diff --git a/synapse/handlers/message.py b/synapse/handlers/message.py
index 8a0024ce8485..e7f85ada552f 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/message.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/message.py
@@ -1376,6 +1376,9 @@ async def persist_and_notify_client_event(
                 allow_none=True,
             )
 
+            room_version = await self.store.get_room_version_id(event.room_id)
+            room_version_obj = KNOWN_ROOM_VERSIONS[room_version]
+
             # we can make some additional checks now if we have the original event.
             if original_event:
                 if original_event.type == EventTypes.Create:
@@ -1387,6 +1390,28 @@ async def persist_and_notify_client_event(
                 if original_event.type == EventTypes.ServerACL:
                     raise AuthError(403, "Redacting server ACL events is not permitted")
 
+                # Add a little safety stop-gap to prevent people from trying to
+                # redact MSC2716 related events when they're in a room version
+                # which does not support it yet. We allow people to use MSC2716
+                # events in existing room versions but only from the room
+                # creator since it does not require any changes to the auth
+                # rules and in effect, the redaction algorithm . In the
+                # supported room version, we add the `historical` power level to
+                # auth the MSC2716 related events and adjust the redaction
+                # algorthim to keep the `historical` field around (redacting an
+                # event should only strip fields which don't affect the
+                # structural protocol level).
+                is_msc2716_event = (
+                    original_event.type == EventTypes.MSC2716_INSERTION
+                    or original_event.type == EventTypes.MSC2716_CHUNK
+                    or original_event.type == EventTypes.MSC2716_MARKER
+                )
+                if not room_version_obj.msc2716_historical and is_msc2716_event:
+                    raise AuthError(
+                        403,
+                        "Redacting MSC2716 events is not supported in this room version",
+                    )
+
             prev_state_ids = await context.get_prev_state_ids()
             auth_events_ids = self._event_auth_handler.compute_auth_events(
                 event, prev_state_ids, for_verification=True
@@ -1394,9 +1419,6 @@ async def persist_and_notify_client_event(
             auth_events_map = await self.store.get_events(auth_events_ids)
             auth_events = {(e.type, e.state_key): e for e in auth_events_map.values()}
 
-            room_version = await self.store.get_room_version_id(event.room_id)
-            room_version_obj = KNOWN_ROOM_VERSIONS[room_version]
-
             if event_auth.check_redaction(
                 room_version_obj, event, auth_events=auth_events
             ):