diff --git a/src/libwolfboot.c b/src/libwolfboot.c
index f5161446..99db6ee9 100644
--- a/src/libwolfboot.c
+++ b/src/libwolfboot.c
@@ -1395,6 +1395,15 @@ int wolfBoot_dualboot_candidate(void)
             (wolfBoot_get_partition_state(candidate, &p_state) == 0) &&
             (p_state == IMG_STATE_TESTING))
     {
+#ifndef ALLOW_DOWNGRADE
+        uint32_t candidate_v = (candidate == PART_BOOT) ? boot_v : update_v;
+        uint32_t fallback_v = (candidate == PART_BOOT) ? update_v : boot_v;
+
+        if (fallback_v < candidate_v) {
+            wolfBoot_printf("Rollback to lower version not allowed\n");
+            return -1;
+        }
+#endif
         wolfBoot_erase_partition(candidate);
         candidate ^= 1; /* switch to other partition if available */
     }
diff --git a/src/update_disk.c b/src/update_disk.c
index 244d9115..bb729122 100644
--- a/src/update_disk.c
+++ b/src/update_disk.c
@@ -259,6 +259,7 @@ void RAMFUNCTION wolfBoot_start(void)
     uint32_t *load_address;
     int failures = 0;
     uint32_t load_off;
+    uint32_t max_ver;
     const uint8_t *hdr_ptr = NULL;
 #ifdef MMU
     uint8_t *dts_addr = NULL;
@@ -346,6 +347,7 @@ void RAMFUNCTION wolfBoot_start(void)
     }
 
     wolfBoot_printf("Versions, A:%u B:%u\r\n", pA_ver, pB_ver);
+    max_ver = (pB_ver > pA_ver) ? (uint32_t)pB_ver : (uint32_t)pA_ver;
 
     /* Choose partition with higher version */
     selected = (pB_ver > pA_ver) ? 1: 0;
@@ -368,6 +370,15 @@ void RAMFUNCTION wolfBoot_start(void)
             cur_part = BOOT_PART_B;
         else
             cur_part = BOOT_PART_A;
+#ifndef ALLOW_DOWNGRADE
+        {
+            uint32_t cur_ver = selected ? (uint32_t)pB_ver : (uint32_t)pA_ver;
+            if ((max_ver > 0U) && (cur_ver < max_ver)) {
+                wolfBoot_printf("Rollback to lower version not allowed\r\n");
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+#endif
 
         part_name[2] = 'A' + selected;
 
diff --git a/src/update_flash_hwswap.c b/src/update_flash_hwswap.c
index 65ce6391..b0725404 100644
--- a/src/update_flash_hwswap.c
+++ b/src/update_flash_hwswap.c
@@ -45,12 +45,24 @@ void RAMFUNCTION wolfBoot_start(void)
     int active;
     struct wolfBoot_image fw_image;
     uint8_t p_state;
+#ifndef ALLOW_DOWNGRADE
+    uint32_t boot_v = wolfBoot_current_firmware_version();
+    uint32_t update_v = wolfBoot_update_firmware_version();
+    uint32_t max_v = (boot_v > update_v) ? boot_v : update_v;
+#endif
     active = wolfBoot_dualboot_candidate();
 
     if (active < 0) /* panic if no images available */
         boot_panic();
 
     for (;;) {
+#ifndef ALLOW_DOWNGRADE
+        uint32_t active_v = (active == PART_UPDATE) ? update_v : boot_v;
+        if ((max_v > 0U) && (active_v < max_v)) {
+            wolfBoot_printf("Rollback to lower version not allowed\n");
+            boot_panic();
+        }
+#endif
         if ((wolfBoot_open_image(&fw_image, active) < 0)
 #ifndef WOLFBOOT_SKIP_BOOT_VERIFY
             || (wolfBoot_verify_integrity(&fw_image) < 0)
diff --git a/src/update_ram.c b/src/update_ram.c
index 24729906..902f1ad4 100644
--- a/src/update_ram.c
+++ b/src/update_ram.c
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ void RAMFUNCTION wolfBoot_start(void)
     uint8_t *dts_addr = NULL;
     uint32_t dts_size = 0;
 #endif
+#ifndef ALLOW_DOWNGRADE
+    uint32_t boot_v = wolfBoot_current_firmware_version();
+    uint32_t update_v = wolfBoot_update_firmware_version();
+    uint32_t max_v = (boot_v > update_v) ? boot_v : update_v;
+#endif
 
     memset(&os_image, 0, sizeof(struct wolfBoot_image));
 
@@ -162,6 +167,16 @@ void RAMFUNCTION wolfBoot_start(void)
             wolfBoot_panic();
             break;
         }
+#ifndef ALLOW_DOWNGRADE
+        {
+            uint32_t active_v = (active == PART_UPDATE) ? update_v : boot_v;
+            if ((max_v > 0U) && (active_v < max_v)) {
+                wolfBoot_printf("Rollback to lower version not allowed\n");
+                wolfBoot_panic();
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+#endif
 
     #if defined(WOLFBOOT_DUALBOOT) && defined(WOLFBOOT_FIXED_PARTITIONS)
         wolfBoot_printf("Trying %s partition at %p\n",
diff --git a/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-disk.c b/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-disk.c
index 2e7831de..80d00c43 100644
--- a/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-disk.c
+++ b/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-disk.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ static int mock_disk_init_ret;
 static int mock_disk_close_called;
 static int mock_do_boot_called;
 static const uint32_t *mock_boot_address;
+static int mock_fail_payload_part;
 
 ChaCha chacha;
 
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ static void reset_mocks(void)
     mock_disk_close_called = 0;
     mock_do_boot_called = 0;
     mock_boot_address = NULL;
+    mock_fail_payload_part = -1;
     wolfBoot_panicked = 0;
 }
 
@@ -140,6 +142,8 @@ int disk_part_read(int drv, int part, uint64_t off, uint64_t sz, uint8_t *buf)
 
     (void)drv;
     image = (part == BOOT_PART_B) ? part_b_image : part_a_image;
+    if ((mock_fail_payload_part == part) && (off >= IMAGE_HEADER_SIZE))
+        return -1;
     if ((off > max) || (sz > (max - off)))
         return -1;
     memcpy(buf, image + off, (size_t)sz);
@@ -288,6 +292,19 @@ START_TEST(test_get_decrypted_blob_version_rejects_truncated_version_tlv)
 }
 END_TEST
 
+START_TEST(test_update_disk_rejects_rollback_after_higher_image_failure)
+{
+    reset_mocks();
+    build_image(part_a_image, 7, 0xA1);
+    build_image(part_b_image, 5, 0xB2);
+    mock_fail_payload_part = BOOT_PART_A;
+
+    wolfBoot_start();
+
+    ck_assert_int_eq(wolfBoot_panicked, 1);
+}
+END_TEST
+
 Suite *wolfboot_suite(void)
 {
     Suite *s = suite_create("wolfBoot");
@@ -297,6 +314,7 @@ Suite *wolfboot_suite(void)
     tcase_add_test(tc, test_update_disk_zeroizes_key_material_before_boot);
     tcase_add_test(tc, test_update_disk_prefers_primary_partition_when_versions_equal);
     tcase_add_test(tc, test_get_decrypted_blob_version_rejects_truncated_version_tlv);
+    tcase_add_test(tc, test_update_disk_rejects_rollback_after_higher_image_failure);
     suite_add_tcase(s, tc);
 
     return s;
diff --git a/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-ram-nofixed.c b/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-ram-nofixed.c
index 39d047f9..1b936a98 100644
--- a/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-ram-nofixed.c
+++ b/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-ram-nofixed.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ static int add_payload(uint8_t part, uint32_t version, uint32_t size)
     return 0;
 }
 
-START_TEST(test_invalid_update_falls_back_to_boot_without_reselect_loop)
+START_TEST(test_invalid_update_rollback_to_older_boot_is_denied)
 {
     uint8_t bad_digest[SHA256_DIGEST_SIZE];
 
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ START_TEST(test_invalid_update_falls_back_to_boot_without_reselect_loop)
 
     wolfBoot_start();
 
-    ck_assert_int_eq(wolfBoot_staged_ok, 1);
-    ck_assert_ptr_eq(wolfBoot_stage_address, (const uint32_t *)WOLFBOOT_LOAD_ADDRESS);
+    ck_assert_int_eq(wolfBoot_staged_ok, 0);
+    ck_assert_int_eq(wolfBoot_panicked, 1);
     cleanup_flash();
 }
 END_TEST
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ static Suite *wolfboot_suite(void)
     Suite *s = suite_create("wolfboot-update-ram-nofixed");
     TCase *tc = tcase_create("fallback");
 
-    tcase_add_test(tc, test_invalid_update_falls_back_to_boot_without_reselect_loop);
+    tcase_add_test(tc, test_invalid_update_rollback_to_older_boot_is_denied);
     tcase_set_timeout(tc, 5);
     suite_add_tcase(s, tc);
 
diff --git a/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-ram.c b/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-ram.c
index fecac505..2837629f 100644
--- a/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-ram.c
+++ b/tools/unit-tests/unit-update-ram.c
@@ -378,8 +378,8 @@ START_TEST (test_invalid_update_type) {
     ext_flash_lock();
     wolfBoot_update_trigger();
     wolfBoot_start();
-    ck_assert(wolfBoot_staged_ok);
-    ck_assert(get_version_ramloaded() == 1);
+    ck_assert(!wolfBoot_staged_ok);
+    ck_assert_int_eq(wolfBoot_panicked, 1);
     cleanup_flash();
 }
 
@@ -396,8 +396,8 @@ START_TEST (test_update_toolarge) {
 
     wolfBoot_update_trigger();
     wolfBoot_start();
-    ck_assert(wolfBoot_staged_ok);
-    ck_assert(get_version_ramloaded() == 1);
+    ck_assert(!wolfBoot_staged_ok);
+    ck_assert_int_eq(wolfBoot_panicked, 1);
     cleanup_flash();
 }
 
@@ -414,12 +414,12 @@ START_TEST (test_invalid_sha) {
     ext_flash_lock();
     wolfBoot_update_trigger();
     wolfBoot_start();
-    ck_assert(wolfBoot_staged_ok);
-    ck_assert(get_version_ramloaded() == 1);
+    ck_assert(!wolfBoot_staged_ok);
+    ck_assert_int_eq(wolfBoot_panicked, 1);
     cleanup_flash();
 }
 
-START_TEST (test_emergency_rollback) {
+START_TEST (test_emergency_rollback_to_older_version_denied) {
     uint8_t testing_flags[5] = { IMG_STATE_TESTING, 'B', 'O', 'O', 'T' };
     reset_mock_stats();
     prepare_flash();
@@ -432,8 +432,8 @@ START_TEST (test_emergency_rollback) {
     ext_flash_lock();
 
     wolfBoot_start();
-    ck_assert(wolfBoot_staged_ok);
-    ck_assert(get_version_ramloaded() == 1);
+    ck_assert(!wolfBoot_staged_ok);
+    ck_assert_int_eq(wolfBoot_panicked, 1);
     cleanup_flash();
 }
 
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ Suite *wolfboot_suite(void)
     tcase_add_test(invalid_update_type, test_invalid_update_type);
     tcase_add_test(update_toolarge, test_update_toolarge);
     tcase_add_test(invalid_sha, test_invalid_sha);
-    tcase_add_test(emergency_rollback, test_emergency_rollback);
+    tcase_add_test(emergency_rollback, test_emergency_rollback_to_older_version_denied);
     tcase_add_test(emergency_rollback_failure_due_to_bad_update, test_emergency_rollback_failure_due_to_bad_update);
     tcase_add_test(empty_boot_partition_update, test_empty_boot_partition_update);
     tcase_add_test(empty_boot_but_update_sha_corrupted_denied, test_empty_boot_but_update_sha_corrupted_denied);