diff --git a/dev-tools/scripts/smokeTestRelease.py b/dev-tools/scripts/smokeTestRelease.py
index 1e06a5a92ae..cd7b3342c1c 100644
--- a/dev-tools/scripts/smokeTestRelease.py
+++ b/dev-tools/scripts/smokeTestRelease.py
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ def verifyUnpacked(java, project, artifact, unpackPath, svnRevision, version, te
 
   if project == 'lucene' and isSrc:
     print('  confirm all releases have coverage in TestBackwardsCompatibility')
-    confirmAllReleasesAreTestedForBackCompat(unpackPath)
+    confirmAllReleasesAreTestedForBackCompat(version, unpackPath)
     
 
 def testNotice(unpackPath):
@@ -1281,7 +1281,7 @@ def getAllLuceneReleases():
   l.sort()
   return l
 
-def confirmAllReleasesAreTestedForBackCompat(unpackPath):
+def confirmAllReleasesAreTestedForBackCompat(smokeVersion, unpackPath):
 
   print('    find all past Lucene releases...')
   allReleases = getAllLuceneReleases()
@@ -1345,9 +1345,15 @@ def confirmAllReleasesAreTestedForBackCompat(unpackPath):
   notTested = []
   for x in allReleases:
     if x not in testedIndices:
-      if '.'.join(str(y) for y in x) in ('1.4.3', '1.9.1', '2.3.1', '2.3.2'):
+      releaseVersion = '.'.join(str(y) for y in x)
+      if releaseVersion in ('1.4.3', '1.9.1', '2.3.1', '2.3.2'):
         # Exempt the dark ages indices
         continue
+      if x >= tuple(int(y) for y in smokeVersion.split('.')):
+        # Exempt versions not less than the one being smoke tested
+        print('      Backcompat testing not required for release %s because it\'s not less than %s'
+              % (releaseVersion, smokeVersion))
+        continue
       notTested.append(x)
 
   if len(notTested) > 0: