diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index aa95aad02..a9f93e780 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -49,8 +49,10 @@ install_requires = [
     # if you can't satisfy the above requirement, these are versions that might
     # also work ok, IF you make sure to use the COMPILED version of msgpack-python,
     # NOT the PURE PYTHON fallback implementation: ==0.5.1, ==0.5.4
-    # using any other version is not supported by borg development, feel free to
-    # do it on your own risk (and after own testing).
+    #
+    # Please note:
+    # using any other version is not supported by borg development and
+    # any feedback related to issues caused by this will be ignored.
 ]
 
 # note for package maintainers: if you package borgbackup for distribution,
diff --git a/src/borg/archiver.py b/src/borg/archiver.py
index 0595ea475..b50aeb6ba 100644
--- a/src/borg/archiver.py
+++ b/src/borg/archiver.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ from .helpers import Manifest, AI_HUMAN_SORT_KEYS
 from .helpers import hardlinkable
 from .helpers import StableDict
 from .helpers import check_python, check_extension_modules
-from .helpers import dir_is_tagged, is_slow_msgpack, yes, sysinfo
+from .helpers import dir_is_tagged, is_slow_msgpack, is_supported_msgpack, yes, sysinfo
 from .helpers import log_multi
 from .helpers import signal_handler, raising_signal_handler, SigHup, SigTerm
 from .helpers import ErrorIgnoringTextIOWrapper
@@ -4187,6 +4187,11 @@ class Archiver:
         if args.show_version:
             logging.getLogger('borg.output.show-version').info('borgbackup version %s' % __version__)
         self.prerun_checks(logger)
+        if not is_supported_msgpack():
+            logger.error("You do not have a supported version of the msgpack python package installed. Terminating.")
+            logger.error("This should never happen as specific, supported versions are required by our setup.py.")
+            logger.error("Do not contact borgbackup support about this.")
+            return set_ec(EXIT_ERROR)
         if is_slow_msgpack():
             logger.warning("Using a pure-python msgpack! This will result in lower performance.")
         if args.debug_profile:
diff --git a/src/borg/helpers/__init__.py b/src/borg/helpers/__init__.py
index 5fbe62836..d2c217875 100644
--- a/src/borg/helpers/__init__.py
+++ b/src/borg/helpers/__init__.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from .progress import *  # NOQA
 from .time import *  # NOQA
 from .yes import *  # NOQA
 
-from .msgpack import is_slow_msgpack, int_to_bigint, bigint_to_int, get_limited_unpacker
+from .msgpack import is_slow_msgpack, is_supported_msgpack, int_to_bigint, bigint_to_int, get_limited_unpacker
 from . import msgpack
 
 """
diff --git a/src/borg/helpers/msgpack.py b/src/borg/helpers/msgpack.py
index 90470c86a..70ed940cd 100644
--- a/src/borg/helpers/msgpack.py
+++ b/src/borg/helpers/msgpack.py
@@ -169,6 +169,13 @@ def is_slow_msgpack():
     return msgpack.Packer is msgpack.fallback.Packer
 
 
+def is_supported_msgpack():
+    # DO NOT CHANGE OR REMOVE! See also requirements and comments in setup.py.
+    import msgpack
+    return (0, 5, 6) <= msgpack.version <= (0, 6, 0) and \
+           msgpack.version not in [(0, 5, 7), (0, 5, 8), (0, 5, 9)]
+
+
 def get_limited_unpacker(kind):
     """return a limited Unpacker because we should not trust msgpack data received from remote"""
     args = dict(use_list=False,  # return tuples, not lists