diff --git a/fastboot/fastboot.cpp b/fastboot/fastboot.cpp
index 3a3503e84..41a3d6b44 100644
--- a/fastboot/fastboot.cpp
+++ b/fastboot/fastboot.cpp
@@ -410,12 +410,6 @@ static void* load_bootable_image(const std::string& kernel, const std::string& r
         if (!g_cmdline.empty()) {
             bootimg_set_cmdline(reinterpret_cast<boot_img_hdr_v1*>(kdata), g_cmdline);
         }
-        uint32_t header_version_existing =
-                reinterpret_cast<boot_img_hdr_v1*>(kdata)->header_version;
-        if (g_boot_img_hdr.header_version != header_version_existing) {
-            die("header version mismatch, expected: %" PRIu32 " found %" PRIu32 "",
-                g_boot_img_hdr.header_version, header_version_existing);
-        }
 
         if (!ramdisk.empty()) die("cannot boot a boot.img *and* ramdisk");