diff --git a/Dockerfile-server b/Dockerfile-server
index f5ac626..dd67702 100644
--- a/Dockerfile-server
+++ b/Dockerfile-server
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ COPY pkg/ ./pkg
 COPY vendor/ ./vendor
 ENV CGO_CFLAGS="-I/opt/mqm/inc/" \
     CGO_LDFLAGS_ALLOW="-Wl,-rpath.*"
+ENV PATH="${PATH}:/opt/mqm/bin"
 RUN go build -ldflags "-X \"main.ImageCreated=$(date --iso-8601=seconds)\" -X \"main.ImageRevision=$IMAGE_REVISION\" -X \"main.ImageSource=$IMAGE_SOURCE\" -X \"main.ImageTag=$IMAGE_TAG\"" ./cmd/runmqserver/
 RUN go build ./cmd/chkmqready/
 RUN go build ./cmd/chkmqhealthy/
diff --git a/cmd/runmqserver/version.go b/cmd/runmqserver/version.go
index ea7d6f8..fe57529 100644
--- a/cmd/runmqserver/version.go
+++ b/cmd/runmqserver/version.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ibm-messaging/mq-container/internal/command"
+	"github.com/ibm-messaging/mq-container/internal/mqversion"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ func logImageTag() {
 }
 
 func logMQVersion() {
-	mqVersion, _, err := command.Run("dspmqver", "-b", "-f", "2")
+	mqVersion, err := mqversion.Get()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Printf("Error Getting MQ version: %v", strings.TrimSuffix(string(mqVersion), "\n"))
 	}
diff --git a/internal/mqversion/mqversion.go b/internal/mqversion/mqversion.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de4928c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/mqversion/mqversion.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+© Copyright IBM Corporation 2020
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package mqversion
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/ibm-messaging/mq-container/internal/command"
+)
+
+// Get will return the current MQ version
+func Get() (string, error) {
+	mqVersion, _, err := command.Run("dspmqver", "-b", "-f", "2")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error Getting MQ version: %v", err)
+	}
+	return strings.TrimSpace(mqVersion), nil
+}
+
+// Compare returns an integer comparing two MQ version strings lexicographically. The result will be 0 if currentVersion==checkVersion, -1 if currentVersion < checkVersion, and +1 if currentVersion > checkVersion
+func Compare(checkVersion string) (int, error) {
+	currentVersion, err := Get()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	// trim any suffix from MQ version x.x.x.x
+	currentVersion = currentVersion[0:7]
+	if currentVersion < checkVersion {
+		return -1, nil
+	} else if currentVersion == checkVersion {
+		return 0, nil
+	} else if currentVersion > checkVersion {
+		return 1, nil
+	}
+	return 0, fmt.Errorf("Failed to compare MQ versions")
+}
diff --git a/internal/mqversion/mqversion_test.go b/internal/mqversion/mqversion_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1496855
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/mqversion/mqversion_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+© Copyright IBM Corporation 2020
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package mqversion
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestCompareLower(t *testing.T) {
+	checkVersion := "9.9.9.9"
+	mqVersionCheck, err := Compare(checkVersion)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to compare MQ versions: %v", err)
+	}
+	if mqVersionCheck != -1 {
+		t.Errorf("MQ version compare result failed. Expected -1, Got %v", mqVersionCheck)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCompareHigher(t *testing.T) {
+	checkVersion := "1.1.1.1"
+	mqVersionCheck, err := Compare(checkVersion)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to compare MQ versions: %v", err)
+	}
+	if mqVersionCheck != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("MQ version compare result failed. Expected 1, Got %v", mqVersionCheck)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCompareEqual(t *testing.T) {
+	checkVersion, err := Get()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to get current MQ version: %v", err)
+	}
+	mqVersionCheck, err := Compare(checkVersion)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to compare MQ versions: %v", err)
+	}
+	if mqVersionCheck != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("MQ version compare result failed. Expected 0, Got %v", mqVersionCheck)
+	}
+}