diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/remote/db.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/remote/db.rs
index da9a4b09b..c7ff15b01 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/remote/db.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/remote/db.rs
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ impl ServerVersion {
     pub fn support_fts_document_granularity(&self) -> bool {
         self.0 >= semver::Version::new(0, 6, 0)
     }
+
+    pub fn support_create_index_replace_false(&self) -> bool {
+        self.0 >= semver::Version::new(0, 5, 1)
+    }
 }
 
 pub const OPT_REMOTE_PREFIX: &str = "remote_database_";
diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/remote/table.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/remote/table.rs
index 0911f1c01..4c7c88ec1 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/remote/table.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/remote/table.rs
@@ -508,6 +508,12 @@ impl<S: HttpSend> RemoteTable<S> {
                 });
             }
         };
+        if !index.replace && !self.server_version.support_create_index_replace_false() {
+            return Err(Error::NotSupported {
+                message: "create-index replace=false requires remote server version 0.5.1 or later"
+                    .into(),
+            });
+        }
         if matches!(
             &index.index,
             Index::FTS(params) if params.get_document_granularity().is_list_element()
@@ -6083,29 +6089,33 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_create_index_forwards_replace_false() {
-        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", move |request| {
-            assert_eq!(request.method(), "POST");
-            match request.url().path() {
-                "/v1/table/my_table/describe/" => {
-                    let schema = Schema::new(vec![Field::new("a", DataType::Int32, false)]);
-                    http::Response::builder()
-                        .status(200)
-                        .body(describe_response(&schema))
-                        .unwrap()
-                }
-                "/v1/table/my_table/create_index/" => {
-                    let body = request.body().unwrap().as_bytes().unwrap();
-                    let body: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(body).unwrap();
-                    assert_eq!(body["replace"], json!(false));
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler_version(
+            "my_table",
+            semver::Version::new(0, 5, 1),
+            move |request| {
+                assert_eq!(request.method(), "POST");
+                match request.url().path() {
+                    "/v1/table/my_table/describe/" => {
+                        let schema = Schema::new(vec![Field::new("a", DataType::Int32, false)]);
+                        http::Response::builder()
+                            .status(200)
+                            .body(describe_response(&schema))
+                            .unwrap()
+                    }
+                    "/v1/table/my_table/create_index/" => {
+                        let body = request.body().unwrap().as_bytes().unwrap();
+                        let body: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(body).unwrap();
+                        assert_eq!(body["replace"], json!(false));
 
-                    http::Response::builder()
-                        .status(200)
-                        .body("{}".to_string())
-                        .unwrap()
+                        http::Response::builder()
+                            .status(200)
+                            .body("{}".to_string())
+                            .unwrap()
+                    }
+                    path => panic!("Unexpected path: {}", path),
                 }
-                path => panic!("Unexpected path: {}", path),
-            }
-        });
+            },
+        );
 
         table
             .create_index(&["a"], Index::BTree(Default::default()))
@@ -6115,6 +6125,26 @@ mod tests {
             .unwrap();
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_create_index_replace_false_rejects_unsupported_server() {
+        let table = Table::new_with_handler("my_table", |_| -> http::Response<String> {
+            panic!("unsupported replace=false should be rejected before issuing remote requests")
+        });
+
+        let err = table
+            .create_index(&["a"], Index::BTree(Default::default()))
+            .replace(false)
+            .execute()
+            .await
+            .unwrap_err();
+
+        assert!(
+            matches!(&err, Error::NotSupported { message }
+                if message.contains("replace=false requires remote server version 0.5.1")),
+            "got {err:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_create_index_returns_job() {
         let describe_calls = std::sync::Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize::new(0));