diff --git a/.editorconfig b/.editorconfig
index 6baba88588a..959e97e84ea 100644
--- a/.editorconfig
+++ b/.editorconfig
@@ -83,3 +83,6 @@ end_of_line = lf
 
 [Dockerfile]
 end_of_line = lf
+
+[ASSETS_VERSION]
+end_of_line = lf
diff --git a/CMake/Assets.cmake b/CMake/Assets.cmake
index c9e52fbcfa3..cab76d3a84f 100644
--- a/CMake/Assets.cmake
+++ b/CMake/Assets.cmake
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ if (Gettext_FOUND)
 endif()
 
 set(devilutionx_assets
+  ASSETS_VERSION
   arena/church.dun
   arena/circle_of_death.dun
   arena/hell.dun
diff --git a/Source/diablo.cpp b/Source/diablo.cpp
index fa1809aef8c..8a2ed108e91 100644
--- a/Source/diablo.cpp
+++ b/Source/diablo.cpp
@@ -1145,7 +1145,7 @@ void CheckArchivesUpToDate()
 #ifdef UNPACKED_MPQS
 	const bool devilutionxMpqOutOfDate = false;
 #else
-	const bool devilutionxMpqOutOfDate = devilutionx_mpq && (!devilutionx_mpq->HasFile("data\\charbg.clx") || devilutionx_mpq->HasFile("fonts\\12-00.bin"));
+	const bool devilutionxMpqOutOfDate = IsDevilutionXMpqOutOfDate();
 #endif
 	const bool fontsMpqOutOfDate = AreExtraFontsOutOfDate();
 
diff --git a/Source/init.cpp b/Source/init.cpp
index 1e145b78f85..1e6488d58f7 100644
--- a/Source/init.cpp
+++ b/Source/init.cpp
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ std::optional<MpqArchive> font_mpq;
 
 namespace {
 
+constexpr char DevilutionXMpqVersion[] = "1\n";
 constexpr char ExtraFontsVersion[] = "1\n";
 
 #ifdef UNPACKED_MPQS
@@ -174,22 +175,44 @@ std::vector<std::string> GetMPQSearchPaths()
 	return paths;
 }
 
-bool CheckExtraFontsVersion(AssetRef &&ref)
+bool AssetContentsEq(AssetRef &&ref, std::string_view expected)
 {
 	const size_t size = ref.size();
 	AssetHandle handle = OpenAsset(std::move(ref), false);
-	if (!handle.ok())
-		return true;
+	if (!handle.ok()) return false;
+	std::unique_ptr<char[]> contents { new char[size] };
+	if (!handle.read(contents.get(), size)) return false;
+	return std::string_view { contents.get(), size } == expected;
+}
 
-	std::unique_ptr<char[]> version_contents { new char[size] };
-	if (!handle.read(version_contents.get(), size))
-		return true;
+bool CheckDevilutionXMpqVersion(AssetRef &&ref)
+{
+	return !AssetContentsEq(std::move(ref), DevilutionXMpqVersion);
+}
 
-	return std::string_view { version_contents.get(), size } != ExtraFontsVersion;
+bool CheckExtraFontsVersion(AssetRef &&ref)
+{
+	return !AssetContentsEq(std::move(ref), ExtraFontsVersion);
 }
 
 } // namespace
 
+#ifndef UNPACKED_MPQS
+bool IsDevilutionXMpqOutOfDate(MpqArchive &archive)
+{
+	const char filename[] = "ASSETS_VERSION";
+	const MpqFileHash fileHash = CalculateMpqFileHash(filename);
+	uint32_t fileNumber;
+	if (!archive.GetFileNumber(fileHash, fileNumber))
+		return true;
+	AssetRef ref;
+	ref.archive = &archive;
+	ref.fileNumber = fileNumber;
+	ref.filename = filename;
+	return CheckDevilutionXMpqVersion(std::move(ref));
+}
+#endif
+
 #ifdef UNPACKED_MPQS
 bool AreExtraFontsOutOfDate(const std::string &path)
 {
diff --git a/Source/init.h b/Source/init.h
index d5c9921c439..e8ce7b43795 100644
--- a/Source/init.h
+++ b/Source/init.h
@@ -99,6 +99,19 @@ inline bool AreExtraFontsOutOfDate()
 #endif
 }
 
+#ifndef UNPACKED_MPQS
+bool IsDevilutionXMpqOutOfDate(MpqArchive &archive);
+#endif
+
+inline bool IsDevilutionXMpqOutOfDate()
+{
+#ifdef UNPACKED_MPQS
+	return false;
+#else
+	return !devilutionx_mpq.has_value() || IsDevilutionXMpqOutOfDate(*devilutionx_mpq);
+#endif
+}
+
 void init_cleanup();
 void LoadCoreArchives();
 void LoadLanguageArchive();
diff --git a/assets/ASSETS_VERSION b/assets/ASSETS_VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d00491fd7e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/ASSETS_VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1