diff --git a/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/codec.rs b/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/codec.rs
index 7929714c4..6ef0b6fac 100644
--- a/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/codec.rs
+++ b/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/codec.rs
@@ -205,20 +205,18 @@ impl Codec {
             GetAddr => { /* Empty payload -- no-op */ }
             Block(ref block) => block.zcash_serialize(&mut writer)?,
             GetBlocks {
-                ref version,
                 ref block_locator_hashes,
                 ref hash_stop,
             } => {
-                writer.write_u32::<LittleEndian>(version.0)?;
+                writer.write_u32::<LittleEndian>(self.builder.version.0)?;
                 block_locator_hashes.zcash_serialize(&mut writer)?;
                 hash_stop.zcash_serialize(&mut writer)?;
             }
             GetHeaders {
-                ref version,
                 ref block_locator_hashes,
                 ref hash_stop,
             } => {
-                writer.write_u32::<LittleEndian>(version.0)?;
+                writer.write_u32::<LittleEndian>(self.builder.version.0)?;
                 block_locator_hashes.zcash_serialize(&mut writer)?;
                 hash_stop.zcash_serialize(&mut writer)?;
             }
@@ -457,11 +455,14 @@ impl Codec {
     }
 
     fn read_getblocks<R: Read>(&self, mut reader: R) -> Result<Message, Error> {
-        Ok(Message::GetBlocks {
-            version: Version(reader.read_u32::<LittleEndian>()?),
-            block_locator_hashes: Vec::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?,
-            hash_stop: BlockHeaderHash::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?,
-        })
+        if self.builder.version == Version(reader.read_u32::<LittleEndian>()?) {
+            Ok(Message::GetBlocks {
+                block_locator_hashes: Vec::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?,
+                hash_stop: BlockHeaderHash::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?,
+            })
+        } else {
+            Err(Error::Parse("getblocks version did not match negotiation"))
+        }
     }
 
     /// Deserialize a `headers` message.
@@ -474,11 +475,14 @@ impl Codec {
     }
 
     fn read_getheaders<R: Read>(&self, mut reader: R) -> Result<Message, Error> {
-        Ok(Message::GetHeaders {
-            version: Version(reader.read_u32::<LittleEndian>()?),
-            block_locator_hashes: Vec::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?,
-            hash_stop: BlockHeaderHash::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?,
-        })
+        if self.builder.version == Version(reader.read_u32::<LittleEndian>()?) {
+            Ok(Message::GetHeaders {
+                block_locator_hashes: Vec::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?,
+                hash_stop: BlockHeaderHash::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?,
+            })
+        } else {
+            Err(Error::Parse("getblocks version did not match negotiation"))
+        }
     }
 
     fn read_inv<R: Read>(&self, reader: R) -> Result<Message, Error> {
diff --git a/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/message.rs b/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/message.rs
index b9b1de20b..30740b946 100644
--- a/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/message.rs
+++ b/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/message.rs
@@ -160,9 +160,6 @@ pub enum Message {
     // restriction, or if they don't, what happens if we send them too
     // many results.
     GetBlocks {
-        /// The protocol version.
-        version: Version,
-
         /// Block locators, from newest back to genesis block.
         block_locator_hashes: Vec<BlockHeaderHash>,
 
@@ -203,9 +200,6 @@ pub enum Message {
     // restriction, or if they don't, what happens if we send them too
     // many results.
     GetHeaders {
-        /// The protocol version.
-        version: Version,
-
         /// Block locators, from newest back to genesis block.
         block_locator_hashes: Vec<BlockHeaderHash>,