diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/mtk_vcodec_drv.h b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/mtk_vcodec_drv.h
index e92e52c0e601..1676c26eb229 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/mtk_vcodec_drv.h
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/mtk_vcodec_drv.h
@@ -300,13 +300,21 @@ struct mtk_vcodec_ctx {
 
 };
 
+enum mtk_chip {
+	MTK_MT8173,
+};
+
 /**
  * struct mtk_vcodec_enc_pdata - compatible data for each IC
  *
+ * @chip: chip this encoder is compatible with
+ *
  * @uses_ext: whether the encoder uses the extended firmware messaging format
  * @has_lt_irq: whether the encoder uses the LT irq
  */
 struct mtk_vcodec_enc_pdata {
+	enum mtk_chip chip;
+
 	bool uses_ext;
 	bool has_lt_irq;
 };
diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/mtk_vcodec_enc_drv.c b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/mtk_vcodec_enc_drv.c
index 6ee3bd5453cb..fd17724f29f6 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/mtk_vcodec_enc_drv.c
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/mtk_vcodec_enc_drv.c
@@ -393,6 +393,7 @@ err_enc_pm:
 }
 
 static const struct mtk_vcodec_enc_pdata mt8173_pdata = {
+	.chip = MTK_MT8173,
 	.has_lt_irq = true,
 };
 
diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/venc_ipi_msg.h b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/venc_ipi_msg.h
index 316f8ecd6b4c..2feb0365179f 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/venc_ipi_msg.h
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/venc_ipi_msg.h
@@ -138,16 +138,17 @@ struct venc_vpu_ipi_msg_common {
  * @venc_inst:	AP encoder instance (struct venc_vp8_inst/venc_h264_inst *)
  * @vpu_inst_addr:	VPU encoder instance addr
  *			(struct venc_vp8_vsi/venc_h264_vsi *)
- * @reserved:	reserved for future use. vpu is running in 32bit. Without
- *		this reserved field, if kernel run in 64bit. this struct size
- *		will be different between kernel and vpu
+ * @venc_abi_version:	ABI version of the firmware. Kernel can use it to
+ *			ensure that it is compatible with the firmware.
+ *			For MT8173 the value of this field is undefined and
+ *			should not be used.
  */
 struct venc_vpu_ipi_msg_init {
 	uint32_t msg_id;
 	uint32_t status;
 	uint64_t venc_inst;
 	uint32_t vpu_inst_addr;
-	uint32_t reserved;
+	uint32_t venc_abi_version;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/venc_vpu_if.c b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/venc_vpu_if.c
index 1eb546f60698..be6d8790a41e 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/venc_vpu_if.c
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/mtk-vcodec/venc_vpu_if.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * Author: PoChun Lin <pochun.lin@mediatek.com>
  */
 
+#include "mtk_vcodec_drv.h"
 #include "mtk_vcodec_fw.h"
 #include "venc_ipi_msg.h"
 #include "venc_vpu_if.h"
@@ -15,6 +16,23 @@ static void handle_enc_init_msg(struct venc_vpu_inst *vpu, const void *data)
 	vpu->inst_addr = msg->vpu_inst_addr;
 	vpu->vsi = mtk_vcodec_fw_map_dm_addr(vpu->ctx->dev->fw_handler,
 					     msg->vpu_inst_addr);
+
+	/* Firmware version field value is unspecified on MT8173. */
+	if (vpu->ctx->dev->venc_pdata->chip == MTK_MT8173)
+		return;
+
+	/* Check firmware version. */
+	mtk_vcodec_debug(vpu, "firmware version: 0x%x\n",
+			 msg->venc_abi_version);
+	switch (msg->venc_abi_version) {
+	case 1:
+		break;
+	default:
+		mtk_vcodec_err(vpu, "unhandled firmware version 0x%x\n",
+			       msg->venc_abi_version);
+		vpu->failure = 1;
+		break;
+	}
 }
 
 static void handle_enc_encode_msg(struct venc_vpu_inst *vpu, const void *data)
@@ -35,6 +53,11 @@ static void vpu_enc_ipi_handler(void *data, unsigned int len, void *priv)
 	mtk_vcodec_debug(vpu, "msg_id %x inst %p status %d",
 			 msg->msg_id, vpu, msg->status);
 
+	vpu->signaled = 1;
+	vpu->failure = (msg->status != VENC_IPI_MSG_STATUS_OK);
+	if (vpu->failure)
+		goto failure;
+
 	switch (msg->msg_id) {
 	case VPU_IPIMSG_ENC_INIT_DONE:
 		handle_enc_init_msg(vpu, data);
@@ -51,9 +74,7 @@ static void vpu_enc_ipi_handler(void *data, unsigned int len, void *priv)
 		break;
 	}
 
-	vpu->signaled = 1;
-	vpu->failure = (msg->status != VENC_IPI_MSG_STATUS_OK);
-
+failure:
 	mtk_vcodec_debug_leave(vpu);
 }