diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/bin/gotthard2DetectorServer_developer b/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/bin/gotthard2DetectorServer_developer
index 583f6bda8..91643315f 100755
Binary files a/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/bin/gotthard2DetectorServer_developer and b/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/bin/gotthard2DetectorServer_developer differ
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c b/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
index be677b186..6dbebe529 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/gotthard2DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
@@ -181,19 +181,7 @@ int checkKernelVersion() {
 #ifdef VIRTUAL
     return OK;
 #endif
-    char output[256];
-    memset(output, 0, 256);
-    FILE *sysFile = popen("uname -a | cut -d ' ' -f5-10", "r");
-    fgets(output, sizeof(output), sysFile);
-    pclose(sysFile);
-
-    if (strstr(output, KERNEL_DATE_VRSN) == NULL) {
-        LOG(logERROR, ("Kernel Version Incompatible! Expected: %s, Got: %s\n",
-                       KERNEL_DATE_VRSN, output));
-        return FAIL;
-    }
-    LOG(logINFO, ("Kernel Version Compatible: %s\n", output));
-    return OK;
+    return Nios_checkKernelVersion(KERNEL_DATE_VRSN);
 }
 
 int checkType() {
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/bin/mythen3DetectorServer_developer b/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/bin/mythen3DetectorServer_developer
index e4075386f..b1c9c72b5 100755
Binary files a/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/bin/mythen3DetectorServer_developer and b/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/bin/mythen3DetectorServer_developer differ
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c b/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
index 500c7420f..4b6238b64 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/mythen3DetectorServer/slsDetectorFunctionList.c
@@ -167,19 +167,7 @@ int checkKernelVersion() {
 #ifdef VIRTUAL
     return OK;
 #endif
-    char output[256];
-    memset(output, 0, 256);
-    FILE *sysFile = popen("uname -a | cut -d ' ' -f5-10", "r");
-    fgets(output, sizeof(output), sysFile);
-    pclose(sysFile);
-
-    if (strstr(output, KERNEL_DATE_VRSN) == NULL) {
-        LOG(logERROR, ("Kernel Version Incompatible! Expected: %s, Got: %s\n",
-                       KERNEL_DATE_VRSN, output));
-        return FAIL;
-    }
-    LOG(logINFO, ("Kernel Version Compatible: %s\n", output));
-    return OK;
+    return Nios_checkKernelVersion(KERNEL_DATE_VRSN);
 }
 
 int checkType() {
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h
index fed3cbbf2..1f2ebbe42 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/common.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <time.h>
 
 /**
  * Convert a value from a range to a different range (eg voltage to dac or vice
@@ -16,4 +17,6 @@
 int ConvertToDifferentRange(int inputMin, int inputMax, int outputMin,
                             int outputMax, int inputValue, int *outputValue);
 
-int getAbsPath(char *buf, size_t bufSize, char *fname);
\ No newline at end of file
+int getAbsPath(char *buf, size_t bufSize, char *fname);
+
+int GetTimeFromString(char *buf, time_t *result);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/nios.h b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/nios.h
index d8b0ac2b4..128f556cf 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/nios.h
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/include/nios.h
@@ -87,3 +87,7 @@ int mapCSP0(void);
  * Get Nios base address
  */
 u_int32_t *Nios_getBaseAddress();
+
+/** check kernel version against expected version string (complain if too old)
+ * @returns OK or FAIL */
+int Nios_checkKernelVersion(char *expectedVersion);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c
index 04af3bb11..5d2cb5c1a 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/common.c
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#define _GNU_SOURCE // needed for strptime to be at the top
 #include "common.h"
 #include "clogger.h"
 #include "sls_detector_defs.h"
@@ -59,4 +60,13 @@ int getAbsPath(char *buf, size_t bufSize, char *fname) {
     sprintf(buf, "%s/%s", dir, fname);
     LOG(logDEBUG1, ("full path for %s: %s\n", fname, buf));
     return OK;
+}
+
+int GetTimeFromString(char *buf, time_t *result) {
+    struct tm t;
+    if (NULL == strptime(buf, "%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Z %Y", &t)) {
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+    *result = mktime(&t);
+    return OK;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/nios.c b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/nios.c
index 7a1e4b619..82fbbcc07 100644
--- a/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/nios.c
+++ b/slsDetectorServers/slsDetectorServer/src/nios.c
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@
 #include "RegisterDefs.h"
 #include "ansi.h"
 #include "clogger.h"
+#include "common.h"
 #include "sls_detector_defs.h"
 
-#include <fcntl.h>    // open
-#include <sys/mman.h> // mmap
+#include <fcntl.h> // open
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/mman.h>    // mmap
+#include <sys/utsname.h> // uname
 
 /* global variables */
 u_int32_t *csp0base = 0;
@@ -126,4 +129,50 @@ int mapCSP0(void) {
     return OK;
 }
 
-u_int32_t *Nios_getBaseAddress() { return csp0base; }
\ No newline at end of file
+u_int32_t *Nios_getBaseAddress() { return csp0base; }
+
+int Nios_checkKernelVersion(char *expectedVersion) {
+    // extract kernel date string
+    struct utsname buf;
+    if (uname(&buf) == -1) {
+        LOG(logERROR, ("Could not get kernel version\n"));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+
+    // remove first word (#version number)
+    const char *ptr = strchr(buf.version, ' ');
+    if (ptr == NULL) {
+        LOG(logERROR, ("Could not parse kernel version\n"));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+    char output[256];
+    memset(output, 0, 256);
+    strcpy(output, buf.version + (ptr - buf.version + 1));
+
+    // convert kernel date string into time
+    time_t kernelDate;
+    if (GetTimeFromString(output, &kernelDate) == FAIL) {
+        LOG(logERROR, ("Could not parse retrieved kernel date, %s\n", output));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+
+    // convert expected date into time
+    time_t expDate;
+    if (GetTimeFromString(expectedVersion, &expDate) == FAIL) {
+        LOG(logERROR,
+            ("Could not parse expected kernel date, %s\n", expectedVersion));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+
+    // compare if kernel time is older than expected time
+    if (kernelDate < expDate) {
+        LOG(logERROR, ("Kernel Version Incompatible (too old)! Expected: [%s], "
+                       "Got [%s]\n",
+                       expectedVersion, output));
+        return FAIL;
+    }
+
+    LOG(logINFOBLUE, ("Kernel Version Compatible: %s [min.: %s]\n", output,
+                      expectedVersion));
+    return OK;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/slsSupportLib/include/versionAPI.h b/slsSupportLib/include/versionAPI.h
index 17e69aee6..09936fb19 100644
--- a/slsSupportLib/include/versionAPI.h
+++ b/slsSupportLib/include/versionAPI.h
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 
 #define APICTB 0x200910
 #define APIGOTTHARD 0x200910
-#define APIGOTTHARD2 0x200910
 #define APIJUNGFRAU 0x200910
-#define APIMYTHEN3 0x200910
 #define APIMOENCH 0x200910
 #define APIEIGER 0x200910
+#define APIGOTTHARD2 0x200910
+#define APIMYTHEN3 0x200910