diff --git a/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/doc.go b/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/doc.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..efc4630fdc95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/doc.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+// Package runtime defines explicit feature gates controlled by the Dynamo
+// runtime compatibility version.
+//
+// Runtime gates make rendered defaults stable across operator upgrades. A
+// runtime version change is the trigger for adopting new defaults, while
+// explicit user configuration remains authoritative.
+package runtime
diff --git a/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/gate.go b/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/gate.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4f624da77d9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/gate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+package runtime
+
+import "github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion"
+
+// Gate controls a feature's rendered defaults by Dynamo runtime version.
+type Gate struct {
+	Name              string
+	MinRuntimeVersion runtimeversion.Version
+}
+
+// Enabled reports whether a known runtime version meets the feature threshold.
+func (g Gate) Enabled(version *runtimeversion.Version) bool {
+	if version == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return version.Compare(g.MinRuntimeVersion) >= 0
+}
diff --git a/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/gate_test.go b/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/gate_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9fb5a47b51ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/gate_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+package runtime
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion"
+)
+
+func TestGateEnabled(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Log("define a feature introduced by Dynamo runtime 1.4.0")
+	gate := Gate{
+		Name:              "TestFeature",
+		MinRuntimeVersion: runtimeversion.Version{Major: 1, Minor: 4, Patch: 0},
+	}
+
+	t.Log("define versions below, at, and above the feature threshold")
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		version *runtimeversion.Version
+		want    bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "unknown runtime",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "older runtime",
+			version: &runtimeversion.Version{Major: 1, Minor: 3, Patch: 9},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "minimum supported runtime",
+			version: &runtimeversion.Version{Major: 1, Minor: 4, Patch: 0},
+			want:    true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "newer runtime",
+			version: &runtimeversion.Version{Major: 2, Minor: 0, Patch: 0},
+			want:    true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Log("evaluate the feature for the resolved runtime version")
+			got := gate.Enabled(tt.version)
+
+			t.Log("compare the gate decision")
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Fatalf("Enabled(%v) = %t, want %t", tt.version, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCanaryHealthChecksThreshold(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Log("inspect the central canary health-check feature gate")
+	got := CanaryHealthChecks.MinRuntimeVersion.String()
+
+	t.Log("verify canary health checks are introduced by runtime 1.4.0")
+	if got != "1.4.0" {
+		t.Fatalf("MinRuntimeVersion = %s, want 1.4.0", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/gates.go b/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/gates.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3b7f3d09851f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/operator/internal/features/runtime/gates.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+package runtime
+
+import "github.com/ai-dynamo/dynamo/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion"
+
+var (
+	// CanaryHealthChecks gates the canary health-check rendering defaults
+	// introduced for Dynamo runtime 1.4.0.
+	CanaryHealthChecks = Gate{
+		Name:              "CanaryHealthChecks",
+		MinRuntimeVersion: runtimeversion.Version{Major: 1, Minor: 4, Patch: 0},
+	}
+)
diff --git a/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion/runtimeversion.go b/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion/runtimeversion.go
index a31ea7175de0..9716d0b23f21 100644
--- a/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion/runtimeversion.go
+++ b/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion/runtimeversion.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 package runtimeversion
 
 import (
+	"cmp"
 	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
@@ -26,6 +27,17 @@ func (v Version) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%d.%d.%d", v.Major, v.Minor, v.Patch)
 }
 
+// Compare returns -1, 0, or 1 when v's normalized compatibility core is less
+// than, equal to, or greater than other. Image-tag prerelease and build
+// suffixes are intentionally excluded by ParseImageVersion before comparison.
+func (v Version) Compare(other Version) int {
+	return cmp.Or(
+		cmp.Compare(v.Major, other.Major),
+		cmp.Compare(v.Minor, other.Minor),
+		cmp.Compare(v.Patch, other.Patch),
+	)
+}
+
 // Parse returns the compatibility version represented by an explicit override.
 func Parse(value string) (Version, error) {
 	version, err := semver.StrictNewVersion(value)
diff --git a/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion/runtimeversion_test.go b/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion/runtimeversion_test.go
index 5c2a72040b7f..60aeda93468e 100644
--- a/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion/runtimeversion_test.go
+++ b/deploy/operator/internal/runtimeversion/runtimeversion_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,35 @@ package runtimeversion
 
 import "testing"
 
+func TestVersionCompare(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Log("define the reference runtime compatibility core")
+	reference := Version{Major: 1, Minor: 4, Patch: 1}
+
+	t.Log("define comparisons below, equal to, and above the reference")
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		version Version
+		want    int
+	}{
+		{name: "below major", version: Version{Major: 0, Minor: 9, Patch: 9}, want: -1},
+		{name: "below minor", version: Version{Major: 1, Minor: 3, Patch: 9}, want: -1},
+		{name: "below patch", version: Version{Major: 1, Minor: 4, Patch: 0}, want: -1},
+		{name: "equal", version: Version{Major: 1, Minor: 4, Patch: 1}, want: 0},
+		{name: "above patch", version: Version{Major: 1, Minor: 4, Patch: 2}, want: 1},
+		{name: "above minor", version: Version{Major: 1, Minor: 5, Patch: 0}, want: 1},
+		{name: "above major", version: Version{Major: 2, Minor: 0, Patch: 0}, want: 1},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Log("compare the normalized runtime compatibility cores")
+			if got := tt.version.Compare(reference); got != tt.want {
+				t.Fatalf("%s.Compare(%s) = %d, want %d", tt.version, reference, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name    string