diff --git a/META.in.json b/META.in.json
index 129a40d..44bf337 100644
--- a/META.in.json
+++ b/META.in.json
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
         },
         "runtime": {
             "requires": {
-                "cat_tools": 0,
+                "cat_tools": "0.3.0",
                 "plpgsql": 0
             }
         },
diff --git a/META.json b/META.json
index cfaaca4..6f8b881 100644
--- a/META.json
+++ b/META.json
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
         },
         "runtime": {
             "requires": {
-                "cat_tools": 0,
+                "cat_tools": "0.3.0",
                 "plpgsql": 0
             }
         },
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ae69147..cc8e7ad 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Good documentation should be like good code comments - explain things concisely
 
 # Installation
 
-This extension depends on the `cat_tools` extension.
+This extension requires the `cat_tools` extension, version 0.3.0 or later.
 
 ```sql
 CREATE EXTENSION object_reference CASCADE;
diff --git a/sql/object_reference--0.1.0--stable.sql b/sql/object_reference--0.1.0--stable.sql
index d17a275..562a0b4 100644
--- a/sql/object_reference--0.1.0--stable.sql
+++ b/sql/object_reference--0.1.0--stable.sql
@@ -1,3 +1,23 @@
+/*
+ * Requires cat_tools 0.3+ (a control file's `requires` can't carry a
+ * version). Only major.minor is compared; a version without a numeric
+ * major.minor, such as 'stable', is a development build and is let through.
+ */
+DO $$
+DECLARE
+  c_version CONSTANT text := (SELECT extversion FROM pg_catalog.pg_extension WHERE extname = 'cat_tools');
+  c_major_minor CONSTANT text := substring(c_version FROM '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+');
+BEGIN
+  IF c_major_minor IS NOT NULL AND string_to_array(c_major_minor, '.')::int[] < '{0,3}' THEN
+    RAISE 'object_reference requires cat_tools 0.3.0 or later'
+      USING ERRCODE = 'object_not_in_prerequisite_state'
+        , DETAIL = format('installed cat_tools version is %s', c_version)
+        , HINT = 'Run ALTER EXTENSION cat_tools UPDATE first.'
+    ;
+  END IF;
+END
+$$;
+
 /*
  * Disables all three event triggers for this script (a hand-written copy of
  * event_trigger__disable(), which 0.1.0 lacks); event_trigger__enable() at the
diff --git a/sql/object_reference.sql b/sql/object_reference.sql
index 3131a55..d0b6621 100644
--- a/sql/object_reference.sql
+++ b/sql/object_reference.sql
@@ -20,6 +20,26 @@ END
 $$;
 */
 
+/*
+ * Requires cat_tools 0.3+ (a control file's `requires` can't carry a
+ * version). Only major.minor is compared; a version without a numeric
+ * major.minor, such as 'stable', is a development build and is let through.
+ */
+DO $$
+DECLARE
+  c_version CONSTANT text := (SELECT extversion FROM pg_catalog.pg_extension WHERE extname = 'cat_tools');
+  c_major_minor CONSTANT text := substring(c_version FROM '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+');
+BEGIN
+  IF c_major_minor IS NOT NULL AND string_to_array(c_major_minor, '.')::int[] < '{0,3}' THEN
+    RAISE 'object_reference requires cat_tools 0.3.0 or later'
+      USING ERRCODE = 'object_not_in_prerequisite_state'
+        , DETAIL = format('installed cat_tools version is %s', c_version)
+        , HINT = 'Run ALTER EXTENSION cat_tools UPDATE first.'
+    ;
+  END IF;
+END
+$$;
+
 DO $$
 BEGIN
   CREATE ROLE object_reference__usage NOLOGIN;
diff --git a/test/build/expected/build.out b/test/build/expected/build.out
index 553450f..4b64e95 100644
--- a/test/build/expected/build.out
+++ b/test/build/expected/build.out
@@ -3,16 +3,16 @@ This extension must be loaded via CREATE EXTENSION object_reference;
 You really, REALLY do NOT want to try and load this via psql!!!
 
 
-psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:212: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!
+psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:232: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!
 
-psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:213: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!
+psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:233: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!
 
 
 
 
 
 
-psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:461: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!
+psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:481: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!
 
 
 
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:461: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you tr
 
 
 
-psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:573: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!
+psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:593: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!
 
-psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:580: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!
+psql:test/temp_load.not_sql:600: WARNING:  I promise you will be sorry if you try to use this as anything other than an extension!