diff --git a/homeassistant/components/go2rtc/__init__.py b/homeassistant/components/go2rtc/__init__.py
index 5be1dbc1a48..2bcdaddf739 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/go2rtc/__init__.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/go2rtc/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import shutil
 
 from aiohttp.client_exceptions import ClientConnectionError, ServerConnectionError
 from go2rtc_client import Go2RtcRestClient
-from go2rtc_client.exceptions import Go2RtcClientError
+from go2rtc_client.exceptions import Go2RtcClientError, Go2RtcVersionError
 from go2rtc_client.ws import (
     Go2RtcWsClient,
     ReceiveMessages,
@@ -114,7 +114,11 @@ async def async_setup(hass: HomeAssistant, config: ConfigType) -> bool:
         server = Server(
             hass, binary, enable_ui=config.get(DOMAIN, {}).get(CONF_DEBUG_UI, False)
         )
-        await server.start()
+        try:
+            await server.start()
+        except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+            _LOGGER.warning("Could not start go2rtc server", exc_info=True)
+            return False
 
         async def on_stop(event: Event) -> None:
             await server.stop()
@@ -143,7 +147,7 @@ async def async_setup_entry(hass: HomeAssistant, entry: ConfigEntry) -> bool:
     # Validate the server URL
     try:
         client = Go2RtcRestClient(async_get_clientsession(hass), url)
-        await client.streams.list()
+        await client.validate_server_version()
     except Go2RtcClientError as err:
         if isinstance(err.__cause__, _RETRYABLE_ERRORS):
             raise ConfigEntryNotReady(
@@ -151,6 +155,10 @@ async def async_setup_entry(hass: HomeAssistant, entry: ConfigEntry) -> bool:
             ) from err
         _LOGGER.warning("Could not connect to go2rtc instance on %s (%s)", url, err)
         return False
+    except Go2RtcVersionError as err:
+        raise ConfigEntryNotReady(
+            f"The go2rtc server version is not supported, {err}"
+        ) from err
     except Exception as err:  # noqa: BLE001
         _LOGGER.warning("Could not connect to go2rtc instance on %s (%s)", url, err)
         return False
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/go2rtc/server.py b/homeassistant/components/go2rtc/server.py
index b2aa19d5275..eff067416b3 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/go2rtc/server.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/go2rtc/server.py
@@ -112,6 +112,10 @@ class Server:
             await self._stop()
             raise Go2RTCServerStartError from err
 
+        # Check the server version
+        client = Go2RtcRestClient(async_get_clientsession(self._hass), DEFAULT_URL)
+        await client.validate_server_version()
+
     async def _log_output(self, process: asyncio.subprocess.Process) -> None:
         """Log the output of the process."""
         assert process.stdout is not None
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ class Server:
         _LOGGER.debug("Monitoring go2rtc API")
         try:
             while True:
-                await client.streams.list()
+                await client.validate_server_version()
                 await asyncio.sleep(10)
         except Exception as err:
             _LOGGER.debug("go2rtc API did not reply", exc_info=True)
diff --git a/tests/components/go2rtc/conftest.py b/tests/components/go2rtc/conftest.py
index 87c68989fd2..42b363b2324 100644
--- a/tests/components/go2rtc/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/components/go2rtc/conftest.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ def rest_client() -> Generator[AsyncMock]:
         client = mock_client.return_value
         client.streams = streams = Mock(spec_set=_StreamClient)
         streams.list.return_value = {}
+        client.validate_server_version = AsyncMock()
         client.webrtc = Mock(spec_set=_WebRTCClient)
         yield client
 
diff --git a/tests/components/go2rtc/test_init.py b/tests/components/go2rtc/test_init.py
index 847de248aaf..21d4d0a047e 100644
--- a/tests/components/go2rtc/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/components/go2rtc/test_init.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, Mock, patch
 
 from aiohttp.client_exceptions import ClientConnectionError, ServerConnectionError
 from go2rtc_client import Stream
-from go2rtc_client.exceptions import Go2RtcClientError
+from go2rtc_client.exceptions import Go2RtcClientError, Go2RtcVersionError
 from go2rtc_client.models import Producer
 from go2rtc_client.ws import (
     ReceiveMessages,
@@ -494,6 +494,8 @@ ERR_CONNECT = "Could not connect to go2rtc instance"
 ERR_CONNECT_RETRY = (
     "Could not connect to go2rtc instance on http://localhost:1984/; Retrying"
 )
+ERR_START_SERVER = "Could not start go2rtc server"
+ERR_UNSUPPORTED_VERSION = "The go2rtc server version is not supported"
 _INVALID_CONFIG = "Invalid config for 'go2rtc': "
 ERR_INVALID_URL = _INVALID_CONFIG + "invalid url"
 ERR_EXCLUSIVE = _INVALID_CONFIG + DEBUG_UI_URL_MESSAGE
@@ -526,8 +528,10 @@ async def test_non_user_setup_with_error(
     ("config", "go2rtc_binary", "is_docker_env", "expected_log_message"),
     [
         ({DEFAULT_CONFIG_DOMAIN: {}}, None, True, ERR_BINARY_NOT_FOUND),
+        ({DEFAULT_CONFIG_DOMAIN: {}}, "/usr/bin/go2rtc", True, ERR_START_SERVER),
         ({DOMAIN: {}}, None, False, ERR_URL_REQUIRED),
         ({DOMAIN: {}}, None, True, ERR_BINARY_NOT_FOUND),
+        ({DOMAIN: {}}, "/usr/bin/go2rtc", True, ERR_START_SERVER),
         ({DOMAIN: {CONF_URL: "invalid"}}, None, True, ERR_INVALID_URL),
         (
             {DOMAIN: {CONF_URL: "http://localhost:1984", CONF_DEBUG_UI: True}},
@@ -559,8 +563,6 @@ async def test_setup_with_setup_error(
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("config", "go2rtc_binary", "is_docker_env", "expected_log_message"),
     [
-        ({DEFAULT_CONFIG_DOMAIN: {}}, "/usr/bin/go2rtc", True, ERR_CONNECT),
-        ({DOMAIN: {}}, "/usr/bin/go2rtc", True, ERR_CONNECT),
         ({DOMAIN: {CONF_URL: "http://localhost:1984/"}}, None, True, ERR_CONNECT),
     ],
 )
@@ -584,7 +586,7 @@ async def test_setup_with_setup_entry_error(
     assert expected_log_message in caplog.text
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("config", [{DOMAIN: {}}, {DEFAULT_CONFIG_DOMAIN: {}}])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("config", [{DOMAIN: {CONF_URL: "http://localhost:1984/"}}])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("cause", "expected_config_entry_state", "expected_log_message"),
     [
@@ -598,7 +600,7 @@ async def test_setup_with_setup_entry_error(
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures(
     "mock_get_binary", "mock_go2rtc_entry", "mock_is_docker_env", "server"
 )
-async def test_setup_with_retryable_setup_entry_error(
+async def test_setup_with_retryable_setup_entry_error_custom_server(
     hass: HomeAssistant,
     caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
     rest_client: AsyncMock,
@@ -610,7 +612,78 @@ async def test_setup_with_retryable_setup_entry_error(
     """Test setup integration entry fails."""
     go2rtc_error = Go2RtcClientError()
     go2rtc_error.__cause__ = cause
-    rest_client.streams.list.side_effect = go2rtc_error
+    rest_client.validate_server_version.side_effect = go2rtc_error
+    assert await async_setup_component(hass, DOMAIN, config)
+    await hass.async_block_till_done(wait_background_tasks=True)
+    config_entries = hass.config_entries.async_entries(DOMAIN)
+    assert len(config_entries) == 1
+    assert config_entries[0].state == expected_config_entry_state
+    assert expected_log_message in caplog.text
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("config", [{DOMAIN: {}}, {DEFAULT_CONFIG_DOMAIN: {}}])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("cause", "expected_config_entry_state", "expected_log_message"),
+    [
+        (ClientConnectionError(), ConfigEntryState.NOT_LOADED, ERR_START_SERVER),
+        (ServerConnectionError(), ConfigEntryState.NOT_LOADED, ERR_START_SERVER),
+        (None, ConfigEntryState.NOT_LOADED, ERR_START_SERVER),
+        (Exception(), ConfigEntryState.NOT_LOADED, ERR_START_SERVER),
+    ],
+)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("has_go2rtc_entry", [True, False])
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures(
+    "mock_get_binary", "mock_go2rtc_entry", "mock_is_docker_env", "server"
+)
+async def test_setup_with_retryable_setup_entry_error_default_server(
+    hass: HomeAssistant,
+    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
+    rest_client: AsyncMock,
+    has_go2rtc_entry: bool,
+    config: ConfigType,
+    cause: Exception,
+    expected_config_entry_state: ConfigEntryState,
+    expected_log_message: str,
+) -> None:
+    """Test setup integration entry fails."""
+    go2rtc_error = Go2RtcClientError()
+    go2rtc_error.__cause__ = cause
+    rest_client.validate_server_version.side_effect = go2rtc_error
+    assert not await async_setup_component(hass, DOMAIN, config)
+    await hass.async_block_till_done(wait_background_tasks=True)
+    config_entries = hass.config_entries.async_entries(DOMAIN)
+    assert len(config_entries) == has_go2rtc_entry
+    for config_entry in config_entries:
+        assert config_entry.state == expected_config_entry_state
+    assert expected_log_message in caplog.text
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("config", [{DOMAIN: {}}, {DEFAULT_CONFIG_DOMAIN: {}}])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("go2rtc_error", "expected_config_entry_state", "expected_log_message"),
+    [
+        (
+            Go2RtcVersionError("1.9.4", "1.9.5", "2.0.0"),
+            ConfigEntryState.SETUP_RETRY,
+            ERR_UNSUPPORTED_VERSION,
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("has_go2rtc_entry", [True, False])
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures(
+    "mock_get_binary", "mock_go2rtc_entry", "mock_is_docker_env", "server"
+)
+async def test_setup_with_version_error(
+    hass: HomeAssistant,
+    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
+    rest_client: AsyncMock,
+    config: ConfigType,
+    go2rtc_error: Exception,
+    expected_config_entry_state: ConfigEntryState,
+    expected_log_message: str,
+) -> None:
+    """Test setup integration entry fails."""
+    rest_client.validate_server_version.side_effect = [None, go2rtc_error]
     assert await async_setup_component(hass, DOMAIN, config)
     await hass.async_block_till_done(wait_background_tasks=True)
     config_entries = hass.config_entries.async_entries(DOMAIN)
diff --git a/tests/components/go2rtc/test_server.py b/tests/components/go2rtc/test_server.py
index 1410fbeb6c3..fedf155baf5 100644
--- a/tests/components/go2rtc/test_server.py
+++ b/tests/components/go2rtc/test_server.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ def mock_tempfile() -> Generator[Mock]:
 )
 async def test_server_run_success(
     mock_create_subprocess: AsyncMock,
+    rest_client: AsyncMock,
     server_stdout: list[str],
     server: Server,
     caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ webrtc:
 
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("mock_tempfile")
 async def test_server_timeout_on_stop(
-    mock_create_subprocess: MagicMock, server: Server
+    mock_create_subprocess: MagicMock, rest_client: AsyncMock, server: Server
 ) -> None:
     """Test server run where the process takes too long to terminate."""
     # Start server thread