diff --git a/runsc/boot/autosave.go b/runsc/boot/autosave.go
index 0b787796a..c0a023daf 100644
--- a/runsc/boot/autosave.go
+++ b/runsc/boot/autosave.go
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ import (
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/state"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/strace"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sync"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/version"
 )
 
 func getTargetForSaveResume(l *Loader) func(k *kernel.Kernel) {
 	return func(k *kernel.Kernel) {
-		l.addVersionToCheckpoint()
 		l.addContainerSpecsToCheckpoint()
 		// Store the state file contents in a buffer for save-resume.
 		// There is no need to verify the state file, we just need the
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ func getTargetForSaveResume(l *Loader) func(k *kernel.Kernel) {
 			Autosave:    true,
 			Resume:      true,
 			Destination: &buf,
+			Metadata:    map[string]string{VersionKey: version.Version()},
 		}
 		saveOpts.Save(k.SupervisorContext(), k, l.watchdog)
 	}
@@ -52,18 +53,17 @@ func getTargetForSaveRestore(l *Loader, files []*fd.FD) func(k *kernel.Kernel) {
 	var once sync.Once
 	return func(k *kernel.Kernel) {
 		once.Do(func() {
-			l.addVersionToCheckpoint()
 			l.addContainerSpecsToCheckpoint()
 			saveOpts := state.SaveOpts{
 				Autosave:    true,
 				Resume:      false,
 				Destination: files[0],
+				Metadata:    map[string]string{VersionKey: version.Version()},
 			}
 			if len(files) == 3 {
 				saveOpts.PagesMetadata = files[1]
 				saveOpts.PagesFile = files[2]
 			}
-
 			saveOpts.Save(k.SupervisorContext(), k, l.watchdog)
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/runsc/boot/controller.go b/runsc/boot/controller.go
index 217280b1e..790fb1ade 100644
--- a/runsc/boot/controller.go
+++ b/runsc/boot/controller.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import (
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/boot/procfs"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/config"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/specutils"
+	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/version"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -570,7 +571,7 @@ func (cm *containerManager) Restore(o *RestoreOpts, _ *struct{}) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("reading metadata from statefile: %w", err)
 	}
 	var count int
-	countStr, ok := metadata["container_count"]
+	countStr, ok := metadata[ContainerCountKey]
 	if !ok {
 		// TODO(gvisor.dev/issue/1956): Add container count with syscall save
 		// trigger. For now, assume that only a single container exists if metadata
@@ -594,6 +595,11 @@ func (cm *containerManager) Restore(o *RestoreOpts, _ *struct{}) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("rewinding state file: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	checkpointVersion := metadata[VersionKey]
+	currentVersion := version.Version()
+	if checkpointVersion != currentVersion {
+		return fmt.Errorf("runsc version does not match across checkpoint restore, checkpoint: %v current: %v", checkpointVersion, currentVersion)
+	}
 	return cm.restorer.restoreContainerInfo(cm.l, &cm.l.root)
 }
 
diff --git a/runsc/boot/loader.go b/runsc/boot/loader.go
index 32398a179..3c6e942ca 100644
--- a/runsc/boot/loader.go
+++ b/runsc/boot/loader.go
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ import (
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/profile"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/specutils"
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/specutils/seccomp"
-	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/runsc/version"
 
 	// Top-level inet providers.
 	"gvisor.dev/gvisor/pkg/sentry/socket/hostinet"
@@ -379,10 +378,6 @@ const (
 	// containerSpecsKey is the key used to add and pop the container specs to the
 	// kernel during save/restore.
 	containerSpecsKey = "container_specs"
-
-	// versionKey is the key used to add and pop runsc version to the kernel
-	// during save/restore.
-	versionKey = "runsc_version"
 )
 
 func getRootCredentials(spec *specs.Spec, conf *config.Config, userNs *auth.UserNamespace) *auth.Credentials {
@@ -2048,13 +2043,3 @@ func popContainerSpecsFromCheckpoint(k *kernel.Kernel) (map[string]*specs.Spec,
 	}
 	return oldSpecs, nil
 }
-
-// addVersionToCheckpoint adds the runsc version to the kernel.
-func (l *Loader) addVersionToCheckpoint() {
-	l.k.AddStateToCheckpoint(versionKey, version.Version())
-}
-
-// popVersionFromCheckpoint pops the runsc version from the kernel.
-func popVersionFromCheckpoint(k *kernel.Kernel) string {
-	return (k.PopCheckpointState(versionKey)).(string)
-}
diff --git a/runsc/boot/restore.go b/runsc/boot/restore.go
index 2d5ca0617..544244939 100644
--- a/runsc/boot/restore.go
+++ b/runsc/boot/restore.go
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ const (
 	// CheckpointPagesFileName is the file within the given image-path's
 	// directory containing the container's MemoryFile pages.
 	CheckpointPagesFileName = "pages.img"
+	// VersionKey is the key used to save runsc version in the save metadata and compare
+	// it across checkpoint restore.
+	VersionKey = "runsc_version"
+	// ContainerCountKey is the key used to save number of containers in the save metadata.
+	ContainerCountKey = "container_count"
 )
 
 // restorer manages a restore session for a sandbox. It stores information about
@@ -239,12 +244,6 @@ func (r *restorer) restore(l *Loader) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load kernel: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	checkpointVersion := popVersionFromCheckpoint(l.k)
-	currentVersion := version.Version()
-	if checkpointVersion != currentVersion {
-		return fmt.Errorf("runsc version does not match across checkpoint restore, checkpoint: %v current: %v", checkpointVersion, currentVersion)
-	}
-
 	oldSpecs, err := popContainerSpecsFromCheckpoint(l.k)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to pop container specs from checkpoint: %w", err)
@@ -357,10 +356,10 @@ func (l *Loader) save(o *control.SaveOpts) (err error) {
 	if o.Metadata == nil {
 		o.Metadata = make(map[string]string)
 	}
-	o.Metadata["container_count"] = strconv.Itoa(l.containerCount())
+	o.Metadata[ContainerCountKey] = strconv.Itoa(l.containerCount())
 
 	// Save runsc version.
-	l.addVersionToCheckpoint()
+	o.Metadata[VersionKey] = version.Version()
 
 	// Save container specs.
 	l.addContainerSpecsToCheckpoint()