diff --git a/pkg/core/blockchain.go b/pkg/core/blockchain.go
index 1a6d97f4c..fb15b82e0 100644
--- a/pkg/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/pkg/core/blockchain.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ import (
 // Tuning parameters.
 const (
 	headerBatchCount = 2000
-	version          = "0.1.5"
+	version          = "0.2.0"
 
 	defaultInitialGAS                      = 52000000_00000000
 	defaultMemPoolSize                     = 50000
@@ -311,7 +311,8 @@ func (bc *Blockchain) init() error {
 	ver, err := bc.dao.GetVersion()
 	if err != nil {
 		bc.log.Info("no storage version found! creating genesis block")
-		if err = bc.dao.PutVersion(version); err != nil {
+		v := dao.Version{Prefix: storage.STStorage, Value: version}
+		if err = bc.dao.PutVersion(v); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		genesisBlock, err := createGenesisBlock(bc.config)
@@ -328,9 +329,11 @@ func (bc *Blockchain) init() error {
 		}
 		return bc.storeBlock(genesisBlock, nil)
 	}
-	if ver != version {
-		return fmt.Errorf("storage version mismatch betweeen %s and %s", version, ver)
+	if ver.Value != version {
+		return fmt.Errorf("storage version mismatch betweeen %s and %s", version, ver.Value)
 	}
+	bc.dao.StoragePrefix = ver.Prefix
+	bc.persistent.StoragePrefix = ver.Prefix // not strictly needed but we better be consistent here
 
 	// At this point there was no version found in the storage which
 	// implies a creating fresh storage with the version specified
diff --git a/pkg/core/dao/dao.go b/pkg/core/dao/dao.go
index e374de6b9..fd2817c7a 100644
--- a/pkg/core/dao/dao.go
+++ b/pkg/core/dao/dao.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ type DAO interface {
 	GetStorageItems(id int32) ([]state.StorageItemWithKey, error)
 	GetStorageItemsWithPrefix(id int32, prefix []byte) ([]state.StorageItemWithKey, error)
 	GetTransaction(hash util.Uint256) (*transaction.Transaction, uint32, error)
-	GetVersion() (string, error)
+	GetVersion() (Version, error)
 	GetWrapped() DAO
 	HasTransaction(hash util.Uint256) error
 	Persist() (int, error)
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ type DAO interface {
 	PutStateSyncPoint(p uint32) error
 	PutStateSyncCurrentBlockHeight(h uint32) error
 	PutStorageItem(id int32, key []byte, si state.StorageItem) error
-	PutVersion(v string) error
+	PutVersion(v Version) error
 	Seek(id int32, prefix []byte, f func(k, v []byte))
 	SeekAsync(ctx context.Context, id int32, prefix []byte) chan storage.KeyValue
 	StoreAsBlock(block *block.Block, buf *io.BufBinWriter) error
@@ -378,11 +378,46 @@ func (dao *Simple) GetBlock(hash util.Uint256) (*block.Block, error) {
 	return block, nil
 }
 
+// Version represents current dao version.
+type Version struct {
+	Prefix storage.KeyPrefix
+	Value  string
+}
+
+// FromBytes decodes v from a byte-slice.
+func (v *Version) FromBytes(data []byte) error {
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("missing version")
+	}
+	i := 0
+	for ; i < len(data) && data[i] != '\x00'; i++ {
+	}
+
+	if i == len(data) {
+		v.Value = string(data)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	v.Value = string(data[:i])
+	v.Prefix = storage.KeyPrefix(data[i+1])
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Bytes encodes v to a byte-slice.
+func (v *Version) Bytes() []byte {
+	return append([]byte(v.Value), '\x00', byte(v.Prefix))
+}
+
 // GetVersion attempts to get the current version stored in the
 // underlying store.
-func (dao *Simple) GetVersion() (string, error) {
-	version, err := dao.Store.Get(storage.SYSVersion.Bytes())
-	return string(version), err
+func (dao *Simple) GetVersion() (Version, error) {
+	var version Version
+
+	data, err := dao.Store.Get(storage.SYSVersion.Bytes())
+	if err == nil {
+		err = version.FromBytes(data)
+	}
+	return version, err
 }
 
 // GetCurrentBlockHeight returns the current block height found in the
@@ -485,8 +520,9 @@ func (dao *Simple) GetTransaction(hash util.Uint256) (*transaction.Transaction,
 }
 
 // PutVersion stores the given version in the underlying store.
-func (dao *Simple) PutVersion(v string) error {
-	return dao.Store.Put(storage.SYSVersion.Bytes(), []byte(v))
+func (dao *Simple) PutVersion(v Version) error {
+	dao.StoragePrefix = v.Prefix
+	return dao.Store.Put(storage.SYSVersion.Bytes(), v.Bytes())
 }
 
 // PutCurrentHeader stores current header.
diff --git a/pkg/core/dao/dao_test.go b/pkg/core/dao/dao_test.go
index 4ec8cc0d0..7d1c3d9c2 100644
--- a/pkg/core/dao/dao_test.go
+++ b/pkg/core/dao/dao_test.go
@@ -115,16 +115,26 @@ func TestGetVersion_NoVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	dao := NewSimple(storage.NewMemoryStore(), false, false)
 	version, err := dao.GetVersion()
 	require.Error(t, err)
-	require.Equal(t, "", version)
+	require.Equal(t, "", version.Value)
 }
 
 func TestGetVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	dao := NewSimple(storage.NewMemoryStore(), false, false)
-	err := dao.PutVersion("testVersion")
+	err := dao.PutVersion(Version{Prefix: 0x42, Value: "testVersion"})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	version, err := dao.GetVersion()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.NotNil(t, version)
+	require.EqualValues(t, 0x42, version.Prefix)
+	require.Equal(t, "testVersion", version.Value)
+
+	t.Run("old format", func(t *testing.T) {
+		dao := NewSimple(storage.NewMemoryStore(), false, false)
+		require.NoError(t, dao.Store.Put(storage.SYSVersion.Bytes(), []byte("0.1.2")))
+
+		version, err := dao.GetVersion()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Equal(t, "0.1.2", version.Value)
+	})
 }
 
 func TestGetCurrentHeaderHeight_NoHeader(t *testing.T) {