diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/table/table.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/table/table.test.tsx
index b122155d8c93..f3079155f7eb 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/table/table.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/components/table/table.test.tsx
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ describe('Background Search Session Management Table', () => {
       expect(table.find('tbody td').map((node) => node.text())).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
         Array [
           "App",
-          "Namevery background search  ",
+          "Namevery background search ",
           "# Searches0",
           "StatusExpired",
           "Created2 Dec, 2020, 00:19:32",
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/lib/get_columns.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/lib/get_columns.test.tsx
index f46ded96d877..4764e273e5a6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/lib/get_columns.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/lib/get_columns.test.tsx
@@ -161,6 +161,70 @@ describe('Search Sessions Management table column factory', () => {
 
       expect(name.text()).toBe('Cool mock session');
     });
+
+    describe('old version warning', () => {
+      const currentKibanaVersion = '7.14.0';
+      const olderKibanaVersion = '7.13.0';
+      let hasRenderedVersionWarning: (partialSession: Partial<UISession>) => boolean;
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        const [, nameColumn] = getColumns(
+          mockCoreStart,
+          mockPluginsSetup,
+          api,
+          mockConfig,
+          tz,
+          handleAction,
+          currentKibanaVersion
+        ) as Array<EuiTableFieldDataColumnType<UISession>>;
+
+        hasRenderedVersionWarning = (partialSession: Partial<UISession>): boolean => {
+          const session: UISession = {
+            ...mockSession,
+            ...partialSession,
+          };
+          const node = mount(
+            nameColumn.render!(session.name, session) as ReactElement
+          ).getDOMNode();
+          return !!node.querySelector('[data-test-subj="versionIncompatibleWarningTestSubj"]');
+        };
+      });
+
+      test("don't render warning for the same version when can restore", () => {
+        expect(
+          hasRenderedVersionWarning({
+            version: currentKibanaVersion,
+            status: SearchSessionStatus.COMPLETE,
+          })
+        ).toBe(false);
+      });
+
+      test("don't render warning for the same version when can't restore", () => {
+        expect(
+          hasRenderedVersionWarning({
+            version: currentKibanaVersion,
+            status: SearchSessionStatus.EXPIRED,
+          })
+        ).toBe(false);
+      });
+
+      test('render a warning for a different version when can restore', () => {
+        expect(
+          hasRenderedVersionWarning({
+            version: olderKibanaVersion,
+            status: SearchSessionStatus.COMPLETE,
+          })
+        ).toBe(true);
+      });
+
+      test("don't render a warning for a different version when can't restore", () => {
+        expect(
+          hasRenderedVersionWarning({
+            version: olderKibanaVersion,
+            status: SearchSessionStatus.EXPIRED,
+          })
+        ).toBe(false);
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   // Num of searches column
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/lib/get_columns.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/lib/get_columns.tsx
index 9583fc4b843a..865a2c975474 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/lib/get_columns.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/search/sessions_mgmt/lib/get_columns.tsx
@@ -103,12 +103,18 @@ export const getColumns = (
             />
           </>
         );
+
+        // show version warning only if:
+        // 1. the session was created in a different version of Kibana
+        // AND
+        // 2. if still can restore this session: it has IN_PROGRESS or COMPLETE status.
         const versionIncompatibleWarning =
-          isRestorable && version === kibanaVersion ? null : (
+          isRestorable && version !== kibanaVersion ? (
             <>
               {' '}
               <EuiIconTip
                 type="alert"
+                iconProps={{ 'data-test-subj': 'versionIncompatibleWarningTestSubj' }}
                 content={
                   <FormattedMessage
                     id="xpack.data.mgmt.searchSessions.table.versionIncompatibleWarning"
@@ -117,7 +123,8 @@ export const getColumns = (
                 }
               />
             </>
-          );
+          ) : null;
+
         return (
           <RedirectAppLinks application={core.application}>
             {/* eslint-disable-next-line @elastic/eui/href-or-on-click */}