diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 211698165..798586ab6 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/evcc-io/evcc/cmd"
 	"github.com/evcc-io/evcc/server"
+	_ "github.com/evcc-io/evcc/util/goversion" // require minimum go version
 )
 
 //go:embed dist
diff --git a/util/goversion/constraint.go b/util/goversion/constraint.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a6b7a7c2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/goversion/constraint.go
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// Approach from https://github.com/theckman/goconstraint/
+
+// Package goversion should only be used as a blank import. If imported, it
+// will only compile if the Go runtime version is >= 1.16.
+package goversion
+
+// This will fail to compile if the Go runtime version isn't >= 1.16.
+var _ = __EVCC_REQUIRES_GO_VERSION_1_16__
diff --git a/util/goversion/version.go b/util/goversion/version.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..441eced48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/goversion/version.go
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+//go:build go1.16
+// +build go1.16
+
+package goversion
+
+const __EVCC_REQUIRES_GO_VERSION_1_16__ = uint8(0)