diff --git a/qiskit/qpy/interface.py b/qiskit/qpy/interface.py
index 9886160dacc0..f4a77ec14598 100644
--- a/qiskit/qpy/interface.py
+++ b/qiskit/qpy/interface.py
@@ -231,6 +231,12 @@ def load(
     version = struct.unpack("!6sB", file_obj.read(7))[1]
     file_obj.seek(0)
 
+    if version > common.QPY_VERSION:
+        raise QiskitError(
+            f"The QPY format version being read, {version}, isn't supported by "
+            "this Qiskit version. Please upgrade your version of Qiskit to load this QPY payload"
+        )
+
     if version < 10:
         data = formats.FILE_HEADER._make(
             struct.unpack(
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-error-message-qpy-version-cf0763da22ce2224.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-error-message-qpy-version-cf0763da22ce2224.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..67690c011126
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-error-message-qpy-version-cf0763da22ce2224.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fixed an issue with :func:`.qpy.load` when attempting to load a QPY format
+    version that is not supported by this version of Qiskit it will now display
+    a descriptive error message. Previously, it would raise an internal error
+    because of the incompatibility between the formats which was difficult to
+    debug. If the QPY format verison is not supported that indicates the Qiskit
+    version will need to be upgraded to read the QPY payload.
diff --git a/test/python/qpy/test_circuit_load_from_qpy.py b/test/python/qpy/test_circuit_load_from_qpy.py
index 3684e8aacfe6..ba6aeb81f290 100644
--- a/test/python/qpy/test_circuit_load_from_qpy.py
+++ b/test/python/qpy/test_circuit_load_from_qpy.py
@@ -13,12 +13,15 @@
 """Test cases for the schedule block qpy loading and saving."""
 
 import io
+import struct
 
 from ddt import ddt, data
 
 from qiskit.circuit import QuantumCircuit, QuantumRegister, Qubit
 from qiskit.providers.fake_provider import FakeHanoi, FakeSherbrooke
-from qiskit.qpy import dump, load
+from qiskit.exceptions import QiskitError
+from qiskit.qpy import dump, load, formats
+from qiskit.qpy.common import QPY_VERSION
 from qiskit.test import QiskitTestCase
 from qiskit.transpiler import PassManager, TranspileLayout
 from qiskit.transpiler import passes
@@ -71,6 +74,20 @@ def test_rzx_calibration_echo(self, angle):
         self.assert_roundtrip_equal(rzx_qc)
 
 
+class TestVersions(QpyCircuitTestCase):
+    """Test version handling in qpy."""
+
+    def test_invalid_qpy_version(self):
+        """Test a descriptive exception is raised if QPY version is too new."""
+        with io.BytesIO() as buf:
+            buf.write(
+                struct.pack(formats.FILE_HEADER_PACK, b"QISKIT", QPY_VERSION + 4, 42, 42, 1, 2)
+            )
+            buf.seek(0)
+            with self.assertRaisesRegex(QiskitError, str(QPY_VERSION + 4)):
+                load(buf)
+
+
 @ddt
 class TestLayout(QpyCircuitTestCase):
     """Test circuit serialization for layout preservation."""