diff --git a/.github/workflows/version-check.yml b/.github/workflows/version-check.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b238999ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/version-check.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+name: Version Check
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ main ]
+  push:
+    branches: [ main ]
+
+jobs:
+  version-check:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Get version from VERSION file
+        id: file-version
+        run: |
+          if [ -f "VERSION" ]; then
+            FILE_VERSION=$(cat VERSION | tr -d '\n\r ')
+            echo "version=$FILE_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            echo "VERSION file contains: $FILE_VERSION"
+          else
+            echo "VERSION file not found!"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Get version from git tag
+        id: git-version
+        run: |
+          GIT_VERSION=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 --always)
+          echo "version=$GIT_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "Git tag version: $GIT_VERSION"
+
+      - name: Install semver comparison tool
+        run: |
+          npm install -g semver
+
+      - name: Compare versions
+        run: |
+          FILE_VERSION="${{ steps.file-version.outputs.version }}"
+          GIT_VERSION="${{ steps.git-version.outputs.version }}"
+          
+          echo "Comparing versions:"
+          echo "  VERSION file: $FILE_VERSION"
+          echo "  Git tag:      $GIT_VERSION"
+          
+          # Remove 'v' prefix if present for comparison
+          FILE_VERSION_CLEAN=$(echo "$FILE_VERSION" | sed 's/^v//')
+          GIT_VERSION_CLEAN=$(echo "$GIT_VERSION" | sed 's/^v//')
+          
+          # Check if versions are valid semver
+          if ! semver "$FILE_VERSION_CLEAN" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "ERROR: VERSION file contains invalid semantic version: $FILE_VERSION"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          
+          if ! semver "$GIT_VERSION_CLEAN" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "ERROR: Git tag contains invalid semantic version: $GIT_VERSION"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          
+          # Compare versions: -1 if first < second, 0 if equal, 1 if first > second
+          if [ ! $(semver -r ">=$GIT_VERSION_CLEAN" "$FILE_VERSION_CLEAN") ]; then
+            echo "VERSION file ($FILE_VERSION) is behind git tag ($GIT_VERSION)"
+            echo "The VERSION file must be ahead of or equal to the latest git tag."
+            exit 1
+          else
+            echo "VERSION file ($FILE_VERSION) is ahead of or equal to git tag ($GIT_VERSION)"
+          fi
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ceac7812d..26901bb55 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ GO_TEST_EXTRA ?=
 GO_TEST_COVER_PROFILE ?= cover.out
 GO_TEST_CODECOV ?=
 
-BUILD ?= $(shell date +%FT%T%z)
+BUILD_DATE ?= $(shell date +%FT%T%z)
 GOVERSION ?= $(shell go version | cut -d " " -f3)
-COMPONENT_VERSION ?= $(shell git describe --tags --abbrev=0 --always)
+COMPONENT_VERSION ?= $(shell cat VERSION)
 COMPONENT_BRANCH ?= $(shell git describe --always --contains --all)
 PMM_RELEASE_FULLCOMMIT ?= $(shell git rev-parse HEAD)
-GO_BUILD_LDFLAGS = -X main.version=${COMPONENT_VERSION} -X main.buildDate=${BUILD} -X main.commit=${PMM_RELEASE_FULLCOMMIT} -X main.Branch=${COMPONENT_BRANCH} -X main.GoVersion=${GOVERSION} -s -w
+GO_BUILD_LDFLAGS = -X main.version=${COMPONENT_VERSION} -X main.buildDate=${BUILD_DATE} -X main.commit=${PMM_RELEASE_FULLCOMMIT} -X main.Branch=${COMPONENT_BRANCH} -X main.GoVersion=${GOVERSION} -s -w
 NAME ?= mongodb_exporter
 REPO ?= percona/$(NAME)
 GORELEASER_FLAGS ?=
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..67d3cf473
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+v0.45.0