diff --git a/cli/generate/src/lib.rs b/cli/generate/src/lib.rs
index f1196827..56b2cdc6 100644
--- a/cli/generate/src/lib.rs
+++ b/cli/generate/src/lib.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ pub use parse_grammar::ParseGrammarError;
 use prepare_grammar::prepare_grammar;
 pub use prepare_grammar::PrepareGrammarError;
 use render::render_c_code;
+pub use render::{ABI_VERSION_MAX, ABI_VERSION_MIN};
 
 static JSON_COMMENT_REGEX: LazyLock<Regex> = LazyLock::new(|| {
     RegexBuilder::new("^\\s*//.*")
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ pub fn generate_parser_in_directory(
     repo_path: &Path,
     out_path: Option<&str>,
     grammar_path: Option<&str>,
-    abi_version: usize,
+    mut abi_version: usize,
     report_symbol_name: Option<&str>,
     js_runtime: Option<&str>,
 ) -> GenerateResult<()> {
@@ -192,6 +193,12 @@ pub fn generate_parser_in_directory(
 
     let semantic_version = read_grammar_version(&repo_path)?;
 
+    if semantic_version.is_none() && abi_version > ABI_VERSION_MIN {
+        println!("Warning: No `tree-sitter.json` file found in your grammar, this file is required to generate with ABI {abi_version}. Using ABI version {ABI_VERSION_MIN} instead.");
+        println!("This file can be set up with `tree-sitter init`. For more information, see https://tree-sitter.github.io/tree-sitter/cli/init.");
+        abi_version = ABI_VERSION_MIN;
+    }
+
     // Generate the parser and related files.
     let GeneratedParser {
         c_code,
diff --git a/cli/generate/src/render.rs b/cli/generate/src/render.rs
index e2ef2389..dc8f0825 100644
--- a/cli/generate/src/render.rs
+++ b/cli/generate/src/render.rs
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ use super::{
 };
 
 const SMALL_STATE_THRESHOLD: usize = 64;
-const ABI_VERSION_MIN: usize = 14;
-const ABI_VERSION_MAX: usize = tree_sitter::LANGUAGE_VERSION;
+pub const ABI_VERSION_MIN: usize = 14;
+pub const ABI_VERSION_MAX: usize = tree_sitter::LANGUAGE_VERSION;
 const ABI_VERSION_WITH_RESERVED_WORDS: usize = 15;
 const BUILD_VERSION: &str = env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION");
 const BUILD_SHA: Option<&'static str> = option_env!("BUILD_SHA");