diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c83d1cb21d..2a912da5ed 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ Changes since last non-beta release.
 - Removed ReactOnRails::Utils.server_bundle_file_name and ReactOnRails::Utils.bundle_file_name.
 - No longer logging the `railsContext` when server logging.
 
+#### Fixes
+- More exact version checking. We keep the react_on_rails gem and the react-on-rails node package at
+the same exact versions so that we can be sure that the interaction between them is precise.
+This is so that if a bug is detected after some update, it's critical that
+both the gem and the node package get the updates. This change ensures that the package.json specification does not use a
+~ or ^ as reported in [#1062](https://github.com/shakacode/react_on_rails/issues/1062). [PR 1063](https://github.com/shakacode/react_on_rails/pull/1063) by [justin808](https://github.com/justin808).
+
 ### [10.1.4] - 2018-04-11
 
 #### Fixed
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 96e8df2a11..7d090fe61e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -343,10 +343,10 @@ Rails will start creating the app and will skip the files you have already creat
 All JavaScript in React On Rails is loaded from npm: [react-on-rails](https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-on-rails). To manually install this (you did not use the generator), assuming you have a standard configuration, run this command (assuming you are in the directory where you have your `node_modules`):
 
 ```bash
-yarn add react-on-rails
+yarn add react-on-rails --exact
 ```
 
-That will install the latest version and update your package.json.
+That will install the latest version and update your package.json. **NOTE:** the `--exact` flag will ensure that you do not have a "~" or "^" for your react-on-rails version in your package.json.
 
 ### Webpacker Configuration
 
diff --git a/lib/generators/react_on_rails/base_generator.rb b/lib/generators/react_on_rails/base_generator.rb
index f4f49e4b7f..9297558273 100644
--- a/lib/generators/react_on_rails/base_generator.rb
+++ b/lib/generators/react_on_rails/base_generator.rb
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def add_base_gems_to_gemfile
       end
 
       def add_yarn_dependencies
-        run "yarn add react-on-rails"
+        run "yarn add react-on-rails --exact"
       end
 
       def append_to_spec_rails_helper
diff --git a/lib/react_on_rails/version_checker.rb b/lib/react_on_rails/version_checker.rb
index 1bd26b7840..589e4a4c62 100644
--- a/lib/react_on_rails/version_checker.rb
+++ b/lib/react_on_rails/version_checker.rb
@@ -22,23 +22,37 @@ def raise_if_gem_and_node_package_versions_differ
       return if node_package_version.relative_path?
       node_major_minor_patch = node_package_version.major_minor_patch
       gem_major_minor_patch = gem_major_minor_patch_version
-      return if node_major_minor_patch[0] == gem_major_minor_patch[0] &&
-                node_major_minor_patch[1] == gem_major_minor_patch[1] &&
-                node_major_minor_patch[2] == gem_major_minor_patch[2]
+      versions_match = node_major_minor_patch[0] == gem_major_minor_patch[0] &&
+                       node_major_minor_patch[1] == gem_major_minor_patch[1] &&
+                       node_major_minor_patch[2] == gem_major_minor_patch[2]
 
-      raise_differing_versions_warning
+      raise_differing_versions_warning unless versions_match
+
+      raise_node_semver_version_warning if node_package_version.semver_wildcard?
     end
 
     private
 
+    def common_error_msg
+      <<-MSG.strip_heredoc
+         Detected: #{node_package_version.raw}
+              gem: #{gem_version}
+         Ensure the installed version of the gem is the same as the version of
+         your installed node package. Do not use >= or ~> in your Gemfile for react_on_rails.
+         Do not use ^ or ~ in your package.json for react-on-rails.
+         Run `yarn add react-on-rails --exact` in the directory containing folder node_modules.
+      MSG
+    end
+
     def raise_differing_versions_warning
-      msg = "**ERROR** ReactOnRails: ReactOnRails gem and node package versions do not match\n" \
-            "                     gem: #{gem_version}\n" \
-            "            node package: #{node_package_version.raw}\n" \
-            "Ensure the installed version of the gem is the same as the version of \n"\
-            "your installed node package.\n"\
-            "Run `#{ReactOnRails::Utils.prepend_cd_node_modules_directory('yarn add react-on-rails')}`"
-      raise msg
+      msg = "**ERROR** ReactOnRails: ReactOnRails gem and node package versions do not match\n#{common_error_msg}"
+      raise ReactOnRails::Error, msg
+    end
+
+    def raise_node_semver_version_warning
+      msg = "**ERROR** ReactOnRails: Your node package version for react-on-rails contains a "\
+            "^ or ~\n#{common_error_msg}"
+      raise ReactOnRails::Error, msg
     end
 
     def gem_version
@@ -75,6 +89,10 @@ def raw
         end
       end
 
+      def semver_wildcard?
+        raw.match(/[~^]/)
+      end
+
       def relative_path?
         raw.match(%r{(\.\.|\Afile:///)}).present?
       end
diff --git a/rakelib/release.rake b/rakelib/release.rake
index 4ced9e48e4..d28de5aad2 100644
--- a/rakelib/release.rake
+++ b/rakelib/release.rake
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ task :release, %i[gem_version dry_run tools_install] do |_t, args|
     sh_in_dir(gem_root, "gem release")
 
     # Update master with new npm version
-    sh_in_dir(File.join(gem_root, "spec", "dummy", "client"), "yarn add react-on-rails@#{npm_version}")
+    sh_in_dir(File.join(gem_root, "spec", "dummy", "client"), "yarn add react-on-rails@#{npm_version} --exact")
     sh_in_dir(gem_root, "git commit -am 'Updated spec/dummy/client/package.json latest version'")
     sh_in_dir(gem_root, "git push")
   end
diff --git a/spec/dummy/Gemfile.lock b/spec/dummy/Gemfile.lock
index a6dbd8bb47..4b3dfaca96 100644
--- a/spec/dummy/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/spec/dummy/Gemfile.lock
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ GIT
 PATH
   remote: ../..
   specs:
-    react_on_rails (10.1.4)
+    react_on_rails (11.0.0.beta.1)
       addressable
       connection_pool
       execjs (~> 2.5)
diff --git a/spec/react_on_rails/fixtures/semver_caret_package.json b/spec/react_on_rails/fixtures/semver_caret_package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..546f499da9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/react_on_rails/fixtures/semver_caret_package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "dependencies": {
+    "babel": "^6.3.26",
+    "react-on-rails": "^1.2.3",
+    "webpack": "^1.12.8"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "babel-eslint": "^5.0.0-beta6"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/spec/react_on_rails/fixtures/semver_tilde_package.json b/spec/react_on_rails/fixtures/semver_tilde_package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3ca755922f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/react_on_rails/fixtures/semver_tilde_package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "dependencies": {
+    "babel": "^6.3.26",
+    "react-on-rails": "~1.2.3",
+    "webpack": "^1.12.8"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "babel-eslint": "^5.0.0-beta6"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/spec/react_on_rails/version_checker_spec.rb b/spec/react_on_rails/version_checker_spec.rb
index cf3baa37d6..06f01a59cb 100644
--- a/spec/react_on_rails/version_checker_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/react_on_rails/version_checker_spec.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ module ReactOnRails
 
       context "when gem and node package major and minor versions are equal" do
         let(:node_package_version) do
-          double_package_version(raw: "^2.2.5-beta.2", major_minor_patch: %w[2 2 5])
+          double_package_version(raw: "2.2.5-beta.2", major_minor_patch: %w[2 2 5])
         end
         before { stub_gem_version("2.2.5.beta.2") }
 
@@ -27,6 +27,18 @@ module ReactOnRails
         end
       end
 
+      context "when major and minor versions are equal BUT node uses semver wildcard" do
+        let(:node_package_version) do
+          double_package_version(raw: "^2.2.5", semver_wildcard: true, major_minor_patch: %w[2 2 5])
+        end
+        before { stub_gem_version("2.2.5") }
+
+        it "does raise" do
+          error = /ReactOnRails: Your node package version for react-on-rails contains a \^ or ~/
+          expect { check_version(node_package_version) }.to raise_error(error)
+        end
+      end
+
       context "when gem and node package major versions differ" do
         let(:node_package_version) do
           double_package_version(raw: "13.0.0.beta-2", major_minor_patch: %w[13 0 0])
@@ -75,9 +87,11 @@ module ReactOnRails
       end
     end
 
-    def double_package_version(raw: nil, major_minor_patch: nil, relative_path: false)
+    def double_package_version(raw: nil, semver_wildcard: false,
+                               major_minor_patch: nil, relative_path: false)
       instance_double(VersionChecker::NodePackageVersion,
                       raw: raw,
+                      semver_wildcard?: semver_wildcard,
                       major_minor_patch: major_minor_patch,
                       relative_path?: relative_path)
     end
@@ -90,6 +104,26 @@ def check_version(node_package_version)
     describe VersionChecker::NodePackageVersion do
       subject(:node_package_version) { VersionChecker::NodePackageVersion.new(package_json) }
 
+      describe "#semver_wildcard?" do
+        context "when package json lists an exact version of '0.0.2'" do
+          let(:package_json) { File.expand_path("fixtures/normal_package.json", __dir__) }
+
+          specify { expect(node_package_version.semver_wildcard?).to be false }
+        end
+
+        context "when package json lists a semver caret version of '^1.2.3'" do
+          let(:package_json) { File.expand_path("fixtures/semver_caret_package.json", __dir__) }
+
+          specify { expect(node_package_version.semver_wildcard?).to be true }
+        end
+
+        context "when package json lists a semver tilde version of '~1.2.3'" do
+          let(:package_json) { File.expand_path("fixtures/semver_tilde_package.json", __dir__) }
+
+          specify { expect(node_package_version.semver_wildcard?).to be true }
+        end
+      end
+
       context "when package json lists a version of '0.0.2'" do
         let(:package_json) { File.expand_path("fixtures/normal_package.json", __dir__) }