diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5451935efa..544d972104 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
   ],
   "license": "MIT",
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   },
   "contributors": [
     {
diff --git a/packages/autoprofile/package.json b/packages/autoprofile/package.json
index 59d078ee33..3d2d2918c8 100644
--- a/packages/autoprofile/package.json
+++ b/packages/autoprofile/package.json
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
     "semver": "^7.7.3"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   },
   "main": "index.js",
   "files": [
diff --git a/packages/aws-fargate/package.json b/packages/aws-fargate/package.json
index 78a9939da8..a98fd38d18 100644
--- a/packages/aws-fargate/package.json
+++ b/packages/aws-fargate/package.json
@@ -71,6 +71,6 @@
     "@instana/serverless": "4.29.0"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/aws-lambda/package.json b/packages/aws-lambda/package.json
index 61e297734b..889ee30319 100644
--- a/packages/aws-lambda/package.json
+++ b/packages/aws-lambda/package.json
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     "tracing"
   ],
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   },
   "contributors": [
     {
diff --git a/packages/azure-container-services/package.json b/packages/azure-container-services/package.json
index d4bd04774a..1a2bce24c6 100644
--- a/packages/azure-container-services/package.json
+++ b/packages/azure-container-services/package.json
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
     "url": "https://github.com/instana/nodejs/issues"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   },
   "license": "MIT",
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/collector/package.json b/packages/collector/package.json
index cc8f6e722e..bd8709f0e8 100644
--- a/packages/collector/package.json
+++ b/packages/collector/package.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     "url": "git+https://github.com/instana/nodejs.git"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   },
   "scripts": {
     "audit": "npm audit --omit=dev",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tracing/instrumentation/protocols/nativeFetch.js b/packages/core/src/tracing/instrumentation/protocols/nativeFetch.js
index 342c217921..dc4650c992 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/tracing/instrumentation/protocols/nativeFetch.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/tracing/instrumentation/protocols/nativeFetch.js
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ let isActive = false;
 exports.shouldAddHeadersToOptionsUnconditionally = function () {
   return (
     semver.eq(process.version, '21.0.0') ||
-    (semver.gte(process.version, '20.8.1') && semver.lt(process.version, '20.10.0')) ||
-    (semver.gte(process.version, '18.18.2') && semver.lt(process.version, '18.19.0'))
+    (semver.gte(process.version, '20.8.1') && semver.lt(process.version, '20.10.0'))
   );
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/util/nodeJsVersionCheck.js b/packages/core/src/util/nodeJsVersionCheck.js
index 42cc125b3b..5a45716ca7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/util/nodeJsVersionCheck.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/util/nodeJsVersionCheck.js
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
+const semver = require('semver');
 /**
  * This is the minimum required Node.js version for all @instana packages.
  */
-exports.minimumNodeJsVersion = 18;
+exports.minimumNodeJsVersion = '18.19.0';
 
 /**
  * Checks if the value of process.version denotes a Node.js version that is not supported, that is, older than the given
@@ -17,12 +18,9 @@ exports.minimumNodeJsVersion = 18;
  */
 exports.isNodeJsTooOld = function isNodeJsTooOld() {
   const currentVersion = process.version;
-  if (typeof currentVersion === 'string') {
-    const majorVersionStr = process.version.split('.')[0];
-    if (majorVersionStr.length > 1 && majorVersionStr.charAt(0) === 'v') {
-      const majorVersion = parseInt(majorVersionStr.substring(1), 10);
-      return !isNaN(majorVersion) && majorVersion < exports.minimumNodeJsVersion;
-    }
+  if (!semver.valid(currentVersion)) {
+    return false;
   }
-  return false;
+
+  return semver.lt(currentVersion, exports.minimumNodeJsVersion);
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/test/tracing/supportedVersion_test.js b/packages/core/test/tracing/supportedVersion_test.js
index efffe33fa1..c643917b43 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/tracing/supportedVersion_test.js
+++ b/packages/core/test/tracing/supportedVersion_test.js
@@ -11,12 +11,13 @@ const supportedTracingVersion = require('../../src/tracing/supportedVersion');
 
 describe('supported versions for Node.js auto tracing', () => {
   it('must support various Node.js versions', () => {
-    expect(supportedTracingVersion('18.1.1')).to.equal(true);
+    expect(supportedTracingVersion('18.19.0')).to.equal(true);
     expect(supportedTracingVersion('20.0.0')).to.equal(true);
     expect(supportedTracingVersion('21.2.0')).to.equal(true);
     expect(supportedTracingVersion('22.0.0')).to.equal(true);
     expect(supportedTracingVersion('23.0.0')).to.equal(true);
     expect(supportedTracingVersion('24.0.0')).to.equal(true);
+    expect(supportedTracingVersion('25.0.0')).to.equal(true);
   });
 
   it('must report various Node.js versions as not supported', () => {
@@ -45,5 +46,6 @@ describe('supported versions for Node.js auto tracing', () => {
     expect(supportedTracingVersion('12.0.0')).to.equal(false);
     expect(supportedTracingVersion('14.0.0')).to.equal(false);
     expect(supportedTracingVersion('16.1.0')).to.equal(false);
+    expect(supportedTracingVersion('18.18.0')).to.equal(false);
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/core/test/util/nodeJsTooOld_test.js b/packages/core/test/util/nodeJsTooOld_test.js
index 7e0a9c0722..92c62ac1db 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/util/nodeJsTooOld_test.js
+++ b/packages/core/test/util/nodeJsTooOld_test.js
@@ -77,6 +77,21 @@ describe('util.nodeJsTooOld', () => {
     expect(isNodeJsTooOld()).to.be.true;
   });
 
+  it('should reject Node.js 18.18.0', () => {
+    setProcessVersion('v18.18.0');
+    expect(isNodeJsTooOld()).to.be.true;
+  });
+
+  it('should reject Node.js 18.18.9', () => {
+    setProcessVersion('v18.18.0');
+    expect(isNodeJsTooOld()).to.be.true;
+  });
+
+  it('should accept Node.js 18.19.0', () => {
+    setProcessVersion('v18.19.0');
+    expect(isNodeJsTooOld()).to.be.false;
+  });
+
   it('should accept if process.version is not set', () => {
     setProcessVersion(undefined);
     expect(isNodeJsTooOld()).to.be.false;
@@ -94,7 +109,7 @@ describe('util.nodeJsTooOld', () => {
 
   it('should accept if process.version is in an unexpected format (no v prefix)', () => {
     setProcessVersion('11.22.33');
-    expect(isNodeJsTooOld()).to.be.false;
+    expect(isNodeJsTooOld()).to.be.true;
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/google-cloud-run/package.json b/packages/google-cloud-run/package.json
index 1f8b692a56..470a17726f 100644
--- a/packages/google-cloud-run/package.json
+++ b/packages/google-cloud-run/package.json
@@ -71,6 +71,6 @@
     "@instana/serverless": "4.29.0"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/metrics-util/package.json b/packages/metrics-util/package.json
index a3c61e5f4c..56aa48410a 100644
--- a/packages/metrics-util/package.json
+++ b/packages/metrics-util/package.json
@@ -59,5 +59,8 @@
     "@instana/core": "4.29.0",
     "@instana/shared-metrics": "4.29.0",
     "node-fetch": "^2.6.7"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-exporter/package.json b/packages/opentelemetry-exporter/package.json
index b9eb77dfc9..5335ed89a6 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-exporter/package.json
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-exporter/package.json
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     "CHANGELOG.md"
   ],
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-sampler/package.json b/packages/opentelemetry-sampler/package.json
index 2153d72b7b..9afc578edd 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-sampler/package.json
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-sampler/package.json
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     "CHANGELOG.md"
   ],
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18.0.0"
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
diff --git a/packages/serverless-collector/package.json b/packages/serverless-collector/package.json
index 36ad7b1a7d..f1eb7a9018 100644
--- a/packages/serverless-collector/package.json
+++ b/packages/serverless-collector/package.json
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
     "esm-loader.mjs",
     "esm-register.mjs"
   ],
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
+  },
   "publishConfig": {
     "access": "public"
   },
diff --git a/packages/serverless/package.json b/packages/serverless/package.json
index fdca3f65a8..95a9bcf812 100644
--- a/packages/serverless/package.json
+++ b/packages/serverless/package.json
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
     "src",
     "CHANGELOG.md"
   ],
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
+  },
   "publishConfig": {
     "access": "public"
   },
diff --git a/packages/shared-metrics/package.json b/packages/shared-metrics/package.json
index b5d2520985..6ddcebe274 100644
--- a/packages/shared-metrics/package.json
+++ b/packages/shared-metrics/package.json
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
     "addons/linux",
     "CHANGELOG.md"
   ],
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=18.19.0"
+  },
   "publishConfig": {
     "access": "public"
   },