If the mismatch is confirmed, follow these steps based on your system.
This error tells you that the version of the kernel module (the "program version") and the user-land tools (the "configuration") are no longer speaking the same language, making communication impossible. This is a hard failure designed to prevent system instability or crashes that could arise from an incompatible setup.
: Always keep a copy of /etc/pf.conf and any anchor files before performing a system upgrade. pf configuration incompatible with pf program version
kldload pf
The "pf configuration incompatible with pf program version" error can have significant implications on network security and functionality: If the mismatch is confirmed, follow these steps
If you need help resolving this on a specific deployment, please share:
Understanding why this happens is the first step toward a stable network configuration. Usually, this occurs after a system upgrade where the userland utilities (the pfctl command) have been updated, but the kernel hasn't been rebooted to load the matching PF module. Conversely, it can happen if you are manually compiling a newer version of the PF tools while running an older kernel. Because PF relies on specific data structures to pass information between the command line and the kernel, even a tiny change in the code can break the communication bridge, leading to this compatibility error. : Always keep a copy of /etc/pf
Ensure the jail's userland matches the host architecture exactly.
Show loaded pf kernel module (BSDs):