diff --git a/crates/relayer-cli/src/commands/listen.rs b/crates/relayer-cli/src/commands/listen.rs
index 84a0c383e8..c7b7795294 100644
--- a/crates/relayer-cli/src/commands/listen.rs
+++ b/crates/relayer-cli/src/commands/listen.rs
@@ -176,7 +176,10 @@ fn detect_compatibility_mode(
 ) -> eyre::Result<CompatMode> {
     let client = HttpClient::new(config.rpc_addr.clone())?;
     let status = rt.block_on(client.status())?;
-    let compat_mode = CompatMode::from_version(status.node_info.version)?;
+    let compat_mode = CompatMode::from_version(status.node_info.version).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+        warn!("Unsupported tendermint version, will use v0.37 compatibility mode but relaying might not work as desired: {e}");
+        CompatMode::V0_37
+    });
     Ok(compat_mode)
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/relayer/src/chain/cosmos.rs b/crates/relayer/src/chain/cosmos.rs
index f782e886c9..94bd7bf8dd 100644
--- a/crates/relayer/src/chain/cosmos.rs
+++ b/crates/relayer/src/chain/cosmos.rs
@@ -850,8 +850,10 @@ impl ChainEndpoint for CosmosSdkChain {
 
         let node_info = rt.block_on(fetch_node_info(&rpc_client, &config))?;
 
-        let compat_mode = CompatMode::from_version(node_info.version)
-            .map_err(|e| Error::rpc(config.rpc_addr.clone(), e))?;
+        let compat_mode = CompatMode::from_version(node_info.version).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+            warn!("Unsupported tendermint version, will use v0.37 compatibility mode but relaying might not work as desired: {e}");
+            CompatMode::V0_37
+        });
         rpc_client.set_compat_mode(compat_mode);
 
         let light_client = TmLightClient::from_config(&config, node_info.id)?;