diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 84e04807f..9b511be90 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ env:
   - TEST_NO_FUSE=1 TEST_VERBOSE=1 TEST_SUITE=test_go_expensive
   - TEST_NO_FUSE=1 TEST_VERBOSE=1 TEST_SUITE=test_sharness_expensive
 
-install: make install
+install:
+  - make toolkit_upgrade
+  - make install
 
 script:
   - make $TEST_SUITE
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 228051a3f..84271bf68 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -14,11 +14,19 @@ all: help
 godep:
 	go get github.com/tools/godep
 
-gx:
+toolkit_upgrade: gx_upgrade gxgo_upgrade
+
+gx_upgrade:
 	go get -u github.com/whyrusleeping/gx
+
+gxgo_upgrade:
 	go get -u github.com/whyrusleeping/gx-go
 
-deps: gx
+gx_check:
+	@bin/check_gx_program "gx" "0.3" 'Upgrade or install gx using your package manager or run `make gx_upgrade`'
+	@bin/check_gx_program "gx-go" "0.2" 'Upgrade or install gx-go using your package manager or run `make gxgo_upgrade`'
+
+deps: gx_check
 	gx --verbose install --global
 
 # saves/vendors third-party dependencies to Godeps/_workspace
@@ -42,7 +50,7 @@ clean:
 uninstall:
 	cd cmd/ipfs && go clean -i -ldflags=$(ldflags)
 
-PHONY += all help godep install build nofuse clean uninstall
+PHONY += all help godep toolkit_upgrade gx_upgrade gxgo_upgrade gx_check deps vendor install build nofuse clean uninstall
 
 ##############################################################
 # tests targets
@@ -98,6 +106,7 @@ PHONY += test test_short test_expensive
 help:
 	@echo 'DEPENDENCY TARGETS:'
 	@echo ''
+	@echo '  deps         - Download dependencies using gx'
 	@echo '  vendor       - Create a Godep workspace of 3rd party dependencies'
 	@echo ''
 	@echo 'BUILD TARGETS:'
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 5dffeb0aa..5cff8cda8 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ install:
 # default file handles. Ensure a dummy file descriptor is opened with 'exec'.
 #  
 build_script:
-  - '%BASH% -lc "cd $APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER; exec 0</dev/null; export PATH=$GOPATH/bin:$PATH; make nofuse"'
+  - '%BASH% -lc "cd $APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER; exec 0</dev/null; export PATH=$GOPATH/bin:$PATH; make toolkit_upgrade; make nofuse"'
   
 test_script:
   - '%BASH% -lc "cd $APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER; exec 0</dev/null; export PATH=$GOPATH/bin:$PATH; export GOFLAGS=''-tags nofuse''; export TEST_NO_FUSE=1; export TEST_VERBOSE=1; export TEST_SUITE=test_sharness_expensive; make $TEST_SUITE"'
diff --git a/bin/check_gx_program b/bin/check_gx_program
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..37ada6edc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/check_gx_program
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Check if a gx program is installed and if its version is at least
+# equal to a minimum version number.
+#
+# Call it for example like this:
+#
+#   $ check_gx_program "gx-go" "0.2.0" "Use 'make gx_upgrade' to install or upgrade gx-go."
+#
+# or:
+#
+#   $ check_gx_program "gx" "0.3" "Use 'make gx_upgrade' to install or upgrade gx."
+#
+
+USAGE="$0 GX_PROGRAM_NAME GX_MIN_VERSION UPGRADE_MSG"
+
+die() {
+    printf >&2 "fatal: %s\n" "$@"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+# Get arguments
+
+test "$#" -eq "3" || die "This program must be passed exactly 3 arguments" "Usage: $USAGE"
+
+GX_PROGRAM_NAME="$1"
+GX_MIN_VERSION="$2"
+UPGRADE_MSG="$3"
+
+die_upgrade() {
+    printf >&2 "fatal: %s\n" "$@"
+    printf >&2 "=> %s\n" "$UPGRADE_MSG"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+major_number() {
+    vers="$1"
+
+    # Hack around 'expr' exiting with code 1 when it outputs 0
+    case "$vers" in
+        0) echo "0" ;;
+        0.*) echo "0" ;;
+        *) expr "$vers" : "\([^.]*\).*" || return 1
+    esac
+}
+
+check_at_least_version() {
+    MIN_VERS="$1"
+    CUR_VERS="$2"
+    PROG_NAME="$3"
+
+    # Get major, minor and fix numbers for each version
+    MIN_MAJ=$(major_number "$MIN_VERS") || die "No major version number in '$MIN_VERS' for '$PROG_NAME'"
+    CUR_MAJ=$(major_number "$CUR_VERS") || die "No major version number in '$CUR_VERS' for '$PROG_NAME'"
+
+    if MIN_MIN=$(expr "$MIN_VERS" : "[^.]*\.\([^.]*\).*"); then
+        MIN_FIX=$(expr "$MIN_VERS" : "[^.]*\.[^.]*\.\([^.]*\).*") || MIN_FIX="0"
+    else
+        MIN_MIN="0"
+        MIN_FIX="0"
+    fi
+    if CUR_MIN=$(expr "$CUR_VERS" : "[^.]*\.\([^.]*\).*"); then
+        CUR_FIX=$(expr "$CUR_VERS" : "[^.]*\.[^.]*\.\([^.]*\).*") || CUR_FIX="0"
+    else
+        CUR_MIN="0"
+        CUR_FIX="0"
+    fi
+
+    # Compare versions
+    VERS_LEAST="$PROG_NAME version '$CUR_VERS' should be at least '$MIN_VERS'"
+    test "$CUR_MAJ" -gt $(expr "$MIN_MAJ" - 1) || die_upgrade "$VERS_LEAST"
+    test "$CUR_MAJ" -gt "$MIN_MAJ" || {
+        test "$CUR_MIN" -gt $(expr "$MIN_MIN" - 1) || die_upgrade "$VERS_LEAST"
+        test "$CUR_MIN" -gt "$MIN_MIN" || {
+            test "$CUR_FIX" -ge "$MIN_FIX" || die_upgrade "$VERS_LEAST"
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+# Check that the gx program exists
+
+type "$GX_PROGRAM_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 || die_upgrade "Program $GX_PROGRAM_NAME is not installed!"
+
+# Check the gx program version
+
+VERS_STR=$($GX_PROGRAM_NAME -v 2>&1) || die "'$GX_PROGRAM_NAME -v' failed with output: $VERS_STR"
+
+GX_CUR_VERSION=$(expr "$VERS_STR" : ".*$GX_PROGRAM_NAME.* version \(.*\)") || die "Invalid '$GX_PROGRAM_NAME -v' output: $VERS_STR"
+
+check_at_least_version "$GX_MIN_VERSION" "$GX_CUR_VERSION" "$GX_PROGRAM_NAME"