diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 74456e494c..d4110b8fff 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -341,6 +341,50 @@ stages:
         sudo sh -x bin/tests/system/ifconfig.sh up;
       fi
 
+cross-version-config-tests:
+  stage: system
+  <<: *base_image
+  <<: *default_triggering_rules
+  variables:
+    CC: gcc
+    CFLAGS: "${CFLAGS_COMMON}"
+    # Disable option checking to prevent problems with new default options in
+    # the &configure anchor.
+    EXTRA_CONFIGURE: "--disable-option-checking"
+  script:
+    - *configure
+    - *setup_interfaces
+    - make -j${BUILD_PARALLEL_JOBS:-1}
+    # Build system test binaries.
+    - make -C bin/tests/system -j${TEST_PARALLEL_JOBS:-1} check TESTS=""
+    - export BIND_BRANCH="$(sed -n -E "s|^m4_define\(\[bind_VERSION_MINOR\], ([0-9]+)\)dnl$|\1|p" configure.ac)"
+    # When testing a .0 release, compare it against the previous development
+    # release (e.g., 9.19.0 and 9.18.0 should both be compared against 9.17.22).
+    - if [ "$(sed -n -E "s|^m4_define\(\[bind_VERSION_PATCH\], ([0-9]+)\)dnl$|\1|p" configure.ac)" = "0" ]; then export BIND_BRANCH=$((BIND_BRANCH - 1 - (BIND_BRANCH % 2))); fi
+    - BASELINE="$(curl -s "https://gitlab.isc.org/api/v4/projects/1/repository/tags?search=^v9.${BIND_BRANCH}&order_by=version" | jq -r ".[0].name")"
+    - git clone --branch "${BASELINE}" --depth 1 https://gitlab.isc.org/isc-projects/bind9.git "bind-${BASELINE}"
+    - cd "bind-${BASELINE}"
+    - autoreconf -fi
+    - *configure
+    - make -j${BUILD_PARALLEL_JOBS:-1}
+    - *find_pytest
+    - cd bin/tests/system
+    # Run the setup phase of all system tests in the most recently tagged BIND 9
+    # release using the binaries built for the current BIND 9 version.  This
+    # intends to detect obvious backward compatibility issues with the latter.
+    - sed -i -E "s|(export TOP_BUILDDIR)=.*|\1=${CI_PROJECT_DIR}|" conf.sh
+    - >
+      "$PYTEST" --setup-only -n "${TEST_PARALLEL_JOBS:-1}"
+  needs:
+    - job: autoreconf
+      artifacts: true
+  artifacts:
+    paths:
+      - bind-*
+    untracked: true
+    expire_in: "1 day"
+    when: on_failure
+
 .display_pytest_failures: &display_pytest_failures
     - awk '/^=+ FAILURES =+/{flag=1;next}/^=+.*=+$/{flag=0}flag' bin/tests/system/pytest.out.txt || true
     - awk '/^=+ ERRORS =+/{flag=1;next}/^=+.*=+$/{flag=0}flag' bin/tests/system/pytest.out.txt || true
diff --git a/.gitlab/issue_templates/Release.md b/.gitlab/issue_templates/Release.md
index 9c26c3f0c6..3c8122b083 100644
--- a/.gitlab/issue_templates/Release.md
+++ b/.gitlab/issue_templates/Release.md
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 
 ### Before the Tagging Deadline
 
+ - [ ] ***(QA)*** Inspect the current output of the `cross-version-config-tests` job to verify that no unexpected backward-incompatible change was introduced in the current release cycle.
  - [ ] ***(QA)*** Ensure release notes are correct, ask Support and Marketing to check them as well. [Example](https://gitlab.isc.org/isc-private/bind9/-/merge_requests/510)
  - [ ] ***(QA)*** Add a release marker to `CHANGES`. Examples: [9.18](https://gitlab.isc.org/isc-projects/bind9/-/commit/f14d8ad78c0506fd4247187f2177f8eceeb6b3b9), [9.16](https://gitlab.isc.org/isc-projects/bind9/-/commit/1bcdf21874f99a00da389d723e0ad07dfd70f9f1)
  - [ ] ***(QA)*** Add a release marker to `CHANGES.SE` (Subscription Edition only). [Example](https://gitlab.isc.org/isc-private/bind9/-/commit/0f03d5737bcbdaa1bf713c6db1887b14938c3421)
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@
  - [ ] ***(QA)*** Ensure all new tags are annotated and signed. `git show --show-signature v9.19.12`
  - [ ] ***(QA)*** Push tags for the published releases to the public repository.
  - [ ] ***(QA)*** Merge published release tags (non-linearly) back into the their relevant development/maintenance branches. [Step 7 of the new workflow](https://gitlab.isc.org/isc-projects/bind9/-/merge_requests/6124#new-workflow)
+ - [ ] ***(QA)*** Ensure `allow_failure: true` is removed from the `cross-version-config-tests` job if it was set during the current release cycle.
  - [ ] ***(QA)*** Sanitize confidential issues which are assigned to the current release milestone and do not describe a security vulnerability, then make them public.
  - [ ] ***(QA)*** Sanitize [confidential issues](https://gitlab.isc.org/isc-projects/bind9/-/issues/?sort=milestone_due_desc&state=opened&confidential=yes) which are assigned to older release milestones and describe security vulnerabilities, then make them public if appropriate[^2].
  - [ ] ***(QA)*** Update QA tools used in GitLab CI (e.g. Black, PyLint, Sphinx) by modifying the relevant [`Dockerfile`](https://gitlab.isc.org/isc-projects/images/-/merge_requests/228/diffs).