diff --git a/.github/workflows/minor-version-bump.yml b/.github/workflows/minor-version-bump.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..336cb5128
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/minor-version-bump.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+name: Minor version bump check
+on:
+  pull_request:
+
+jobs:
+  minor-version-bump-check:
+    if: github.head_ref == '^v\d+\.\d+.*$' # Only runs on branches starting with vX.X (e.g., v1.2, v1.2.3, v1.2-main)
+    permissions: {}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Minor version bump check
+        uses: awslabs/aws-kotlin-repo-tools/.github/actions/minor-version-bump@main
diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index 2a900f2cd..951d4fdeb 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  */
 import aws.sdk.kotlin.gradle.dsl.configureJReleaser
 import aws.sdk.kotlin.gradle.dsl.configureLinting
+import aws.sdk.kotlin.gradle.dsl.configureMinorVersionStrategyRules
 import aws.sdk.kotlin.gradle.util.typedProp
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.tasks.KotlinCompile
 
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ val lintPaths = listOf(
 )
 
 configureLinting(lintPaths)
+configureMinorVersionStrategyRules(lintPaths)
 
 // Binary compatibility
 apiValidation {
diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index 40a133839..92c7aff40 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 kotlin-version = "2.2.0"
 dokka-version = "2.0.0"
 
-aws-kotlin-repo-tools-version = "0.4.50"
+aws-kotlin-repo-tools-version = "0.4.52"
 
 # libs
 coroutines-version = "1.10.2"
diff --git a/runtime/runtime-core/api/runtime-core.api b/runtime/runtime-core/api/runtime-core.api
index fcc7f6727..1db1d1066 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime-core/api/runtime-core.api
+++ b/runtime/runtime-core/api/runtime-core.api
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ public class aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/ClientException : aws/smithy/kotlin/runti
 	public fun <init> (Ljava/lang/Throwable;)V
 }
 
+public abstract interface annotation class aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/DeprecatedUntilVersion : java/lang/annotation/Annotation {
+	public abstract fun major ()I
+	public abstract fun minor ()I
+}
+
 public class aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/ErrorMetadata {
 	public static final field Companion Laws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/ErrorMetadata$Companion;
 	public fun <init> ()V
diff --git a/runtime/runtime-core/common/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/Annotations.kt b/runtime/runtime-core/common/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/Annotations.kt
index ee3ab01e2..d0b474e9e 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime-core/common/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/Annotations.kt
+++ b/runtime/runtime-core/common/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/Annotations.kt
@@ -58,3 +58,8 @@ public annotation class ExperimentalApi
  */
 @DslMarker
 public annotation class SdkDsl
+
+public annotation class DeprecatedUntilVersion(
+    val major: Int,
+    val minor: Int,
+)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/runtime/runtime-core/common/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/smoketests/SmokeTestsFunctions.kt b/runtime/runtime-core/common/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/smoketests/SmokeTestsFunctions.kt
index 8044dc620..13956b045 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime-core/common/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/smoketests/SmokeTestsFunctions.kt
+++ b/runtime/runtime-core/common/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/smoketests/SmokeTestsFunctions.kt
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@
 
 package aws.smithy.kotlin.runtime.smoketests
 
+import aws.smithy.kotlin.runtime.DeprecatedUntilVersion
+
 public expect fun exitProcess(status: Int): Nothing
 
+@DeprecatedUntilVersion(1, 6)
 public class SmokeTestsException(message: String) : Exception(message)
 
 /**