diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/action/main/MainResponse.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/action/main/MainResponse.java
index 467f33c1c3b..c1c0a71b243 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/action/main/MainResponse.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/action/main/MainResponse.java
@@ -139,9 +139,11 @@ public class MainResponse extends ActionResponse implements ToXContentObject {
         builder.field("name", nodeName);
         builder.field("cluster_name", clusterName.value());
         builder.field("cluster_uuid", clusterUuid);
-        builder.startObject("version")
-            .field("distribution", build.getDistribution())
-            .field("number", versionNumber)
+        builder.startObject("version");
+        if (isCompatibilityModeDisabled()) {
+            builder.field("distribution", build.getDistribution());
+        }
+            builder.field("number", versionNumber)
             .field("build_type", build.type().displayName())
             .field("build_hash", build.hash())
             .field("build_date", build.date())
@@ -155,6 +157,12 @@ public class MainResponse extends ActionResponse implements ToXContentObject {
         return builder;
     }
 
+    private boolean isCompatibilityModeDisabled() {
+        // if we are not in compatibility mode (spoofing versionNumber), then
+        // build.getQualifiedVersion is always used.
+        return build.getQualifiedVersion().equals(versionNumber);
+    }
+
     private static final ObjectParser<MainResponse, Void> PARSER = new ObjectParser<>(MainResponse.class.getName(), true,
             MainResponse::new);
 
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/action/main/MainResponseTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/action/main/MainResponseTests.java
index 550cf43799d..aa62a3880f4 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/action/main/MainResponseTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/action/main/MainResponseTests.java
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ public class MainResponseTests extends AbstractSerializingTestCase<MainResponse>
         XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder();
         response.toXContent(builder, ToXContent.EMPTY_PARAMS);
         assertTrue(Strings.toString(builder).contains("\"number\":\"" + responseVersion + "\","));
+        assertFalse(Strings.toString(builder).contains("\"distribution\":\"" + Build.CURRENT.getDistribution() + "\","));
     }
 
     @Override