diff --git a/src/json.hpp b/src/json.hpp
index bf3c479d..4d5e9dd0 100644
--- a/src/json.hpp
+++ b/src/json.hpp
@@ -54,6 +54,19 @@ SOFTWARE.
 #include <utility>
 #include <vector>
 
+// exclude unsupported compilers
+#if defined(__clang__)
+    #define CLANG_VERSION (__clang_major__ * 10000 + __clang_minor__ * 100 + __clang_patchlevel__)
+    #if CLANG_VERSION < 30400
+        #error "unsupported Clang version - see https://github.com/nlohmann/json#supported-compilers"
+    #endif
+#elif defined(__GNUC__)
+    #define GCC_VERSION (__GNUC__ * 10000 + __GNUC_MINOR__ * 100 + __GNUC_PATCHLEVEL__)
+    #if GCC_VERSION < 40900
+        #error "unsupported GCC version - see https://github.com/nlohmann/json#supported-compilers"
+    #endif
+#endif
+
 // disable float-equal warnings on GCC/clang
 #if defined(__clang__) || defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__GNUG__)
     #pragma GCC diagnostic push
diff --git a/src/json.hpp.re2c b/src/json.hpp.re2c
index 91c6563b..7441e290 100644
--- a/src/json.hpp.re2c
+++ b/src/json.hpp.re2c
@@ -54,6 +54,19 @@ SOFTWARE.
 #include <utility>
 #include <vector>
 
+// exclude unsupported compilers
+#if defined(__clang__)
+    #define CLANG_VERSION (__clang_major__ * 10000 + __clang_minor__ * 100 + __clang_patchlevel__)
+    #if CLANG_VERSION < 30400
+        #error "unsupported Clang version - see https://github.com/nlohmann/json#supported-compilers"
+    #endif
+#elif defined(__GNUC__)
+    #define GCC_VERSION (__GNUC__ * 10000 + __GNUC_MINOR__ * 100 + __GNUC_PATCHLEVEL__)
+    #if GCC_VERSION < 40900
+        #error "unsupported GCC version - see https://github.com/nlohmann/json#supported-compilers"
+    #endif
+#endif
+
 // disable float-equal warnings on GCC/clang
 #if defined(__clang__) || defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__GNUG__)
     #pragma GCC diagnostic push