diff --git a/swh/storage/db.py b/swh/storage/db.py
--- a/swh/storage/db.py
+++ b/swh/storage/db.py
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 
     """
 
+    current_version = 161
+
     def mktemp_dir_entry(self, entry_type, cur=None):
         self._cursor(cur).execute(
             "SELECT swh_mktemp_dir_entry(%s)", (("directory_entry_%s" % entry_type),)
@@ -1328,3 +1330,13 @@
         row = cur.fetchone()
         if row:
             return row[0]
+
+    dbversion_cols = ["version", "release", "description"]
+
+    def dbversion(self):
+        with self.transaction() as cur:
+            cur.execute(f"SELECT {', '.join(self.dbversion_cols)} " f"FROM dbversion")
+            return dict(zip(self.dbversion_cols, cur.fetchone()))
+
+    def check_dbversion(self):
+        return self.dbversion()["version"] == self.current_version
diff --git a/swh/storage/pytest_plugin.py b/swh/storage/pytest_plugin.py
--- a/swh/storage/pytest_plugin.py
+++ b/swh/storage/pytest_plugin.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
                     "WHERE table_schema = %s",
                     ("public",),
                 )
-                tables = set(table for (table,) in cur.fetchall())
+                tables = set(table for (table,) in cur.fetchall()) - {"dbversion"}
                 for table in tables:
                     cur.execute("truncate table %s cascade" % table)
 
diff --git a/swh/storage/storage.py b/swh/storage/storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/storage.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import psycopg2.errors
 
 from swh.core.api.serializers import msgpack_loads, msgpack_dumps
+from swh.core.db.common import db_transaction_generator, db_transaction
 from swh.model.identifiers import SWHID
 from swh.model.model import (
     Content,
@@ -60,7 +61,6 @@
 from swh.storage.utils import now
 
 from . import converters
-from .common import db_transaction_generator, db_transaction
 from .db import Db
 from .exc import StorageArgumentException, StorageDBError, HashCollision
 from .algos import diff
diff --git a/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py b/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/tests/test_storage.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 )
 from swh.model.hypothesis_strategies import objects
 from swh.storage import get_storage
+from swh.storage.db import Db
 from swh.storage.converters import origin_url_to_sha1 as sha1
 from swh.storage.exc import HashCollision, StorageArgumentException
 from swh.storage.interface import ListOrder, PagedResult, StorageInterface
@@ -4121,3 +4122,12 @@
 
         """
         assert swh_storage.flush() == {}
+
+    def test_dbversion(self, swh_storage):
+        with swh_storage.db() as db:
+            assert db.check_dbversion()
+
+    def test_dbversion_mismatch(self, swh_storage, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr(Db, "current_version", -1)
+        with swh_storage.db() as db:
+            assert db.check_dbversion() is False