diff --git a/include/podio/SIOBlockUserData.h b/include/podio/SIOBlockUserData.h
index 3deb5d193..2c2c5d275 100644
--- a/include/podio/SIOBlockUserData.h
+++ b/include/podio/SIOBlockUserData.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef PODIO_SIOBLOCKUSERDATA_H
 #define PODIO_SIOBLOCKUSERDATA_H
 
+#include "podio/CollectionBufferFactory.h"
 #include "podio/CollectionBuffers.h"
 #include "podio/SIOBlock.h"
 #include "podio/UserDataCollection.h"
@@ -29,17 +30,22 @@ namespace podio {
 template <typename BasicType, typename = EnableIfSupportedUserType<BasicType>>
 class SIOBlockUserData : public podio::SIOBlock {
 public:
-  SIOBlockUserData() : SIOBlock(::sio_name<BasicType>(), sio::version::encode_version(0, 1)) {
+  SIOBlockUserData() :
+      SIOBlock(::sio_name<BasicType>(), sio::version::encode_version(UserDataCollection<BasicType>::schemaVersion, 0)) {
 
     podio::SIOBlockFactory::instance().registerBlockForCollection(podio::userDataTypeName<BasicType>(), this);
   }
 
-  SIOBlockUserData(const std::string& name) : SIOBlock(name, sio::version::encode_version(0, 1)) {
+  SIOBlockUserData(const std::string& name) :
+      SIOBlock(name, sio::version::encode_version(UserDataCollection<BasicType>::schemaVersion, 0)) {
   }
 
-  void read(sio::read_device& device, sio::version_type /*version*/) override {
+  void read(sio::read_device& device, sio::version_type version) override {
     const auto& bufferFactory = podio::CollectionBufferFactory::instance();
-    m_buffers = bufferFactory.createBuffers(podio::userDataCollTypeName<BasicType>(), 1, false).value();
+    m_buffers =
+        bufferFactory
+            .createBuffers(podio::userDataCollTypeName<BasicType>(), sio::version::major_version(version), false)
+            .value();
 
     auto* dataVec = new std::vector<BasicType>();
     unsigned size(0);
diff --git a/include/podio/UserDataCollection.h b/include/podio/UserDataCollection.h
index b179e5953..78abda49a 100644
--- a/include/podio/UserDataCollection.h
+++ b/include/podio/UserDataCollection.h
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 #define PODIO_USERDATACOLLECTION_H
 
 #include "podio/CollectionBase.h"
-#include "podio/CollectionBufferFactory.h"
 #include "podio/CollectionBuffers.h"
 #include "podio/DatamodelRegistry.h"
+#include "podio/SchemaEvolution.h"
 #include "podio/utilities/TypeHelpers.h"
 
 #include <map>
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ class UserDataCollection : public CollectionBase {
   UserDataCollection& operator=(UserDataCollection&&) = default;
   ~UserDataCollection() = default;
 
+  /// The schema version of UserDataCollections
+  static constexpr SchemaVersionT schemaVersion = 1;
+
   /// prepare buffers for serialization
   void prepareForWrite() const override {
   }
@@ -160,7 +163,7 @@ class UserDataCollection : public CollectionBase {
 
   /// The schema version is fixed manually
   SchemaVersionT getSchemaVersion() const final {
-    return 1;
+    return schemaVersion;
   }
 
   /// Print this collection to the passed stream
diff --git a/src/UserDataCollection.cc b/src/UserDataCollection.cc
index c1035eaa8..71ea34d48 100644
--- a/src/UserDataCollection.cc
+++ b/src/UserDataCollection.cc
@@ -17,16 +17,17 @@ namespace {
   template <typename T>
   int registerUserDataCollection(T) {
     // Register with schema version 1 to allow for potential changes
-    CollectionBufferFactory::mutInstance().registerCreationFunc(userDataCollTypeName<T>(), 1, [](bool) {
-      return podio::CollectionReadBuffers{new std::vector<T>(), nullptr, nullptr,
-                                          [](podio::CollectionReadBuffers buffers, bool) {
-                                            return std::make_unique<UserDataCollection<T>>(
-                                                std::move(*buffers.dataAsVector<T>()));
-                                          },
-                                          [](podio::CollectionReadBuffers& buffers) {
-                                            buffers.data = podio::CollectionWriteBuffers::asVector<T>(buffers.data);
-                                          }};
-    });
+    CollectionBufferFactory::mutInstance().registerCreationFunc(
+        userDataCollTypeName<T>(), UserDataCollection<T>::schemaVersion, [](bool) {
+          return podio::CollectionReadBuffers{new std::vector<T>(), nullptr, nullptr,
+                                              [](podio::CollectionReadBuffers buffers, bool) {
+                                                return std::make_unique<UserDataCollection<T>>(
+                                                    std::move(*buffers.dataAsVector<T>()));
+                                              },
+                                              [](podio::CollectionReadBuffers& buffers) {
+                                                buffers.data = podio::CollectionWriteBuffers::asVector<T>(buffers.data);
+                                              }};
+        });
 
     return 1;
   }