diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/executor/multi_utility.c b/src/backend/distributed/executor/multi_utility.c
index 2142b90db..9e994f42f 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/executor/multi_utility.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/executor/multi_utility.c
@@ -1419,11 +1419,9 @@ ErrorIfUnstableCreateOrAlterExtensionStmt(Node *parsetree)
 	{
 		/*
 		 * No version was specified, so PostgreSQL will use the default_version
-		 * from the citus.control file. In case a new default is available, we
-		 * will force a compatibility check of the latest available version.
+		 * from the citus.control file.
 		 */
-		citusVersionKnownCompatible = false;
-		CheckCitusVersion(ERROR);
+		CheckAvailableVersion(ERROR);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/utils/metadata_cache.c b/src/backend/distributed/utils/metadata_cache.c
index 128461a6a..12dad443c 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/utils/metadata_cache.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/utils/metadata_cache.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ static Oid workerHashFunctionId = InvalidOid;
 /* Citus extension version variables */
 bool EnableVersionChecks = true; /* version checks are enabled */
 
-bool citusVersionKnownCompatible = false;
+static bool citusVersionKnownCompatible = false;
 
 /* Hash table for informations about each partition */
 static HTAB *DistTableCacheHash = NULL;
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@ static bool HasUniformHashDistribution(ShardInterval **shardIntervalArray,
 static bool HasUninitializedShardInterval(ShardInterval **sortedShardIntervalArray,
 										  int shardCount);
 static bool CheckInstalledVersion(int elevel);
-static bool CheckAvailableVersion(int elevel);
 static char * AvailableExtensionVersion(void);
 static char * InstalledExtensionVersion(void);
 static bool HasOverlappingShardInterval(ShardInterval **shardIntervalArray,
@@ -1181,13 +1180,15 @@ CheckCitusVersion(int elevel)
  * this function logs an error with the specified elevel and returns false,
  * otherwise it returns true.
  */
-static bool
+bool
 CheckAvailableVersion(int elevel)
 {
 	char *availableVersion = NULL;
 
-	Assert(CitusHasBeenLoaded());
-	Assert(EnableVersionChecks);
+	if (!EnableVersionChecks)
+	{
+		return true;
+	}
 
 	availableVersion = AvailableExtensionVersion();
 
diff --git a/src/include/distributed/metadata_cache.h b/src/include/distributed/metadata_cache.h
index 14b0e86c6..48b03672e 100644
--- a/src/include/distributed/metadata_cache.h
+++ b/src/include/distributed/metadata_cache.h
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 #include "utils/hsearch.h"
 
 extern bool EnableVersionChecks;
-extern bool citusVersionKnownCompatible;
 
 /*
  * Representation of a table's metadata that is frequently used for
@@ -80,6 +79,7 @@ extern void CitusInvalidateRelcacheByShardId(int64 shardId);
 
 extern bool CitusHasBeenLoaded(void);
 extern bool CheckCitusVersion(int elevel);
+extern bool CheckAvailableVersion(int elevel);
 bool MajorVersionsCompatible(char *leftVersion, char *rightVersion);
 
 /* access WorkerNodeHash */