diff --git a/lib/waterline.js b/lib/waterline.js
index 2fc426c2d..5875c7c84 100644
--- a/lib/waterline.js
+++ b/lib/waterline.js
@@ -77,9 +77,27 @@ Waterline.prototype.initialize = function(options, cb) {
   var self = this;
 
   // Ensure a config object is passed in containing adapters
-  if (!options) throw new Error('Usage Error: function(options, callback)');
-  if (!options.adapters) throw new Error('Options object must contain an adapters object');
-  if (!options.connections) throw new Error('Options object must contain a connections object');
+  if (!options) { throw new Error('Usage Error: function(options, callback)'); }
+  if (!options.adapters) { throw new Error('Options object must contain an adapters object'); }
+  if (!options.connections) { throw new Error('Options object must contain a connections object'); }
+
+  // Check that the given adapter is compatible with Waterline 0.11.x.
+  try {
+    _.each(options.adapters, function(adapter) {
+      // Adapters meant for Waterline >= 0.12 will have an adapterApiVersion property, so if we
+      // see that then we know the adapter won't work with this version of Waterline.
+      if (!_.isUndefined(adapter.adapterApiVersion)) {
+        throw new Error(
+          '\n-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-\n'+
+          'Cannot initialize Waterline.\n'+
+          'The installed version of adapter `' + adapter.identity + '` is too new!\n' +
+          'Please try installing a version < 1.0.\n' +
+          '-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-\n');
+      }
+    });
+  } catch (e) {
+    return cb(e);
+  }
 
   // Allow collections to be passed in to the initialize method
   if (options.collections) {