diff --git a/libcomposefs/lcfs-writer.c b/libcomposefs/lcfs-writer.c
index bbe57564..cb17a6b5 100644
--- a/libcomposefs/lcfs-writer.c
+++ b/libcomposefs/lcfs-writer.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
+#include <sys/sysmacros.h>
 
 static void lcfs_node_remove_all_children(struct lcfs_node_s *node);
 static void lcfs_node_destroy(struct lcfs_node_s *node);
@@ -328,6 +329,27 @@ static int lcfs_close(struct lcfs_ctx_s *ctx)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static void lcfs_write_update_version(struct lcfs_node_s *node,
+				      struct lcfs_write_options_s *options)
+{
+	/* Version 1 changed how whiteouts are handled */
+	if (options->version < 1 && options->max_version >= 1) {
+		int type = node->inode.st_mode & S_IFMT;
+
+		if (type == S_IFCHR && node->inode.st_rdev == makedev(0, 0)) {
+			options->version = 1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < node->children_size; ++i) {
+		struct lcfs_node_s *child = node->children[i];
+		if (child->link_to != NULL) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		lcfs_write_update_version(child, options);
+	}
+}
+
 int lcfs_write_to(struct lcfs_node_s *root, struct lcfs_write_options_s *options)
 {
 	enum lcfs_format_t format = options->format;
@@ -340,11 +362,19 @@ int lcfs_write_to(struct lcfs_node_s *root, struct lcfs_write_options_s *options
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (options->version > LCFS_VERSION_MAX) {
+	if (options->version > LCFS_VERSION_MAX ||
+	    options->max_version > LCFS_VERSION_MAX) {
 		errno = EINVAL;
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	if (options->max_version < options->version) {
+		options->max_version = options->version;
+	}
+
+	/* Update options->version up to options->max_version if needed */
+	lcfs_write_update_version(root, options);
+
 	ctx = lcfs_new_ctx(root, options);
 	if (ctx == NULL) {
 		errno = ENOMEM;
diff --git a/libcomposefs/lcfs-writer.h b/libcomposefs/lcfs-writer.h
index 534a4a53..d2979db2 100644
--- a/libcomposefs/lcfs-writer.h
+++ b/libcomposefs/lcfs-writer.h
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ enum lcfs_flags_t {
  * 1 - Mark xwhitouts using the new opaque=x format as needed by Linux 6.8
  */
 
+/* Default value used by tooling, update with care */
+#define LCFS_DEFAULT_VERSION_MIN 0
+#define LCFS_DEFAULT_VERSION_MAX 1
+
 typedef ssize_t (*lcfs_read_cb)(void *file, void *buf, size_t count);
 typedef ssize_t (*lcfs_write_cb)(void *file, void *buf, size_t count);
 
@@ -64,7 +68,8 @@ struct lcfs_write_options_s {
 	uint8_t *digest_out;
 	void *file;
 	lcfs_write_cb file_write_cb;
-	uint32_t reserved[4];
+	uint32_t max_version;
+	uint32_t reserved[3];
 	void *reserved2[4];
 };
 
diff --git a/tests/test-checksums.sh b/tests/test-checksums.sh
index 7c120494..6e015e04 100755
--- a/tests/test-checksums.sh
+++ b/tests/test-checksums.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ for format in erofs ; do
         VERSION_ARG=""
         if test -f $ASSET_DIR/$file.version ; then
             VERSION="$(cat $ASSET_DIR/$file.version)"
-            VERSION_ARG="--format-version=$VERSION"
+            VERSION_ARG="--min-version=$VERSION --max-version=$VERSION"
         fi
 
         echo Verifying $file $VERSION_ARG
diff --git a/tools/mkcomposefs.c b/tools/mkcomposefs.c
index 6a999d18..6abfab36 100644
--- a/tools/mkcomposefs.c
+++ b/tools/mkcomposefs.c
@@ -326,8 +326,9 @@ static void usage(const char *argv0)
 		"  --print-digest        Print the digest of the image\n"
 		"  --print-digest-only   Print the digest of the image, don't write image\n"
 		"  --from-file           The source is a dump file, not a directory\n"
-		"  --format-version=N    Use this format version (default=%d)\n",
-		bin, LCFS_VERSION_MAX);
+		"  --min-version=N       Use this minimal format version (default=%d)\n"
+		"  --max-version=N       Use this maxium format version (default=%d)\n",
+		bin, LCFS_DEFAULT_VERSION_MIN, LCFS_DEFAULT_VERSION_MAX);
 }
 
 #define OPT_SKIP_XATTRS 102
@@ -338,7 +339,8 @@ static void usage(const char *argv0)
 #define OPT_PRINT_DIGEST_ONLY 111
 #define OPT_USER_XATTRS 112
 #define OPT_FROM_FILE 113
-#define OPT_FORMAT_VERSION 114
+#define OPT_MIN_VERSION 114
+#define OPT_MAX_VERSION 115
 
 static ssize_t write_cb(void *_file, void *buf, size_t count)
 {
@@ -881,10 +883,16 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			val: OPT_FROM_FILE
 		},
 		{
-			name: "format-version",
+			name: "max-version",
 			has_arg: required_argument,
 			flag: NULL,
-			val: OPT_FORMAT_VERSION
+			val: OPT_MAX_VERSION
+		},
+		{
+			name: "min-version",
+			has_arg: required_argument,
+			flag: NULL,
+			val: OPT_MIN_VERSION
 		},
 		{},
 	};
@@ -903,7 +911,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int opt;
 	FILE *out_file;
 	char *failed_path;
-	long format_version = LCFS_VERSION_MAX;
+	long min_version = LCFS_DEFAULT_VERSION_MIN;
+	long max_version = LCFS_DEFAULT_VERSION_MAX;
 	char *end;
 
 	/* We always compute the digest and reference by digest */
@@ -935,10 +944,17 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		case OPT_FROM_FILE:
 			from_file = true;
 			break;
-		case OPT_FORMAT_VERSION:
-			format_version = strtol(optarg, &end, 10);
+		case OPT_MIN_VERSION:
+			min_version = strtol(optarg, &end, 10);
+			if (*optarg == 0 || *end != 0) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "Invalid min version %s\n", optarg);
+				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+			}
+			break;
+		case OPT_MAX_VERSION:
+			max_version = strtol(optarg, &end, 10);
 			if (*optarg == 0 || *end != 0) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "Invalid format version %s\n", optarg);
+				fprintf(stderr, "Invalid max version %s\n", optarg);
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			}
 			break;
@@ -1035,7 +1051,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		options.digest_out = digest;
 
 	options.format = LCFS_FORMAT_EROFS;
-	options.version = (int)format_version;
+	options.version = (int)min_version;
+	options.max_version = (int)max_version;
 
 	if (lcfs_write_to(root, &options) < 0)
 		err(EXIT_FAILURE, "cannot write file");