diff --git a/taskflow/exceptions.py b/taskflow/exceptions.py
index 23759869..a6a05082 100644
--- a/taskflow/exceptions.py
+++ b/taskflow/exceptions.py
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ class TaskFlowException(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+class IncompatibleVersion(TaskFlowException):
+    """Raised when some type of version incompatibility occurs."""
+    pass
+
+
 class ConnectionFailure(TaskFlowException):
     """Raised when some type of connection can not be opened or is lost."""
     pass
diff --git a/taskflow/persistence/backends/impl_zookeeper.py b/taskflow/persistence/backends/impl_zookeeper.py
index 56a4ad5a..382bbdff 100644
--- a/taskflow/persistence/backends/impl_zookeeper.py
+++ b/taskflow/persistence/backends/impl_zookeeper.py
@@ -76,16 +76,9 @@ class ZkBackend(base.Backend):
         if not self._owned:
             return
         try:
-            self._client.stop()
+            k_utils.finalize_client(self._client)
         except (k_exc.KazooException, k_exc.ZookeeperError) as e:
-            raise exc.StorageError("Unable to stop client: %s" % e)
-        try:
-            self._client.close()
-        except TypeError:
-            # NOTE(harlowja): https://github.com/python-zk/kazoo/issues/167
-            pass
-        except (k_exc.KazooException, k_exc.ZookeeperError) as e:
-            raise exc.StorageError("Unable to close client: %s" % e)
+            raise exc.StorageError("Unable to finalize client", e)
 
 
 class ZkConnection(base.Connection):
@@ -101,13 +94,7 @@ class ZkConnection(base.Connection):
 
     def validate(self):
         with self._exc_wrapper():
-            zk_ver = self._client.server_version()
-            if tuple(zk_ver) < MIN_ZK_VERSION:
-                given_zk_ver = ".".join([str(a) for a in zk_ver])
-                desired_zk_ver = ".".join([str(a) for a in MIN_ZK_VERSION])
-                raise exc.StorageError("Incompatible zookeeper version"
-                                       " %s detected, zookeeper >= %s required"
-                                       % (given_zk_ver, desired_zk_ver))
+            k_utils.check_compatible(self._client, MIN_ZK_VERSION)
 
     @property
     def backend(self):
diff --git a/taskflow/utils/kazoo_utils.py b/taskflow/utils/kazoo_utils.py
index bf30b5d7..ddf6bf62 100644
--- a/taskflow/utils/kazoo_utils.py
+++ b/taskflow/utils/kazoo_utils.py
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 from kazoo import client
 import six
 
+from taskflow import exceptions as exc
+
 
 def _parse_hosts(hosts):
     if isinstance(hosts, six.string_types):
@@ -31,6 +33,46 @@ def _parse_hosts(hosts):
     return hosts
 
 
+def finalize_client(client):
+    """Stops and closes a client, even if it wasn't started."""
+    client.stop()
+    try:
+        client.close()
+    except TypeError:
+        # NOTE(harlowja): https://github.com/python-zk/kazoo/issues/167
+        #
+        # This can be removed after that one is fixed/merged.
+        pass
+
+
+def check_compatible(client, min_version=None, max_version=None):
+    """Checks if a kazook client is backed by a zookeeper server version
+    that satisfies a given min (inclusive) and max (inclusive) version range.
+    """
+    server_version = None
+    if min_version:
+        server_version = tuple((int(a) for a in client.server_version()))
+        min_version = tuple((int(a) for a in min_version))
+        if server_version < min_version:
+            pretty_server_version = ".".join([str(a) for a in server_version])
+            min_version = ".".join([str(a) for a in min_version])
+            raise exc.IncompatibleVersion("Incompatible zookeeper version"
+                                          " %s detected, zookeeper >= %s"
+                                          " required" % (pretty_server_version,
+                                                         min_version))
+    if max_version:
+        if server_version is None:
+            server_version = tuple((int(a) for a in client.server_version()))
+        max_version = tuple((int(a) for a in max_version))
+        if server_version > max_version:
+            pretty_server_version = ".".join([str(a) for a in server_version])
+            max_version = ".".join([str(a) for a in max_version])
+            raise exc.IncompatibleVersion("Incompatible zookeeper version"
+                                          " %s detected, zookeeper <= %s"
+                                          " required" % (pretty_server_version,
+                                                         max_version))
+
+
 def make_client(conf):
     """Creates a kazoo client given a configuration dictionary."""
     client_kwargs = {