diff --git a/.github/workflows/check_core_versions.yml b/.github/workflows/check_core_versions.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e46abba04e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/check_core_versions.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+name: Check `langchain-core` version equality
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - 'libs/core/pyproject.toml'
+      - 'libs/core/langchain_core/version.py'
+
+jobs:
+  check_version_equality:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Check version equality
+        run: |
+          PYPROJECT_VERSION=$(grep -Po '(?<=^version = ")[^"]*' libs/core/pyproject.toml)
+          VERSION_PY_VERSION=$(grep -Po '(?<=^VERSION = ")[^"]*' libs/core/langchain_core/version.py)
+
+          # Compare the two versions
+          if [ "$PYPROJECT_VERSION" != "$VERSION_PY_VERSION" ]; then
+            echo "langchain-core versions in pyproject.toml and version.py do not match!"
+            echo "pyproject.toml version: $PYPROJECT_VERSION"
+            echo "version.py version: $VERSION_PY_VERSION"
+            exit 1
+          else
+            echo "Versions match: $PYPROJECT_VERSION"
+          fi
diff --git a/libs/core/langchain_core/__init__.py b/libs/core/langchain_core/__init__.py
index 0326da7c0de..498f503ad35 100644
--- a/libs/core/langchain_core/__init__.py
+++ b/libs/core/langchain_core/__init__.py
@@ -8,18 +8,13 @@ No third-party integrations are defined here. The dependencies are kept purposef
 very lightweight.
 """
 
-from importlib import metadata
-
 from langchain_core._api import (
     surface_langchain_beta_warnings,
     surface_langchain_deprecation_warnings,
 )
+from langchain_core.version import VERSION
 
-try:
-    __version__ = metadata.version(__package__)
-except metadata.PackageNotFoundError:
-    # Case where package metadata is not available.
-    __version__ = ""
+__version__ = VERSION
 
 surface_langchain_deprecation_warnings()
 surface_langchain_beta_warnings()
diff --git a/libs/core/langchain_core/version.py b/libs/core/langchain_core/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0e8bc4ac071
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/core/langchain_core/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+"""langchain-core version information and utilities."""
+
+VERSION = "0.3.51"