diff --git a/sql-plugin/src/main/scala/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/Plugin.scala b/sql-plugin/src/main/scala/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/Plugin.scala
index 6b6e5c6a750..92da5f807d1 100644
--- a/sql-plugin/src/main/scala/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/Plugin.scala
+++ b/sql-plugin/src/main/scala/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/Plugin.scala
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import java.util.Properties
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.{AtomicBoolean, AtomicReference}
 
 import scala.collection.JavaConverters._
+import scala.util.Try
 
 import com.nvidia.spark.rapids.python.PythonWorkerSemaphore
 
@@ -222,7 +223,7 @@ class RapidsExecutorPlugin extends ExecutorPlugin with Logging {
       }
       val expectedCudfVersion = pluginCudfVersion.toString
       // compare cudf version in the classpath with the cudf version expected by plugin
-      if (!cudfVersion.equals(expectedCudfVersion)) {
+      if (!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied(expectedCudfVersion, cudfVersion)) {
         throw CudfVersionMismatchException(s"Cudf version in the classpath is different. " +
           s"Found $cudfVersion, RAPIDS Accelerator expects $expectedCudfVersion")
       }
@@ -242,6 +243,26 @@ class RapidsExecutorPlugin extends ExecutorPlugin with Logging {
   }
 }
 
+object RapidsExecutorPlugin {
+  /**
+   * Return true if the expected cudf version is satisfied by the actual version found.
+   * The version is satisfied if the major and minor versions match exactly. If there is a requested
+   * patch version then the actual patch version must be greater than or equal.
+   * For example, version 7.1 is not satisfied by version 7.2, but version 7.1 is satisfied by
+   * version 7.1.1.
+   */
+  def cudfVersionSatisfied(expected: String, actual: String): Boolean = {
+    val (expMajorMinor, expPatch) = expected.split('.').splitAt(2)
+    val (actMajorMinor, actPatch) = actual.split('.').splitAt(2)
+    actMajorMinor.startsWith(expMajorMinor) && {
+      val expPatchInts = expPatch.map(_.toInt)
+      val actPatchInts = actPatch.map(v => Try(v.toInt).getOrElse(Int.MinValue))
+      val zipped = expPatchInts.zipAll(actPatchInts, 0, 0)
+      zipped.forall { case (e, a) => e <= a }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 object ExecutionPlanCaptureCallback {
   private[this] val shouldCapture: AtomicBoolean = new AtomicBoolean(false)
   private[this] val execPlan: AtomicReference[SparkPlan] = new AtomicReference[SparkPlan]()
diff --git a/tests/src/test/scala/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/RapidsExecutorPluginSuite.scala b/tests/src/test/scala/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/RapidsExecutorPluginSuite.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1ca5aad2bf4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/test/scala/com/nvidia/spark/rapids/RapidsExecutorPluginSuite.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2021, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+ *
+ * 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 com.nvidia.spark.rapids
+
+import org.scalatest.FunSuite
+
+class RapidsExecutorPluginSuite extends FunSuite {
+  test("cudf version check") {
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7", "7"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7", "8"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7", "7.2"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7", "8.7"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7", "7.2.1"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0", "7.0"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0", "7.0.1"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0", "7.0.1.3"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0", "7"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0", "7.1"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7.0.1"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7.0.1.3"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7.0.2"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7.0.2.3"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7.0"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7.0.0"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7.1"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7.1.1"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.1", "7.0.1-special"))
+    assert(!RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.2.2.2", "7.0.2.2"))
+    assert(RapidsExecutorPlugin.cudfVersionSatisfied("7.0.2.2.2", "7.0.2.2.2"))
+  }
+}