manager name defines the module to use for handling
   # the transactions.  Supported names are "burrowmint"
   name = "{{.Name}}"
-  # version is the major and minor semantic version;
-  # the version will be asserted on
-  major_version = {{.MajorVersion}}
-  minor_version = {{.MinorVersion}}
   # relative path to application manager root folder
   relative_root = "{{.ModuleRelativeRoot}}"
 
diff --git a/consensus/config.go b/consensus/config.go
deleted file mode 100644
index e207213dbdd22a53182f28aebf07ea11465050a6..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/consensus/config.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2017 Monax Industries Limited
-//
-// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-// You may obtain a copy of the License at
-//
-//    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-//
-// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-// limitations under the License.
-
-package consensus
-
-import (
-	tendermint_version "github.com/hyperledger/burrow/consensus/tendermint/version"
-)
-
-//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Helper functions
-
-func AssertValidConsensusModule(name, minorVersionString string) bool {
-	switch name {
-	case "noops":
-		// noops should not have any external interfaces that can change
-		// over iterations
-		return true
-	case "tendermint":
-		return minorVersionString == tendermint_version.GetTendermintVersion().GetMinorVersionString()
-	case "bigchaindb":
-		// TODO: [ben] implement BigchainDB as consensus engine
-		return false
-	}
-	return false
-}
diff --git a/consensus/tendermint/tendermint.go b/consensus/tendermint/tendermint.go
index 4f793389e5ae4a1e56d3e714a85482cd3beba3c6..a35337cc3c4ac88f7c52934f0a51036723d4f625 100644
--- a/consensus/tendermint/tendermint.go
+++ b/consensus/tendermint/tendermint.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"strings"
 
-	tendermint_version "github.com/hyperledger/burrow/consensus/tendermint/version"
 	abci_types "github.com/tendermint/abci/types"
 	crypto "github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
 	p2p "github.com/tendermint/go-p2p"
@@ -58,11 +57,6 @@ var _ blockchain_types.Blockchain = (*Tendermint)(nil)
 func NewTendermint(moduleConfig *config.ModuleConfig,
 	application manager_types.Application,
 	logger logging_types.InfoTraceLogger) (*Tendermint, error) {
-	// re-assert proper configuration for module
-	if moduleConfig.Version != tendermint_version.GetTendermintVersion().GetMinorVersionString() {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Version string %s did not match %s",
-			moduleConfig.Version, tendermint_version.GetTendermintVersion().GetMinorVersionString())
-	}
 	// loading the module has ensured the working and data directory
 	// for tendermint have been created, but the config files needs
 	// to be written in tendermint's root directory.
diff --git a/consensus/tendermint/version/version.go b/consensus/tendermint/version.go
similarity index 82%
rename from consensus/tendermint/version/version.go
rename to consensus/tendermint/version.go
index 6b630784b9cb46b4a7c50348a1e4bdcde91e369d..58f690db7dbace4b8ebb5852457d7fdb26c867c8 100644
--- a/consensus/tendermint/version/version.go
+++ b/consensus/tendermint/version.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-package version
+package tendermint
 
 import (
 	"strconv"
@@ -25,12 +25,6 @@ import (
 const (
 	// Client identifier to advertise over the network
 	tendermintClientIdentifier = "tendermint"
-	// Major version component of the current release
-	tendermintVersionMajorConst uint8 = 0
-	// Minor version component of the current release
-	tendermintVersionMinorConst uint8 = 9
-	// Patch version component of the current release
-	tendermintVersionPatchConst uint8 = 2
 )
 
 var (
@@ -54,7 +48,7 @@ func GetTendermintVersion() *version.VersionIdentifier {
 func getTendermintMajorVersionFromSource() (uint8, error) {
 	majorVersionUint, err := strconv.ParseUint(tendermint_version.Maj, 10, 8)
 	if err != nil {
-		return tendermintVersionMajorConst, err
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	return uint8(majorVersionUint), nil
 }
@@ -62,7 +56,7 @@ func getTendermintMajorVersionFromSource() (uint8, error) {
 func getTendermintMinorVersionFromSource() (uint8, error) {
 	minorVersionUint, err := strconv.ParseUint(tendermint_version.Min, 10, 8)
 	if err != nil {
-		return tendermintVersionMinorConst, err
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	return uint8(minorVersionUint), nil
 }
@@ -70,7 +64,7 @@ func getTendermintMinorVersionFromSource() (uint8, error) {
 func getTendermintPatchVersionFromSource() (uint8, error) {
 	patchVersionUint, err := strconv.ParseUint(tendermint_version.Fix, 10, 8)
 	if err != nil {
-		return tendermintVersionPatchConst, err
+		return 0, err
 	}
 	return uint8(patchVersionUint), nil
 }
diff --git a/consensus/tendermint/version/version_test.go b/consensus/tendermint/version_test.go
similarity index 59%
rename from consensus/tendermint/version/version_test.go
rename to consensus/tendermint/version_test.go
index f5eb9cd0b775b7aa725c42c67e3bd86f2f6b68a2..330c77425a6a281581882bda8424620873a84773 100644
--- a/consensus/tendermint/version/version_test.go
+++ b/consensus/tendermint/version_test.go
@@ -12,30 +12,9 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-package version
+package tendermint
 
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-)
-
-func TestMinorVersionTendermintEqual(t *testing.T) {
-	// assert explicitly on major and minor version number
-	assert.Equal(t, tendermintVersionMajorConst, tendermintVersionMajor,
-		fmt.Sprintf("Major version number for Tendermint consensus is not %v as expected: %v",
-			tendermintVersionMajorConst, tendermintVersionMajor))
-	assert.Equal(t, tendermintVersionMinorConst, tendermintVersionMinor,
-		fmt.Sprintf("Minor version number for Tendermint consensus is not %v as expected: %v",
-			tendermintVersionMinorConst, tendermintVersionMinor))
-	// assert patch number can not regress
-	if tendermintVersionPatchConst > tendermintVersionPatch {
-		t.Errorf("Patch version has regressed for Tendermint consensus: expected minimally %v, got %v",
-			tendermintVersionPatchConst, tendermintVersionPatch)
-		t.Fail()
-	}
-}
+import "testing"
 
 func TestSemanticVersioningTendermint(t *testing.T) {
 	// assert that reading the semantic version from Tendermint vendored source
diff --git a/core/config.go b/core/config.go
index 1b9b79dbca5b14af924f1645ea149c5194e0b1a2..8c602c716873ac39b064d5c4066dfcb6c810ee18 100644
--- a/core/config.go
+++ b/core/config.go
@@ -24,13 +24,10 @@ import (
 	"path"
 
 	"github.com/hyperledger/burrow/config"
-	"github.com/hyperledger/burrow/consensus"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/burrow/definitions"
 	lconfig "github.com/hyperledger/burrow/logging/config"
-	"github.com/hyperledger/burrow/manager"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/burrow/server"
 	"github.com/hyperledger/burrow/util"
-	"github.com/hyperledger/burrow/version"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
@@ -54,14 +51,6 @@ func loadModuleConfigFromDo(do *definitions.Do, module string) (*config.ModuleCo
 func LoadModuleConfig(conf *viper.Viper, rootWorkDir, rootDataDir,
 	genesisFile, chainId, module string) (*config.ModuleConfig, error) {
 	moduleName := conf.GetString("chain." + module + ".name")
-	majorVersion := conf.GetInt("chain." + module + ".major_version")
-	minorVersion := conf.GetInt("chain." + module + ".minor_version")
-	minorVersionString := version.MakeMinorVersionString(moduleName, majorVersion,
-		minorVersion, 0)
-	if !assertValidModule(module, moduleName, minorVersionString) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error reading config: %s module %s (%s) is not supported by %s",
-			module, moduleName, minorVersionString, version.GetVersionString())
-	}
 	// set up the directory structure for the module inside the data directory
 	workDir := path.Join(rootDataDir, conf.GetString("chain."+module+
 		".relative_root"))
@@ -88,7 +77,6 @@ func LoadModuleConfig(conf *viper.Viper, rootWorkDir, rootDataDir,
 	return &config.ModuleConfig{
 		Module:      module,
 		Name:        moduleName,
-		Version:     minorVersionString,
 		WorkDir:     workDir,
 		DataDir:     dataDir,
 		RootDir:     rootWorkDir, // burrow's working directory
@@ -127,16 +115,3 @@ func LoadLoggingConfigFromClientDo(do *definitions.ClientDo) (*lconfig.LoggingCo
 	loggingConfig := lconfig.DefaultClientLoggingConfig()
 	return loggingConfig, nil
 }
-
-//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Helper functions
-
-func assertValidModule(module, name, minorVersionString string) bool {
-	switch module {
-	case "consensus":
-		return consensus.AssertValidConsensusModule(name, minorVersionString)
-	case "manager":
-		return manager.AssertValidApplicationManagerModule(name, minorVersionString)
-	}
-	return false
-}
diff --git a/core/core.go b/core/core.go
index 3dad6ff078e9142123b83b59c46779d766ca9feb..3727a823203850afe0881b950ebb41b6a10ec253 100644
--- a/core/core.go
+++ b/core/core.go
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ func NewCore(chainId string,
 	logger = logging.WithScope(logger, "Core")
 
 	// start a new application pipe that will load an application manager
-	pipe, err := manager.NewApplicationPipe(managerConfig, evsw, logger,
-		consensusConfig.Version)
+	pipe, err := manager.NewApplicationPipe(managerConfig, evsw, logger)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to load application pipe: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ func NewCore(chainId string,
 	tendermintPipe, err := pipe.GetTendermintPipe()
 	if err != nil {
 		logging.TraceMsg(logger, "Tendermint gateway not supported by manager",
-			"manager-version", managerConfig.Version)
+			"manager", managerConfig.Name)
 	}
 	return &Core{
 		chainId:        chainId,
diff --git a/manager/burrow-mint/burrow-mint_test.go b/manager/burrow-mint/burrow-mint_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 9c1a647c2f3f4f532b55f12c49250e6e7368cfd9..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/manager/burrow-mint/burrow-mint_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2017 Monax Industries Limited
-//
-// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-// You may obtain a copy of the License at
-//
-//    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-//
-// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-// limitations under the License.
-
-package burrowmint
-
-import (
-	"testing"
-
-	assert "github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-)
-
-func TestCompatibleConsensus(t *testing.T) {
-	// TODO: [ben] expand by constructing and elementary testing for each listed
-	// compatible consensus engine
-
-	for _, listedConsensus := range compatibleConsensus {
-		assert.Nil(t, AssertCompatibleConsensus(listedConsensus))
-	}
-}
diff --git a/manager/burrow-mint/pipe.go b/manager/burrow-mint/pipe.go
index b8315dd5ec765b20df182bb0f7ae3ddbe2cd2984..cb91fb2a2fb97791c904271713cd81a59e4f00e9 100644
--- a/manager/burrow-mint/pipe.go
+++ b/manager/burrow-mint/pipe.go
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ func startState(dataDir, backend, genesisFile, chainId string) (*state.State,
 	// avoid Tendermints PanicSanity and return a clean error
 	if backend != db.MemDBBackendStr &&
 		backend != db.LevelDBBackendStr {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("Database backend %s is not supported by %s",
-			backend, GetBurrowMintVersion)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("Database backend %s is not supported "+
+			"by burrowmint", backend)
 	}
 
 	stateDB := db.NewDB("burrowmint", backend, dataDir)
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ func (pipe *burrowMintPipe) BroadcastTxSync(tx txs.Tx) (*rpc_tm_types.ResultBroa
 		return resultBroadCastTx, fmt.Errorf(resultBroadCastTx.Log)
 	default:
 		logging.InfoMsg(pipe.logger, "Unknown error returned from Tendermint CheckTx on BroadcastTxSync",
-			"application", GetBurrowMintVersion().GetVersionString(),
+			"application", "burrowmint",
 			"abci_code_type", responseCheckTx.Code,
 			"abci_log", responseCheckTx.Log,
 		)
diff --git a/manager/config.go b/manager/config.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 27d80979525f7fa7e75cf7694e3826b8982454b4..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/manager/config.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2017 Monax Industries Limited
-//
-// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-// You may obtain a copy of the License at
-//
-//    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-//
-// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-// limitations under the License.
-
-package manager
-
-import (
-	burrowmint "github.com/hyperledger/burrow/manager/burrow-mint"
-)
-
-//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Helper functions
-
-func AssertValidApplicationManagerModule(name, minorVersionString string) bool {
-	switch name {
-	case "burrowmint":
-		return minorVersionString == burrowmint.GetBurrowMintVersion().GetMinorVersionString()
-	case "geth":
-		// TODO: [ben] implement Geth 1.4 as an application manager
-		return false
-	}
-	return false
-}
diff --git a/manager/manager.go b/manager/manager.go
index eac62048434dc39ff5c16946dd61130585d4587f..2724b12645714d68fd3cc0388a5367fe54453e6e 100644
--- a/manager/manager.go
+++ b/manager/manager.go
@@ -33,17 +33,11 @@ import (
 // of an application.  It is feasible this will be insufficient to support
 // different types of applications later down the line.
 func NewApplicationPipe(moduleConfig *config.ModuleConfig,
-	evsw events.EventSwitch, logger logging_types.InfoTraceLogger,
-	consensusMinorVersion string) (definitions.Pipe,
-	error) {
+	evsw events.EventSwitch,
+	logger logging_types.InfoTraceLogger) (definitions.Pipe, error) {
 	switch moduleConfig.Name {
 	case "burrowmint":
-		if err := burrowmint.AssertCompatibleConsensus(consensusMinorVersion); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		logging.InfoMsg(logger, "Loading BurrowMint",
-			"compatibleConsensus", consensusMinorVersion,
-			"burrowMintVersion", burrowmint.GetBurrowMintVersion().GetVersionString())
+		logging.InfoMsg(logger, "Loading BurrowMint")
 		return burrowmint.NewBurrowMintPipe(moduleConfig, evsw, logger)
 	}
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to return Pipe for %s", moduleConfig.Name)