diff --git a/scripts/test b/scripts/test
index ce89ff086e..57b9c88af3 100755
--- a/scripts/test
+++ b/scripts/test
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ docker ps
 . ./scripts/test-run-basics
 echo "Did test-run-basics $?"
 
+. ./scripts/test-run-compat
+echo "Did test-run-compat $?"
+
 # ---
 
 [ "$ARCH" != 'amd64' ] && \
diff --git a/scripts/test-helpers b/scripts/test-helpers
index 136253d818..bb3aa2a5a1 100755
--- a/scripts/test-helpers
+++ b/scripts/test-helpers
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ provision-server() {
         -e K3S_TOKEN=$(cat $TEST_DIR/metadata/secret) \
         -e K3S_DEBUG=true \
         ${REGISTRY_CLUSTER_ARGS:-} \
-        $K3S_IMAGE server $ARGS $SERVER_ARGS ${!SERVER_INSTANCE_ARGS}
+        ${K3S_IMAGE_SERVER:-$K3S_IMAGE} server $ARGS $SERVER_ARGS ${!SERVER_INSTANCE_ARGS}
 
     local ip=$(docker inspect --format '{{ .NetworkSettings.IPAddress }}' $name | tee $TEST_DIR/servers/$count/metadata/ip)
     local url=$(echo "https://$ip:6443" | tee $TEST_DIR/servers/$count/metadata/url)
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ provision-agent() {
         -e K3S_TOKEN=$(cat $TEST_DIR/metadata/secret) \
         -e K3S_URL=$K3S_URL \
         ${REGISTRY_CLUSTER_ARGS:-} \
-        $K3S_IMAGE agent $ARGS $AGENT_ARGS ${!AGENT_INSTANCE_ARGS}
+        ${K3S_IMAGE_AGENT:-$K3S_IMAGE} agent $ARGS $AGENT_ARGS ${!AGENT_INSTANCE_ARGS}
 
     echo "Started $name"
     run-function agent-post-hook $count
diff --git a/scripts/test-run-compat b/scripts/test-run-compat
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..4833e650e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test-run-compat
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+all_services=(
+    coredns
+    local-path-provisioner
+    metrics-server
+    traefik
+)
+
+export NUM_SERVERS=1
+export NUM_AGENTS=1
+export WAIT_SERVICES="${all_services[@]}"
+export SERVER_ARGS="--node-taint=CriticalAddonsOnly=true:NoExecute"
+
+start-test() {
+  echo "Cluster is up"
+}
+export -f start-test
+
+REPO=${REPO:-rancher}
+IMAGE_NAME=${IMAGE_NAME:-k3s}
+PREVIOUS_CHANNEL=$(curl -s https://update.k3s.io/v1-release/channels/stable -o /dev/null -w '%{redirect_url}' | awk -F. '{print "v1." ($(NF - 1) - 1)}')
+PREVIOUS_VERSION=$(curl -s https://update.k3s.io/v1-release/channels/${PREVIOUS_CHANNEL} -o /dev/null -w '%{redirect_url}' | awk -F/ '{print gensub(/\+/, "-", "g", $NF)}')
+STABLE_VERSION=$(curl -s https://update.k3s.io/v1-release/channels/stable -o /dev/null -w '%{redirect_url}' | awk -F/ '{print gensub(/\+/, "-", "g", $NF)}')
+LATEST_VERSION=$(curl -s https://update.k3s.io/v1-release/channels/latest -o /dev/null -w '%{redirect_url}' | awk -F/ '{print gensub(/\+/, "-", "g", $NF)}')
+
+# --- create a basic cluster to test for compat with the previous minor version of the server and agent
+K3S_IMAGE_SERVER=${REPO}/${IMAGE_NAME}:${PREVIOUS_VERSION} LABEL=PREVIOUS-SERVER run-test
+K3S_IMAGE_AGENT=${REPO}/${IMAGE_NAME}:${PREVIOUS_VERSION} LABEL=PREVIOUS-AGENT run-test
+
+# --- create a basic cluster to test for compat with the stable version of the server and agent
+K3S_IMAGE_SERVER=${REPO}/${IMAGE_NAME}:${STABLE_VERSION} LABEL=STABLE-SERVER run-test
+K3S_IMAGE_AGENT=${REPO}/${IMAGE_NAME}:${STABLE_VERSION} LABEL=STABLE-AGENT run-test
+
+# --- create a basic cluster to test for compat with the latest version of the server and agent
+K3S_IMAGE_SERVER=${REPO}/${IMAGE_NAME}:${LATEST_VERSION} LABEL=LATEST-SERVER run-test
+K3S_IMAGE_AGENT=${REPO}/${IMAGE_NAME}:${LATEST_VERSION} LABEL=LATEST-AGENT run-test