diff --git a/react-native-cli/index.js b/react-native-cli/index.js
index 4bfd6e735..288323396 100755
--- a/react-native-cli/index.js
+++ b/react-native-cli/index.js
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ var fs = require('fs');
 var path = require('path');
 var exec = require('child_process').exec;
 var spawn = require('child_process').spawn;
+var chalk = require('chalk');
 var prompt = require('prompt');
+var semver = require('semver');
 
 var CLI_MODULE_PATH = function() {
   return path.resolve(
@@ -50,6 +52,15 @@ var CLI_MODULE_PATH = function() {
   );
 };
 
+var REACT_NATIVE_PACKAGE_JSON_PATH = function() {
+  return path.resolve(
+    process.cwd(),
+    'node_modules',
+    'react-native',
+    'package.json'
+  );
+};
+
 checkForVersionArgument();
 
 var cli;
@@ -185,6 +196,8 @@ function run(root, projectName) {
       process.exit(1);
     }
 
+    checkNodeVersion();
+
     var cli = require(CLI_MODULE_PATH());
     cli.init(root, projectName);
   });
@@ -203,6 +216,21 @@ function runVerbose(root, projectName) {
   });
 }
 
+function checkNodeVersion() {
+  var packageJson = require(REACT_NATIVE_PACKAGE_JSON_PATH());
+  if (!packageJson.engines || !packageJson.engines.node) {
+    return;
+  }
+  if (!semver.satisfies(process.version, packageJson.engines.node)) {
+    console.error(chalk.red(
+        'You are currently running Node %s but React Native requires %s. ' +
+        'Please use a supported version of Node.'
+      ),
+      process.version,
+      packageJson.engines.node);
+  }
+}
+
 function checkForVersionArgument() {
   if (process.argv.indexOf('-v') >= 0 || process.argv.indexOf('--version') >= 0) {
     var pjson = require('./package.json');
diff --git a/react-native-cli/package.json b/react-native-cli/package.json
index 04dbd3bf1..87220fbfa 100644
--- a/react-native-cli/package.json
+++ b/react-native-cli/package.json
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
     "react-native": "index.js"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "prompt": "^0.2.14"
+    "chalk": "^1.1.1",
+    "prompt": "^0.2.14",
+    "semver": "^5.0.3"
   }
 }