diff --git a/install/0001_00_machine-config-operator_00_service.yaml b/install/0000_80_machine-config-operator_00_service.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from install/0001_00_machine-config-operator_00_service.yaml
rename to install/0000_80_machine-config-operator_00_service.yaml
diff --git a/install/0000_80_machine-config-operator_05_osimageurl.yaml b/install/0000_80_machine-config-operator_05_osimageurl.yaml
index 45e282383b..3bc124b6ee 100644
--- a/install/0000_80_machine-config-operator_05_osimageurl.yaml
+++ b/install/0000_80_machine-config-operator_05_osimageurl.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ metadata:
   name: machine-config-osimageurl
   namespace: openshift-machine-config-operator
 data:
+  releaseVersion: 0.0.1-snapshot
   # The OS payload, managed by the daemon + pivot + rpm-ostree
   # https://github.com/openshift/machine-config-operator/issues/183
   osImageURL: "registry.svc.ci.openshift.org/openshift:machine-os-content"
diff --git a/pkg/operator/sync.go b/pkg/operator/sync.go
index 0b47600ab7..576f01b8a0 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/sync.go
@@ -685,6 +685,11 @@ func (optr *Operator) getOsImageURL(namespace string) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
+	releaseVersion := cm.Data["releaseVersion"]
+	optrVersion, _ := optr.vStore.Get("operator")
+	if releaseVersion != optrVersion {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("refusing to read osImageURL version %q, operator version %q", releaseVersion, optrVersion)
+	}
 	return cm.Data["osImageURL"], nil
 }