diff --git a/src/main/java/proteomics/Parameter/Parameter.java b/src/main/java/proteomics/Parameter/Parameter.java
index 83b4245..51e2e0f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/proteomics/Parameter/Parameter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/proteomics/Parameter/Parameter.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import proteomics.ECL2;
 
 import java.io.*;
 import java.util.*;
@@ -19,7 +20,11 @@ public class Parameter {
 
     public Parameter(String parameterFile) {
         try (BufferedReader parameterReader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(parameterFile))) {
-            String line;
+            String line = parameterReader.readLine().trim();
+            if (!line.contentEquals("# " + ECL2.version)) {
+                logger.error("The parameter file version ({}) is not compatible with current ECL2 version ({}).", line.substring(2), ECL2.version);
+                System.exit(1);
+            }
             while ((line = parameterReader.readLine()) != null) {
                 line = line.trim();
                 Matcher commentLineMatcher = commentLinePattern.matcher(line);
diff --git a/src/main/resources/parameter.def b/src/main/resources/parameter.def
index c8cc9f1..a7bd11a 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/parameter.def
+++ b/src/main/resources/parameter.def
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# 2.1.4-dev
+# The first line is the parameter file version. Don't change it.
 thread_num = 0
 debug = 0
 dev = 0