diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 25524bb1d..861090f1c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ Usage
 $> npm install protobufjs [--save --save-prefix=~]
 ```
 
-**Note:** protobuf.js uses a [semver](https://semver.org)-incompatible versioning scheme currently. For API compatibility, just prefix its version with a `~` instead of a `^` in your package.json's dependencies. If you want to access the semver website, just prefix its address with `http:` instead of `https:`.
-
 ```js
 var protobuf = require("protobufjs");
 ```
diff --git a/cli/util.js b/cli/util.js
index 98c9b5902..3445da6e6 100644
--- a/cli/util.js
+++ b/cli/util.js
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ exports.setup = function() {
             install.push(name + "@" + version);
         }
     });
+    require("../scripts/postinstall"); // emit postinstall warning, if any
     if (!install.length)
         return;
     modInstall(install);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ac556b9c7..66c0e15f5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "protobufjs",
   "version": "6.5.1",
+  "versionScheme": "~",
   "description": "Protocol Buffers for JavaScript (& TypeScript).",
   "author": "Daniel Wirtz <dcode+protobufjs@dcode.io>",
   "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@
     "lint": "eslint src runtime",
     "pages": "node scripts/pages",
     "prepublish": "node scripts/prepublish",
+    "postinstall": "node scripts/postinstall",
     "prof": "node bench/prof",
     "test": "tape -r ./lib/tape-adapter tests/*.js tests/node/*.js | tap-spec",
     "types": "node bin/pbts --main --global protobuf --out index.d.ts src && tsc tests/comp_typescript.ts --lib es2015 --noEmit --strictNullChecks && tsc tests/data/test.ts --lib es2015 --noEmit --strictNullChecks",
diff --git a/scripts/postinstall.js b/scripts/postinstall.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..759eea69c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/postinstall.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+var path = require("path"),
+    pkg  = require(path.join(__dirname, "..", "package.json"));
+
+if (!pkg.versionScheme)
+    return;
+
+var fs = require("fs");
+
+var warn = process.stderr.isTTY
+    ? "\x1b[30m\x1b[43mWARN\x1b[0m \x1b[35m" + path.basename(process.argv[1], ".js") + "\x1b[0m"
+    : "WARN " + path.basename(process.argv[1], ".js");
+
+var basePkg;
+try {
+    basePkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, "..", "..", "package.json")));
+} catch (e) {
+    return;
+}
+
+[
+    "dependencies",
+    "devDependencies",
+    "optionalDependencies",
+    "peerDependencies"
+]
+.forEach(function(check) {
+    var version = basePkg && basePkg[check] && basePkg[check][pkg.name];
+    if (typeof version === "string" && version.charAt(0) !== pkg.versionScheme)
+        process.stderr.write(pkg.name + " " + warn + " " + pkg.name + "@" + version + " is configured as a dependency of " + basePkg.name + ". use " + pkg.name + "@" + pkg.versionScheme + version.substring(1) + " instead for API compatibility.\n");
+});
diff --git a/tests/data/package.js b/tests/data/package.js
index a908f0a76..cf90bdcd5 100644
--- a/tests/data/package.js
+++ b/tests/data/package.js
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
      */
     Package.prototype.version = "";
 
+    /**
+     * Package versionScheme.
+     * @type {string}
+     */
+    Package.prototype.versionScheme = "";
+
     /**
      * Package description.
      * @type {string}
@@ -134,7 +140,7 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
 
     // Lazily resolved type references
     var $types = {
-        5: "Package.Repository"
+        6: "Package.Repository"
     }; $lazyTypes.push($types);
 
     /**
@@ -159,6 +165,8 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
             writer.uint32(/* id 1, wireType 2 =*/10).string(message.name);
         if (message.version !== undefined && message.hasOwnProperty("version"))
             writer.uint32(/* id 2, wireType 2 =*/18).string(message.version);
+        if (message.versionScheme !== undefined && message.hasOwnProperty("versionScheme"))
+            writer.uint32(/* id 19, wireType 2 =*/154).string(message.versionScheme);
         if (message.description !== undefined && message.hasOwnProperty("description"))
             writer.uint32(/* id 3, wireType 2 =*/26).string(message.description);
         if (message.author !== undefined && message.hasOwnProperty("author"))
@@ -166,7 +174,7 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
         if (message.license !== undefined && message.hasOwnProperty("license"))
             writer.uint32(/* id 5, wireType 2 =*/42).string(message.license);
         if (message.repository !== undefined && message.hasOwnProperty("repository"))
-            $types[5].encode(message.repository, writer.uint32(/* id 6, wireType 2 =*/50).fork()).ldelim();
+            $types[6].encode(message.repository, writer.uint32(/* id 6, wireType 2 =*/50).fork()).ldelim();
         if (message.bugs !== undefined && message.hasOwnProperty("bugs"))
             writer.uint32(/* id 7, wireType 2 =*/58).string(message.bugs);
         if (message.homepage !== undefined && message.hasOwnProperty("homepage"))
@@ -228,6 +236,9 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
             case 2:
                 message.version = reader.string();
                 break;
+            case 19:
+                message.versionScheme = reader.string();
+                break;
             case 3:
                 message.description = reader.string();
                 break;
@@ -238,7 +249,7 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
                 message.license = reader.string();
                 break;
             case 6:
-                message.repository = $types[5].decode(reader, reader.uint32());
+                message.repository = $types[6].decode(reader, reader.uint32());
                 break;
             case 7:
                 message.bugs = reader.string();
@@ -333,6 +344,9 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
         if (message.version !== undefined)
             if (!$util.isString(message.version))
                 return "version: string expected";
+        if (message.versionScheme !== undefined)
+            if (!$util.isString(message.versionScheme))
+                return "versionScheme: string expected";
         if (message.description !== undefined)
             if (!$util.isString(message.description))
                 return "description: string expected";
@@ -343,7 +357,7 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
             if (!$util.isString(message.license))
                 return "license: string expected";
         if (message.repository !== undefined && message.repository !== null) {
-            var error = $types[5].verify(message.repository);
+            var error = $types[6].verify(message.repository);
             if (error)
                 return "repository." + error;
         }
@@ -427,6 +441,8 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
             message.name = String(object.name);
         if (object.version !== undefined && object.version !== null)
             message.version = String(object.version);
+        if (object.versionScheme !== undefined && object.versionScheme !== null)
+            message.versionScheme = String(object.versionScheme);
         if (object.description !== undefined && object.description !== null)
             message.description = String(object.description);
         if (object.author !== undefined && object.author !== null)
@@ -434,7 +450,7 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
         if (object.license !== undefined && object.license !== null)
             message.license = String(object.license);
         if (object.repository !== undefined && object.repository !== null)
-            message.repository = $types[5].fromObject(object.repository);
+            message.repository = $types[6].fromObject(object.repository);
         if (object.bugs !== undefined && object.bugs !== null)
             message.bugs = String(object.bugs);
         if (object.homepage !== undefined && object.homepage !== null)
@@ -513,6 +529,7 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
         if (options.defaults) {
             object.name = "";
             object.version = "";
+            object.versionScheme = "";
             object.description = "";
             object.author = "";
             object.license = "";
@@ -526,6 +543,8 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
             object.name = message.name;
         if (message.version !== undefined && message.version !== null && message.hasOwnProperty("version"))
             object.version = message.version;
+        if (message.versionScheme !== undefined && message.versionScheme !== null && message.hasOwnProperty("versionScheme"))
+            object.versionScheme = message.versionScheme;
         if (message.description !== undefined && message.description !== null && message.hasOwnProperty("description"))
             object.description = message.description;
         if (message.author !== undefined && message.author !== null && message.hasOwnProperty("author"))
@@ -533,7 +552,7 @@ $root.Package = (function() {
         if (message.license !== undefined && message.license !== null && message.hasOwnProperty("license"))
             object.license = message.license;
         if (message.repository !== undefined && message.repository !== null && message.hasOwnProperty("repository"))
-            object.repository = $types[5].toObject(message.repository, options);
+            object.repository = $types[6].toObject(message.repository, options);
         if (message.bugs !== undefined && message.bugs !== null && message.hasOwnProperty("bugs"))
             object.bugs = message.bugs;
         if (message.homepage !== undefined && message.homepage !== null && message.hasOwnProperty("homepage"))
diff --git a/tests/data/package.proto b/tests/data/package.proto
index 1169f54f1..675f8b65e 100644
--- a/tests/data/package.proto
+++ b/tests/data/package.proto
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ syntax = "proto3";
 message Package {
     string name = 1;
     string version = 2;
+    string versionScheme = 19;
     string description = 3;
     string author = 4;
     string license = 5;
diff --git a/tests/other_package.js b/tests/other_package.js
index aa721747e..e844201e8 100644
--- a/tests/other_package.js
+++ b/tests/other_package.js
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ var tape = require("tape");
 var protobuf = require(".."),
     pkg = require("../package.json");
 
-process.stdout._handle.setBlocking(true);
-
 tape.test("package.json", function(test) {
 
     protobuf.load("tests/data/package.proto", function(err, root) {