diff --git a/.github/workflows/cd.yml b/.github/workflows/cd.yml
index 1951157..f122d22 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cd.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
+        uses: actions/checkout@93cb6efe18208431cddfb8368fd83d5badbf9bfd # v5.0.1
 
       - name: Set up JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@ad2b38190b15e4d6bdf0c97fb4fca8412226d287 # v5.3.0
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
       ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_sonatypePassword: ${{ secrets.ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_SONATYPEPASSWORD }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
+        uses: actions/checkout@93cb6efe18208431cddfb8368fd83d5badbf9bfd # v5.0.1
 
       - name: Set up JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@ad2b38190b15e4d6bdf0c97fb4fca8412226d287 # v5.3.0
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2308136..8134ae8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,20 +38,20 @@ To install the library, add the following lines to your build config file.
 <dependency>
   <groupId>io.qdrant</groupId>
   <artifactId>client</artifactId>
-  <version>1.18.2</version>
+  <version>1.18.3</version>
 </dependency>
 ```
 
 #### SBT
 
 ```sbt
-libraryDependencies += "io.qdrant" % "client" % "1.18.2"
+libraryDependencies += "io.qdrant" % "client" % "1.18.3"
 ```
 
 #### Gradle
 
 ```gradle
-implementation 'io.qdrant:client:1.18.2'
+implementation 'io.qdrant:client:1.18.3'
 ```
 
 > [!NOTE]  
diff --git a/example/build.gradle b/example/build.gradle
index 4a1a172..1952c13 100644
--- a/example/build.gradle
+++ b/example/build.gradle
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ repositories {
 
 dependencies {
     // Qdrant Java client
-    implementation 'io.qdrant:client:1.18.2'
+    implementation 'io.qdrant:client:1.18.3'
     
     // gRPC dependencies - use the same version as Qdrant client
     implementation 'io.grpc:grpc-netty-shaded:1.65.1'
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 82672dd..dc0b8fe 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ qdrantProtosVersion=v1.18.0
 qdrantVersion=v1.18.0
 
 # The version of the client to generate
-packageVersion=1.18.2
+packageVersion=1.18.3
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/qdrant/client/QdrantGrpcClient.java b/src/main/java/io/qdrant/client/QdrantGrpcClient.java
index 67a23d7..5db3425 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/qdrant/client/QdrantGrpcClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/qdrant/client/QdrantGrpcClient.java
@@ -273,16 +273,16 @@ public Builder withHeaders(Map<String, String> headers) {
      * @return a new instance of {@link QdrantGrpcClient}
      */
     public QdrantGrpcClient build() {
-      if (checkCompatibility) {
-        String clientVersion = Builder.class.getPackage().getImplementationVersion();
-        checkVersionsCompatibility(clientVersion);
-      }
-
       CallCredentials credentials = this.callCredentials;
       if (credentials == null && (apiKey != null || headers != null)) {
         credentials = new MetadataCredentials(apiKey, headers);
       }
 
+      if (checkCompatibility) {
+        String clientVersion = Builder.class.getPackage().getImplementationVersion();
+        checkVersionsCompatibility(clientVersion, credentials);
+      }
+
       return new QdrantGrpcClient(channel, shutdownChannelOnClose, credentials, timeout);
     }
 
@@ -301,11 +301,12 @@ private static ManagedChannel createChannel(
       return channelBuilder.build();
     }
 
-    private void checkVersionsCompatibility(String clientVersion) {
+    private void checkVersionsCompatibility(
+        String clientVersion, @Nullable CallCredentials credentials) {
       try {
         String serverVersion =
             QdrantGrpc.newBlockingStub(this.channel)
-                .withCallCredentials(this.callCredentials)
+                .withCallCredentials(credentials)
                 .healthCheck(QdrantOuterClass.HealthCheckRequest.getDefaultInstance())
                 .getVersion();
         if (!VersionsCompatibilityChecker.isCompatible(clientVersion, serverVersion)) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/qdrant/client/QdrantGrpcClientCompatibilityTest.java b/src/test/java/io/qdrant/client/QdrantGrpcClientCompatibilityTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e54fe92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/io/qdrant/client/QdrantGrpcClientCompatibilityTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+package io.qdrant.client;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertInstanceOf;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotNull;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mockStatic;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+import io.grpc.CallCredentials;
+import io.grpc.ManagedChannel;
+import io.qdrant.client.grpc.QdrantGrpc;
+import io.qdrant.client.grpc.QdrantOuterClass;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
+import org.mockito.MockedStatic;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for the version compatibility check performed by {@link
+ * QdrantGrpcClient.Builder#build()}.
+ */
+class QdrantGrpcClientCompatibilityTest {
+
+  @Test
+  void compatibility_check_uses_api_key_credentials_from_with_api_key() {
+    ManagedChannel channel = mock(ManagedChannel.class);
+    QdrantGrpc.QdrantBlockingStub stub = mock(QdrantGrpc.QdrantBlockingStub.class);
+    QdrantOuterClass.HealthCheckReply reply =
+        QdrantOuterClass.HealthCheckReply.newBuilder()
+            .setTitle("qdrant")
+            .setVersion("1.0.0")
+            .build();
+
+    try (MockedStatic<QdrantGrpc> grpc = mockStatic(QdrantGrpc.class)) {
+      grpc.when(() -> QdrantGrpc.newBlockingStub(any())).thenReturn(stub);
+      when(stub.withCallCredentials(any())).thenReturn(stub);
+      when(stub.healthCheck(any())).thenReturn(reply);
+
+      QdrantGrpcClient client =
+          QdrantGrpcClient.newBuilder(channel, false, true).withApiKey("my-api-key").build();
+      client.close();
+
+      ArgumentCaptor<CallCredentials> credentialsCaptor =
+          ArgumentCaptor.forClass(CallCredentials.class);
+      verify(stub).withCallCredentials(credentialsCaptor.capture());
+
+      CallCredentials usedCredentials = credentialsCaptor.getValue();
+      assertNotNull(
+          usedCredentials,
+          "Version compatibility check must run with the API key credentials, not null");
+      assertInstanceOf(MetadataCredentials.class, usedCredentials);
+    }
+  }
+}