diff --git a/R/model.R b/R/model.R
index 323320b46..2a29560a9 100644
--- a/R/model.R
+++ b/R/model.R
@@ -233,7 +233,8 @@ CmdStanModel <- R6::R6Class(
     precompile_cpp_options_ = NULL,
     precompile_stanc_options_ = NULL,
     precompile_include_paths_ = NULL,
-    variables_ = NULL
+    variables_ = NULL,
+    cmdstan_version_ = NULL
   ),
   public = list(
     functions = NULL,
@@ -271,8 +272,14 @@ CmdStanModel <- R6::R6Class(
       if (!is.null(stan_file) && compile) {
         self$compile(...)
       }
+
+      # for now, set this based on current version
+      # at initialize so its never null
+      # in the future, will be set only if/when we have a binary
+      # as the version the model was compiled with
+      private$cmdstan_version_ <- cmdstan_version()
       if (length(self$exe_file()) > 0 && file.exists(self$exe_file())) {
-        cpp_options <- model_compile_info(self$exe_file())
+        cpp_options <- model_compile_info(self$exe_file(), self$cmdstan_version())
         for (cpp_option_name in names(cpp_options)) {
           if (cpp_option_name != "stan_version" &&
               (!is.logical(cpp_options[[cpp_option_name]]) || isTRUE(cpp_options[[cpp_option_name]]))) {
@@ -328,6 +335,9 @@ CmdStanModel <- R6::R6Class(
       }
       private$exe_file_
     },
+    cmdstan_version = function() {
+      private$cmdstan_version_
+    },
     cpp_options = function() {
       private$cpp_options_
     },
@@ -737,6 +747,7 @@ compile <- function(quiet = TRUE,
                con = wsl_safe_path(private$hpp_file_, revert = TRUE))
   } # End - if(!dry_run)
 
+  private$cmdstan_version_ <- cmdstan_version()
   private$exe_file_ <- exe
   private$cpp_options_ <- cpp_options
   private$precompile_cpp_options_ <- NULL
@@ -786,7 +797,7 @@ CmdStanModel$set("public", name = "compile", value = compile)
 #' }
 #'
 variables <- function() {
-  if (cmdstan_version() < "2.27.0") {
+  if (self$cmdstan_version() < "2.27.0") {
     stop("$variables() is only supported for CmdStan 2.27 or newer.", call. = FALSE)
   }
   if (length(self$stan_file()) == 0) {
@@ -993,6 +1004,10 @@ format <- function(overwrite_file = FALSE,
                    backup = TRUE,
                    max_line_length = NULL,
                    quiet = FALSE) {
+  # querying current version here not model object version
+  # because this is pre-compile work based on the cmdstanr
+  # version that will be used to compile in teh future,
+  # not based on what was used to compile existing binary (if any)
   if (cmdstan_version() < "2.29.0" && !is.null(max_line_length)) {
     stop(
       "'max_line_length' is only supported with CmdStan 2.29.0 or newer.",
@@ -1208,7 +1223,7 @@ sample <- function(data = NULL,
     }
   }
 
-  if (cmdstan_version() >= "2.27.0" && cmdstan_version() < "2.36.0" && !fixed_param) {
+  if (self$cmdstan_version() >= "2.27.0" && self$cmdstan_version() < "2.36.0" && !fixed_param) {
     if (self$has_stan_file() && file.exists(self$stan_file())) {
       if (!is.null(self$variables()) && length(self$variables()$parameters) == 0) {
         stop("Model contains no parameters. Please use 'fixed_param = TRUE'.", call. = FALSE)
@@ -1652,7 +1667,7 @@ laplace <- function(data = NULL,
                     show_messages = TRUE,
                     show_exceptions = TRUE,
                     save_cmdstan_config = NULL) {
-  if (cmdstan_version() < "2.32") {
+  if (self$cmdstan_version() < "2.32") {
     stop("This method is only available in cmdstan >= 2.32", call. = FALSE)
   }
   if (!is.null(mode) && !is.null(opt_args)) {
@@ -2382,9 +2397,9 @@ model_variables <- function(stan_file, include_paths = NULL, allow_undefined = F
   variables
 }
 
-model_compile_info <- function(exe_file) {
+model_compile_info <- function(exe_file, version) {
   info <- NULL
-  if (cmdstan_version() > "2.26.1") {
+  if (version > "2.26.1") {
     withr::with_path(
       c(
         toolchain_PATH_env_var(),
diff --git a/R/path.R b/R/path.R
index 15bbeae69..4353d7b12 100644
--- a/R/path.R
+++ b/R/path.R
@@ -234,11 +234,19 @@ unset_cmdstan_path <- function() {
 }
 
 # fake a cmdstan version (only used in tests)
-fake_cmdstan_version <- function(version) {
+fake_cmdstan_version <- function(version, mod = NULL) {
   .cmdstanr$VERSION <- version
+  if (!is.null(mod)) {
+    if (!is.null(mod$.__enclos_env__$private$exe_info_)) {
+      mod$.__enclos_env__$private$exe_info_$stan_version <- version
+    }
+    if (!is.null(mod$.__enclos_env__$private$cmdstan_version_)) {
+      mod$.__enclos_env__$private$cmdstan_version_ <- version
+    }
+  }
 }
-reset_cmdstan_version <- function() {
-  .cmdstanr$VERSION <- read_cmdstan_version(cmdstan_path())
+reset_cmdstan_version <- function(mod = NULL) {
+  fake_cmdstan_version(read_cmdstan_version(cmdstan_path()), mod = mod)
 }
 
 .home_path <- function() {
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-model-sample.R b/tests/testthat/test-model-sample.R
index 5c9632474..15ec118f5 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-model-sample.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-model-sample.R
@@ -316,13 +316,13 @@ test_that("Correct behavior if fixed_param not set when the model has no paramet
   "
   stan_file <- write_stan_file(code)
   m <- cmdstan_model(stan_file)
-  fake_cmdstan_version("2.35.0")
+  fake_cmdstan_version("2.35.0", m)
   expect_error(
     m$sample(),
     "Model contains no parameters. Please use 'fixed_param = TRUE'."
   )
 
-  reset_cmdstan_version()
+  reset_cmdstan_version(m)
   if (cmdstan_version() >= "2.36.0") {
     # as of 2.36.0 we don't need fixed_param if no parameters
     expect_no_error(
@@ -334,13 +334,13 @@ test_that("Correct behavior if fixed_param not set when the model has no paramet
 })
 
 test_that("sig_figs warning if version less than 2.25", {
-  fake_cmdstan_version("2.24.0")
+  fake_cmdstan_version("2.24.0", mod)
   expect_warning(
     expect_sample_output(mod$sample(data = data_list, chains = 1, refresh = 0, sig_figs = 3)),
     "The 'sig_figs' argument is only supported with cmdstan 2.25+ and will be ignored!",
     fixed = TRUE
   )
-  reset_cmdstan_version()
+  reset_cmdstan_version(mod)
 })
 
 test_that("Errors are suppressed with show_exceptions", {
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-model-variables.R b/tests/testthat/test-model-variables.R
index a34b72dd1..8545e4456 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-model-variables.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-model-variables.R
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ set_cmdstan_path()
 test_that("$variables() errors if version less than 2.27", {
   mod <- testing_model("bernoulli")
   ver <- cmdstan_version()
-  .cmdstanr$VERSION <- "2.26.0"
+  fake_cmdstan_version("2.26.0", mod = mod)
   expect_error(
     mod$variables(),
     "$variables() is only supported for CmdStan 2.27 or newer",
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-opencl.R b/tests/testthat/test-opencl.R
index d5774d998..265f638fa 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-opencl.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-opencl.R
@@ -107,15 +107,15 @@ test_that("all methods run with valid opencl_ids", {
 
 test_that("error for runtime selection of OpenCL devices if version less than 2.26", {
   skip_if_not(Sys.getenv("CMDSTANR_OPENCL_TESTS") %in% c("1", "true"))
-  fake_cmdstan_version("2.25.0")
 
   stan_file <- testing_stan_file("bernoulli")
   mod <- cmdstan_model(stan_file = stan_file, cpp_options = list(stan_opencl = TRUE),
                        force_recompile = TRUE)
+  fake_cmdstan_version("2.25.0", mod)
   expect_error(
     mod$sample(data = testing_data("bernoulli"), chains = 1, refresh = 0, opencl_ids = c(1,1)),
     "Runtime selection of OpenCL devices is only supported with CmdStan version 2.26 or newer",
     fixed = TRUE
   )
-  reset_cmdstan_version()
+  reset_cmdstan_version(mod)
 })