diff --git a/specs/schemas/workspace.json b/specs/schemas/workspace.json
index f0c683d415..89b2bb089e 100644
--- a/specs/schemas/workspace.json
+++ b/specs/schemas/workspace.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "$schema": "<http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#>",
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/2020-12/schema",
   "type": "object",
   "properties": {
     "version": {
@@ -104,4 +104,4 @@
       }
     }
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/vscode/microsoft-kiota/src/extension.ts b/vscode/microsoft-kiota/src/extension.ts
index 564d3fd57d..2edb17f965 100644
--- a/vscode/microsoft-kiota/src/extension.ts
+++ b/vscode/microsoft-kiota/src/extension.ts
@@ -659,9 +659,12 @@ async function showUpgradeWarningMessage(clientPath: string, context: vscode.Ext
   }
   const workspaceFileData = await vscode.workspace.fs.readFile(vscode.Uri.file(workspaceFilePath));
   const workspaceFile = JSON.parse(workspaceFileData.toString()) as { kiotaVersion: string };
-  const clientVersion = workspaceFile.kiotaVersion.toLocaleLowerCase();
-  if (clientVersion.toLocaleLowerCase() !== kiotaVersion) {
-    await vscode.window.showWarningMessage(vscode.l10n.t("Client will be upgraded from version {0} to {1}, upgrade your dependencies", clientVersion, kiotaVersion));
+  // don't fail if kiotaVersion isn't in the workspace config file
+  if (workspaceFile.kiotaVersion) {
+    const clientVersion = workspaceFile.kiotaVersion.toLocaleLowerCase();
+    if (clientVersion !== kiotaVersion) {
+      await vscode.window.showWarningMessage(vscode.l10n.t("Client will be upgraded from version {0} to {1}, upgrade your dependencies", clientVersion, kiotaVersion));
+    }
   }
 }