diff --git a/packages/react-native/__tests__/cli-test.js b/packages/react-native/__tests__/cli-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..01b43a4c2b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-native/__tests__/cli-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) Meta Platforms, Inc. and affiliates.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ *
+ * @format
+ * @noflow
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+const {spawnSync} = require('node:child_process');
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const os = require('node:os');
+const path = require('node:path');
+
+describe('react-native CLI compatibility', () => {
+  let projectDir;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    projectDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'rn-cli-test-'));
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    fs.rmSync(projectDir, {recursive: true, force: true});
+  });
+
+  function runConfig(version) {
+    const cliDir = path.join(
+      projectDir,
+      'node_modules',
+      '@react-native-community',
+      'cli',
+    );
+    fs.mkdirSync(cliDir, {recursive: true});
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(cliDir, 'package.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({version}),
+    );
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(cliDir, 'index.js'),
+      'exports.run = () => console.log(JSON.stringify({platforms: {}}));',
+    );
+    const reactNativeDir = path.join(
+      projectDir,
+      'node_modules',
+      'react-native',
+    );
+    fs.mkdirSync(reactNativeDir, {recursive: true});
+    for (const file of ['cli.js', 'package.json']) {
+      fs.copyFileSync(
+        path.join(__dirname, '..', file),
+        path.join(reactNativeDir, file),
+      );
+    }
+    const {status, stdout, stderr} = spawnSync(
+      process.execPath,
+      [path.join(reactNativeDir, 'cli.js'), 'config'],
+      {
+        cwd: projectDir,
+        encoding: 'utf8',
+        env: {
+          ...process.env,
+          NODE_PATH: path.dirname(
+            path.dirname(require.resolve('semver/package.json')),
+          ),
+        },
+      },
+    );
+    return {status, stdout, stderr};
+  }
+
+  it('refuses to run an incompatible CLI with an upgrade error', () => {
+    expect(runConfig('20.2.0')).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+Object {
+  "status": 1,
+  "stderr": "Error: Refusing to use @react-native-community/cli, as the installed version is incompatible with this version of React Native. Please upgrade @react-native-community/cli dependencies to 21.x.x.
+",
+  "stdout": "",
+}
+`);
+  });
+
+  it.each(['21.0.0-alpha.1', '21.0.0', '22.0.0-alpha.1'])(
+    'runs compatible CLI %s without an error',
+    version => {
+      expect(runConfig(version)).toEqual({
+        status: 0,
+        stdout: '{"platforms":{}}\n',
+        stderr: '',
+      });
+    },
+  );
+});
diff --git a/packages/react-native/cli.js b/packages/react-native/cli.js
index dfc5847c9d3..609f647ff23 100755
--- a/packages/react-native/cli.js
+++ b/packages/react-native/cli.js
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 // $FlowFixMe[untyped-import]
 const {name} = require('./package.json');
 const {styleText} = require('node:util');
+const {major} = require('semver');
+
+const COMMUNITY_CLI_PACKAGE = '@react-native-community/cli';
+const MIN_SUPPORTED_CLI_MAJOR = 21;
 
 const deprecated = () => {
   throw new Error(
@@ -26,7 +30,18 @@ function findCommunityCli(startDir /*: string */ = process.cwd()) {
   // `@react-native-community/cli` starting from the `react-native` directory.
   // Instead, we should use the project root, which we assume to be the cwd.
   const options /*: {paths?: Array<string>, ...} */ = {paths: [startDir]};
-  const rncli = require.resolve('@react-native-community/cli', options);
+  const rncli = require.resolve(COMMUNITY_CLI_PACKAGE, options);
+  const manifestPath = require.resolve(
+    `${COMMUNITY_CLI_PACKAGE}/package.json`,
+    options,
+  );
+  // $FlowFixMe[unsupported-syntax]
+  const {version} = require(manifestPath);
+  if (major(version) < MIN_SUPPORTED_CLI_MAJOR) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Refusing to use ${COMMUNITY_CLI_PACKAGE}, as the installed version is incompatible with this version of React Native. Please upgrade ${COMMUNITY_CLI_PACKAGE} dependencies to ${MIN_SUPPORTED_CLI_MAJOR}.x.x.`,
+    );
+  }
   // $FlowFixMe[unsupported-syntax]
   return require(rncli);
 }
@@ -70,9 +85,11 @@ function main() {
   } catch (e) {
     if (isMissingCliDependency(e)) {
       warnWithExplicitDependency();
-      process.exit(1);
+    } else {
+      console.error(String(e));
     }
-    throw e;
+    process.exitCode = 1;
+    return;
   }
 }