diff --git a/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/lib/database-connection.ts b/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/lib/database-connection.ts
index c90004d4d..8eb59eec5 100644
--- a/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/lib/database-connection.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/lib/database-connection.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import * as path from 'path';
 import {
+  CfnDBCluster,
   CfnDBInstance,
   IDatabaseCluster,
 } from '@aws-cdk/aws-docdb';
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ import {
   ISecret,
 } from '@aws-cdk/aws-secretsmanager';
 import {
+  Annotations,
   IConstruct,
   Stack,
 } from '@aws-cdk/core';
@@ -163,6 +165,10 @@ class DocDBDatabaseConnection extends DatabaseConnection {
   constructor(private readonly props: DocDBConnectionOptions) {
     super();
 
+    if (!this.isCompatibleDocDBVersion()) {
+      Annotations.of(props.database).addError('engineVersion must be 3.6.0 to be compatible with Deadline');
+    }
+
     this.containerEnvironment = {
       // The container must fetch the credentials from Secrets Manager
       DB_CREDENTIALS_URI: this.props.login.secretArn,
@@ -256,6 +262,25 @@ class DocDBDatabaseConnection extends DatabaseConnection {
       throw new Error('The internal implementation of the AWS CDK\'s DocumentDB cluster construct may have changed. Please update to a newer RFDK for an updated implementation, or file a ticket if this is the latest release.');
     }
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Deadline is only compatible with MongoDB 3.6. This function attempts to determine whether
+   * the given DocDB version is compatible.
+   */
+  protected isCompatibleDocDBVersion(): boolean {
+    // The defaultChild of a DocDB DatabaseCluster is a CfnDBCluster, but we only have this
+    // child if the customer didn't import from attributes. We can check the DB version by
+    // checking the value of the engineVersion property of that object.
+    if (this.props.database.node.defaultChild) {
+      const cluster = this.props.database.node.defaultChild! as CfnDBCluster;
+      if (cluster.engineVersion === '3.6.0') {
+        return true;
+      }
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    return true; // No information, assume it's compatible.
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/lib/repository.ts b/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/lib/repository.ts
index efd94d503..ab5c65585 100644
--- a/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/lib/repository.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/lib/repository.ts
@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ export interface RepositoryProps {
 
   /**
    * Specify the database where the deadline schema needs to be initialized.
+   * Note that Deadline supports only databases that are compatible with MongoDB 3.6.
    *
    * @default A Document DB Cluster will be created with a single db.r5.large instance.
    */
diff --git a/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/test/database-connection.test.ts b/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/test/database-connection.test.ts
index 4d25c4cf6..113c18037 100644
--- a/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/test/database-connection.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-rfdk/lib/deadline/test/database-connection.test.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import {
 import {
   PrivateHostedZone,
 } from '@aws-cdk/aws-route53';
+import { Secret } from '@aws-cdk/aws-secretsmanager';
 import {
   Duration,
   Stack,
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ describe('DocumentDB', () => {
       backup: {
         retention: Duration.days(15),
       },
+      engineVersion: '3.6.0',
     });
 
     if (!database.secret) {
@@ -264,6 +266,141 @@ describe('DocumentDB', () => {
 
 });
 
+describe('DocumentDB Version Checks', () => {
+  let stack: Stack;
+  let vpc: Vpc;
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    stack = new Stack();
+    vpc = new Vpc(stack, 'VPC');
+  });
+
+  test('Compatible version', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const database = new DatabaseCluster(stack, 'DbCluster', {
+      masterUser: {
+        username: 'master',
+      },
+      instanceProps: {
+        instanceType: InstanceType.of(
+          InstanceClass.R5,
+          InstanceSize.XLARGE,
+        ),
+        vpc,
+        vpcSubnets: {
+          onePerAz: true,
+          subnetType: SubnetType.PRIVATE,
+        },
+      },
+      backup: {
+        retention: Duration.days(15),
+      },
+      engineVersion: '3.6.0',
+    });
+
+    // WHEN
+    DatabaseConnection.forDocDB({database, login: database.secret!});
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(database.node.metadata.length).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  test('When from attributes', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const sg = new SecurityGroup(stack, 'SG', {
+      vpc,
+    });
+    const secret = new Secret(stack, 'Secret');
+    const database = DatabaseCluster.fromDatabaseClusterAttributes(stack, 'DbCluster', {
+      clusterEndpointAddress: '1.2.3.4',
+      clusterIdentifier: 'foo',
+      instanceEndpointAddresses: [ '1.2.3.5' ],
+      instanceIdentifiers: [ 'i0' ],
+      port: 27001,
+      readerEndpointAddress: '1.2.3.6',
+      securityGroup: sg,
+    });
+
+    // WHEN
+    DatabaseConnection.forDocDB({database, login: secret});
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(database.node.metadata.length).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  test('No engineVersion given', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const database = new DatabaseCluster(stack, 'DbCluster', {
+      masterUser: {
+        username: 'master',
+      },
+      instanceProps: {
+        instanceType: InstanceType.of(
+          InstanceClass.R5,
+          InstanceSize.XLARGE,
+        ),
+        vpc,
+        vpcSubnets: {
+          onePerAz: true,
+          subnetType: SubnetType.PRIVATE,
+        },
+      },
+      backup: {
+        retention: Duration.days(15),
+      },
+    });
+
+    // WHEN
+    DatabaseConnection.forDocDB({database, login: database.secret!});
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(database.node.metadata).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining([
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          type: 'aws:cdk:error',
+          data: 'engineVersion must be 3.6.0 to be compatible with Deadline',
+        }),
+      ]),
+    );
+  });
+
+  test('engineVersion not 3.6.0', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const database = new DatabaseCluster(stack, 'DbCluster', {
+      masterUser: {
+        username: 'master',
+      },
+      instanceProps: {
+        instanceType: InstanceType.of(
+          InstanceClass.R5,
+          InstanceSize.XLARGE,
+        ),
+        vpc,
+        vpcSubnets: {
+          onePerAz: true,
+          subnetType: SubnetType.PRIVATE,
+        },
+      },
+      backup: {
+        retention: Duration.days(15),
+      },
+      engineVersion: '4.0.0',
+    });
+
+    // WHEN
+    DatabaseConnection.forDocDB({database, login: database.secret!});
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(database.node.metadata).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining([
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          type: 'aws:cdk:error',
+          data: 'engineVersion must be 3.6.0 to be compatible with Deadline',
+        }),
+      ]),
+    );
+  });
+});
+
 describe('MongoDB', () => {
   let stack: Stack;
   let vpc: Vpc;