diff --git a/python/__init__.py b/python/__init__.py
index f4492ce8..b97aa91b 100644
--- a/python/__init__.py
+++ b/python/__init__.py
@@ -5,6 +5,32 @@ from . import config
 _netgen_bin_dir=os.path.realpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),'..',config.NETGEN_PYTHON_RPATH_BIN))
 _netgen_lib_dir=os.path.realpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),'..',config.NETGEN_PYTHON_RPATH))
 
+__diagnostics_template = """
+Netgen diagnostics:
+    sys.platform:          {sys.platform}
+    sys.executable:        {sys.executable}
+    sys.version:           {sys.version}
+    Netgen python version: {config.PYTHON_VERSION}
+    Netgen path            {__file__}
+    Netgen config          {config.__file__}
+    Netgen version         {config.NETGEN_VERSION}
+    sys.path: {sys.path}
+"""
+
+def _get_diagnostics():
+    return __diagnostics_template.format(sys=sys, config=config, __file__=__file__)
+
+# compare compile-time and run-time python version
+def _check_python_version():
+    sys_version = f"{sys.version_info.major}.{sys.version_info.minor}"
+    compile_version = f"{config.PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR}.{config.PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR}"
+
+    if sys_version != compile_version:
+        print(get_diagnostics(), file=sys.stderr)
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Python version mismatch: compile-time version is {compile_version}, run-time version is {sys_version}")
+
+_check_python_version()
+
 if sys.platform.startswith('win'):
     v = sys.version_info
     if v.major == 3 and v.minor >= 8:
diff --git a/python/config_template.py b/python/config_template.py
index 23030595..38991567 100644
--- a/python/config_template.py
+++ b/python/config_template.py
@@ -52,4 +52,8 @@ NETGEN_VERSION_TWEAK = "@NETGEN_VERSION_TWEAK@"
 NETGEN_VERSION_PATCH = "@NETGEN_VERSION_PATCH@"
 NETGEN_VERSION_HASH = "@NETGEN_VERSION_HASH@"
 
+PYTHON_VERSION       = "@PYTHON_VERSION@"
+PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR = "@PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR@"
+PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR = "@PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR@"
+
 version = NETGEN_VERSION_GIT