diff --git a/scripts/nvbench_compare.py b/scripts/nvbench_compare.py
index ac2509e..80ccf2c 100755
--- a/scripts/nvbench_compare.py
+++ b/scripts/nvbench_compare.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 import argparse
-import json
 import math
 import os
 import sys
@@ -10,6 +9,7 @@ from colorama import Fore
 
 import tabulate
 
+from nvbench_json import reader
 
 # Parse version string into tuple, "x.y.z" -> (x, y, z)
 def version_tuple(v):
@@ -282,9 +282,9 @@ def main():
     for ref, comp in to_compare:
 
         with open(ref, "r") as ref_file:
-            ref_root = json.load(ref_file)
+            ref_root = reader.read_file(ref_file)
         with open(comp, "r") as cmp_file:
-            cmp_root = json.load(cmp_file)
+            cmp_root = reader.read_file(cmp_file)
 
         global all_devices
         all_devices = cmp_root["devices"]
diff --git a/scripts/nvbench_histogram.py b/scripts/nvbench_histogram.py
index 43d0060..1df17cc 100644
--- a/scripts/nvbench_histogram.py
+++ b/scripts/nvbench_histogram.py
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ import pandas as pd
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import seaborn as sns
 import argparse
-import json
 import os
 import sys
 
+from nvbench_json import reader
 
 def parse_files():
     help_text = "%(prog)s [nvbench.out.json | dir/] ..."
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ def to_df(data):
 
 
 def parse_json(filename):
-    with open(filename, "r") as f:
-        json_root = json.load(f)
+    json_root = reader.read_file(filename)
 
     samples_data = {}
 
diff --git a/scripts/nvbench_json/.gitignore b/scripts/nvbench_json/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96403d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/nvbench_json/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+__pycache__/*
diff --git a/scripts/nvbench_json/__init__.py b/scripts/nvbench_json/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09990f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/nvbench_json/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+from . import reader
+from . import version
diff --git a/scripts/nvbench_json/reader.py b/scripts/nvbench_json/reader.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7aad521
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/nvbench_json/reader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import json
+
+from . import version
+
+
+def read_file(filename):
+    with open(filename, "r") as f:
+        file_root = json.load(f)
+    version.check_file_version(filename, file_root)
+    return file_root
diff --git a/scripts/nvbench_json/version.py b/scripts/nvbench_json/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be1c03f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/nvbench_json/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+file_version = (1, 0, 0)
+
+file_version_string = "{}.{}.{}".format(file_version[0],
+                                        file_version[1],
+                                        file_version[2])
+
+
+def check_file_version(filename, root_node):
+    try:
+        version_node = root_node["meta"]["version"]["json"]
+    except KeyError:
+        print("WARNING:")
+        print("  {} is written in an older, unversioned format. ".format(filename))
+        print("  It may not read correctly.")
+        print("  Reader expects JSON file version {}.".format(file_version_string))
+        return
+
+    # TODO We could do something fancy here using semantic versioning, but
+    # for now just warn on mismatch.
+    if version_node["string"] != file_version_string:
+        print("WARNING:")
+        print("  {} was written using a different NVBench JSON file version."
+              .format(filename))
+        print("  It may not read correctly.")
+        print("  (file version: {} reader version: {})"
+              .format(version_node["string"], file_version_string))
diff --git a/scripts/nvbench_walltime.py b/scripts/nvbench_walltime.py
index fb044cb..18ca243 100644
--- a/scripts/nvbench_walltime.py
+++ b/scripts/nvbench_walltime.py
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 
 import argparse
 import math
-import json
 import os
 import sys
 
+from nvbench_json import reader
+
 import tabulate
 
 
@@ -111,8 +112,7 @@ def append_measure_values(row, measures, active=measure_names):
 
 
 def consume_file(filename):
-    with open(filename, "r") as f:
-        file_root = json.load(f)
+    file_root = reader.read_file(filename)
 
     file_out = {}
     file_measures = init_measures()
@@ -349,9 +349,6 @@ def main():
     data["files"] = files_out
     data["measures"] = measures
 
-    # Debug data structure:
-    # print(json.dumps(data, indent=2))
-
     print_overview_section(data)
     print_files_section(data)