diff --git a/apps/interpreter/src/index.ts b/apps/interpreter/src/index.ts
index 306a158f7..5a7487b91 100644
--- a/apps/interpreter/src/index.ts
+++ b/apps/interpreter/src/index.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { Command } from 'commander';
 
 import { version as packageJsonVersion } from '../package.json';
 
+import { assertNodeVersion } from './prerequisites';
 import { runAction } from './run-action';
 
 const runtimeParameterRegex = /^([_a-zA-Z][\w_]*)=(.*)$/;
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ function collectRuntimeParameters(
   return previous;
 }
 
+assertNodeVersion();
 const program = new Command();
 
 const version: string = packageJsonVersion as string;
diff --git a/apps/interpreter/src/prerequisites.ts b/apps/interpreter/src/prerequisites.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4721e0cda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/interpreter/src/prerequisites.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+
+/**
+ * Asserts that a certain node version is installed on the executing machine.
+ * Exits the process if this prerequisite is not fulfilled.
+ */
+export function assertNodeVersion() {
+  const requiredNodeMajorVersion = 17;
+  const currentNodeMajorVersion = getNodeMajorVersion();
+
+  if (currentNodeMajorVersion < requiredNodeMajorVersion) {
+    console.error(
+      `Jayvee requires node version ${requiredNodeMajorVersion}.0.0 or higher.`,
+    );
+    console.info(
+      `Your current node version is ${currentNodeMajorVersion} - please upgrade!`,
+    );
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns the node version of the executing machine.
+ * Exits the process if no node process is running.
+ */
+function getNodeMajorVersion(): number {
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unnecessary-condition
+  const nodeVersion = process?.versions?.node;
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unnecessary-condition
+  if (nodeVersion === undefined) {
+    console.error('Could not find a nodejs runtime.');
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-non-null-assertion
+  return +nodeVersion.split('.')[0]!;
+}