diff --git a/spa/include/spa/interfaces/audio/aec.h b/spa/include/spa/interfaces/audio/aec.h
index e68224057..9fb109df2 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/interfaces/audio/aec.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/interfaces/audio/aec.h
@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@ struct spa_audio_aec_methods {
 	int (*init) (void *object, const struct spa_dict *args, const struct spa_audio_info_raw *info);
 	int (*run) (void *object, const float *rec[], const float *play[], float *out[], uint32_t n_samples);
 	int (*set_props) (void *object, const struct spa_dict *args);
+	/* since 0.3.58, version 1:1 */
 	int (*activate) (void *object);
+	/* since 0.3.58, version 1:1 */
 	int (*deactivate) (void *object);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-echo-cancel.c b/src/modules/module-echo-cancel.c
index e9d426f2e..42caf780b 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-echo-cancel.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-echo-cancel.c
@@ -1024,8 +1024,16 @@ int pipewire__module_init(struct pw_impl_module *module, const char *args)
 	}
 	impl->aec = iface;
 	impl->spa_handle = handle;
-	pw_log_info("loaded aec plugin %s with interface version %d, using interface version %d",
-			impl->aec->name, impl->aec->iface.version, SPA_VERSION_AUDIO_AEC);
+
+	if (impl->aec->iface.version > SPA_VERSION_AUDIO_AEC) {
+		pw_log_error("codec plugin %s has incompatible ABI version (%d > %d)",
+			SPA_NAME_AEC, impl->aec->iface.version, SPA_VERSION_AUDIO_AEC);
+		res = -ENOENT;
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	pw_log_info("Using plugin AEC %s with version %d", impl->aec->name,
+			impl->aec->iface.version);
 
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(props, "aec.args")) != NULL)
 		aec_props = pw_properties_new_string(str);