diff --git a/repos/os/src/init/child.cc b/repos/os/src/init/child.cc
index 540327d202..ff5bcc8b3c 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/init/child.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/init/child.cc
@@ -55,19 +55,10 @@ Init::Child::apply_config(Xml_node start_node)
 	Config_update config_update = CONFIG_UNCHANGED;
 
 	/*
-	 * Import new start node if new version differs
+	 * Import new start node if it differs
 	 */
 	if (start_node.differs_from(_start_node->xml())) {
 
-		/*
-		 * Check for a change of the version attribute, force restart
-		 * if the version changed.
-		 */
-		if (_version != start_node.attribute_value("version", Version())) {
-			abandon();
-			return MAY_HAVE_SIDE_EFFECTS;
-		}
-
 		/*
 		 * Start node changed
 		 *
diff --git a/repos/os/src/init/child.h b/repos/os/src/init/child.h
index e98f5625ed..0adc97b633 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/init/child.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/init/child.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ class Init::Child : Child_policy, Routed_service::Wakeup
 {
 	public:
 
+		typedef String<80> Version;
+
 		/**
 		 * Exception types
 		 */
@@ -87,7 +89,6 @@ class Init::Child : Child_policy, Routed_service::Wakeup
 		/*
 		 * Version attribute of the start node, used to force child restarts.
 		 */
-		typedef String<80> Version;
 		Version _version { _start_node->xml().attribute_value("version", Version()) };
 
 		/*
@@ -488,6 +489,8 @@ class Init::Child : Child_policy, Routed_service::Wakeup
 		 */
 		bool has_name(Child_policy::Name const &str) const { return str == name(); }
 
+		bool has_version(Version const &version) const { return version == _version; }
+
 		Ram_quota ram_quota() const { return _resources.assigned_ram_quota; }
 		Cap_quota cap_quota() const { return _resources.assigned_cap_quota; }
 
diff --git a/repos/os/src/init/main.cc b/repos/os/src/init/main.cc
index f511265566..05f2f5937d 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/init/main.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/init/main.cc
@@ -249,11 +249,10 @@ void Init::Main::_abandon_obsolete_children()
 {
 	_children.for_each_child([&] (Child &child) {
 
-		Child_policy::Name const name = child.name();
-
 		bool obsolete = true;
 		_config_xml.for_each_sub_node("start", [&] (Xml_node node) {
-			if (node.attribute_value("name", Child_policy::Name()) == name)
+			if (child.has_name   (node.attribute_value("name", Child_policy::Name()))
+			 && child.has_version(node.attribute_value("version", Child::Version())))
 				obsolete = false; });
 
 		if (obsolete)