diff --git a/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/Engine.java b/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/Engine.java
index 7946754..4eb265c 100644
--- a/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/Engine.java
+++ b/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/Engine.java
@@ -321,6 +321,8 @@ public final class Engine extends SubsystemClass {
                 //noinspection DataFlowIssue // the crash call will prevent a NullPointerException
                 subsystemsMutable.add(new DependencySubsystemVector(initializedClass.getDependencyVector(), initializedClass));
             } catch (Exception exception) {
+                if (exception.getClass() == IllegalStateException.class && exception.getMessage().startsWith("The version string is invalid: "))
+                    logger.crash("Failed to initialize subsystem " + clazz.getName() + ": Invalid version string: " + exception.getMessage().replace("The version string is invalid: ", ""));
                 logger.crash("Failed to initialize subsystem " + clazz.getName() + ": Method invocation error", exception);
             }
         }
diff --git a/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/classes/SubsystemClass.java b/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/classes/SubsystemClass.java
index 9fb18f7..261e50d 100644
--- a/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/classes/SubsystemClass.java
+++ b/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/classes/SubsystemClass.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ package de.staropensource.sosengine.base.classes;
 import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.Engine;
 import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.annotations.EngineSubsystem;
 import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.annotations.EventListener;
+import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.exceptions.versioning.InvalidVersionStringException;
 import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.internal.events.InternalEngineShutdownEvent;
 import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.logging.LoggerInstance;
 import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.types.DependencyVector;
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ public abstract class SubsystemClass {
      * @see DependencyVector
      * @since v1-alpha1
      */
-    public abstract @NotNull DependencyVector getDependencyVector();
+    public abstract @NotNull DependencyVector getDependencyVector() throws InvalidVersionStringException;
 
     /**
      * Called on engine shutdown.
diff --git a/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/types/DependencyVector.java b/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/types/DependencyVector.java
index 2d7859b..a674e03 100644
--- a/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/types/DependencyVector.java
+++ b/base/src/main/java/de/staropensource/sosengine/base/types/DependencyVector.java
@@ -20,11 +20,13 @@
 package de.staropensource.sosengine.base.types;
 
 import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.classes.VersioningSystem;
+import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.exceptions.versioning.InvalidVersionStringException;
 import de.staropensource.sosengine.base.utility.DependencyResolver;
 import lombok.Getter;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Set;
 
@@ -198,6 +200,18 @@ public class DependencyVector {
                 throw new IllegalStateException("The versioning system is unset");
             if (version == null || version.isBlank())
                 throw new IllegalStateException("The version is unset");
+
+            // Check if version string is valid
+            try {
+                versioningSystem.getDeclaredConstructor(String.class).newInstance(version);
+            } catch (InvocationTargetException exception) {
+                if (exception.getTargetException().getClass() == InvalidVersionStringException.class)
+                    throw new IllegalStateException("The version string is invalid: " + exception.getTargetException().getMessage());
+                else
+                    throw new IllegalStateException("Version string validation failed: Constructor threw " + exception.getTargetException().getClass().getName() + ": " + exception.getTargetException().getMessage());
+            } catch (Exception exception) {
+                throw new IllegalStateException("Version string validation failed: Threw " + exception.getClass().getName() + ": " + exception.getMessage());
+            }
         }
 
         /**