diff --git a/packages/composer-runtime/lib/engine.js b/packages/composer-runtime/lib/engine.js
index 5de640a25c..07ceae836d 100644
--- a/packages/composer-runtime/lib/engine.js
+++ b/packages/composer-runtime/lib/engine.js
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const Logger = require('composer-common').Logger;
-const semver = require('semver');
 const util = require('util');
 
 const LOG = Logger.getLog('Engine');
@@ -208,12 +207,6 @@ class Engine {
         LOG.debug(method, 'Updating metanetwork in $sysdata collection');
 
         const newRuntimeVersion = this.container.getVersion();
-        // Check our new version should be greater than or equal but only a micro version change.
-        const range =  `^${metanetwork.runtimeVersion}`;
-        if (!semver.satisfies(newRuntimeVersion, range)) {
-            throw new Error(`Cannot upgrade business network. New composer runtime version of (${newRuntimeVersion}) is not compatible with (${metanetwork.runtimeVersion}). Composer runtime has changed major or minor version and cannot be upgraded.`);
-        }
-
         try {
             // update the metanetwork with new identifier and version
             const networkId = context.getBusinessNetworkDefinition().getIdentifier();
diff --git a/packages/composer-runtime/package.json b/packages/composer-runtime/package.json
index 907e46d47f..c8b5fdf33e 100644
--- a/packages/composer-runtime/package.json
+++ b/packages/composer-runtime/package.json
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@
     "fast-json-patch": "1.1.8",
     "request": "2.81.0",
     "request-promise-any": "1.0.5",
-    "semver": "5.3.0",
     "sha.js": "2.4.8",
     "source-map": "0.5.6",
     "uuid": "3.0.1"
diff --git a/packages/composer-runtime/test/engine.js b/packages/composer-runtime/test/engine.js
index 73a57d683d..d7e3b4eb41 100644
--- a/packages/composer-runtime/test/engine.js
+++ b/packages/composer-runtime/test/engine.js
@@ -233,17 +233,21 @@ describe('Engine', () => {
             sinon.assert.calledOnce(mockContext.transactionEnd);
         });
 
-        it('should throw error if upgrade not allowed', async () => {
+        it('should NOT throw error if upgrading from a much older version', async () => {
             const sysdata = sinon.createStubInstance(DataCollection);
             mockContainer.getVersion.returns('0.21.0');
+            await engine.upgrade(mockContext, '', sysdata, {runtimeVersion:'0.20.0'});
+            sinon.assert.calledOnce(sysdata.update);
+            sinon.assert.calledWith(sysdata.update, 'metanetwork', {
+                '$class': 'org.hyperledger.composer.system.Network',
+                'networkId': 'test-network@1.0.0',
+                'runtimeVersion': '0.21.0'
+            });
+            sinon.assert.calledOnce(mockRegistryManager.createDefaults);
+            sinon.assert.calledOnce(mockContext.transactionPrepare);
+            sinon.assert.calledOnce(mockContext.transactionCommit);
+            sinon.assert.calledOnce(mockContext.transactionEnd);
 
-            try {
-                await engine.upgrade(mockContext, '', sysdata, {runtimeVersion:'0.20.0'});
-                should.fail('Expected error to be thrown');
-            } catch(err) {
-                err.message.should.match(/Cannot upgrade/);
-                sinon.assert.notCalled(sysdata.update);
-            }
         });
 
         it('should rollback if sysdata update fails', async () => {