diff --git a/packages/@n8n/db/src/entities/workflow-entity.ts b/packages/@n8n/db/src/entities/workflow-entity.ts
index fc78500ed4d..7d1469e3fa3 100644
--- a/packages/@n8n/db/src/entities/workflow-entity.ts
+++ b/packages/@n8n/db/src/entities/workflow-entity.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ export class WorkflowEntity extends WithTimestampsAndStringId implements IWorkfl
 	@Column({ length: 36 })
 	versionId: string;
 
+	@Column({ default: 1 })
+	versionCounter: number;
+
 	@Column({ default: 0 })
 	triggerCount: number;
 
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/mysqldb/1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn.ts b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/mysqldb/1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..041d9534ffd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/mysqldb/1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import type { MigrationContext, ReversibleMigration } from '../migration-types';
+
+/**
+ * MySQL-specific migration to add versionCounter column and trigger for auto-incrementing.
+ */
+export class AddWorkflowVersionColumn1761047826451 implements ReversibleMigration {
+	async up({ queryRunner, tablePrefix }: MigrationContext) {
+		const tableName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_entity`;
+		const triggerName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_version_increment`;
+
+		// Add versionCounter column
+		await queryRunner.query(
+			`ALTER TABLE \`${tableName}\` ADD COLUMN \`versionCounter\` int NOT NULL DEFAULT 1`,
+		);
+
+		// Create trigger that increments version counter before update.
+		// NOTE: we're modifying the NEW record before the update happens, so we do it BEFORE the update.
+		await queryRunner.query(`
+			CREATE TRIGGER \`${triggerName}\`
+			BEFORE UPDATE ON \`${tableName}\`
+			FOR EACH ROW
+			BEGIN
+				IF OLD.versionCounter = NEW.versionCounter THEN
+					SET NEW.versionCounter = OLD.versionCounter + 1;
+				END IF;
+			END;
+		`);
+	}
+
+	async down({ queryRunner, tablePrefix }: MigrationContext) {
+		const tableName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_entity`;
+		const triggerName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_version_increment`;
+
+		// Drop trigger
+		await queryRunner.query(`DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS \`${triggerName}\``);
+
+		// Drop column
+		await queryRunner.query(`ALTER TABLE \`${tableName}\` DROP COLUMN \`versionCounter\``);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/mysqldb/index.ts b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/mysqldb/index.ts
index 17f776db6c6..8900f535336 100644
--- a/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/mysqldb/index.ts
+++ b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/mysqldb/index.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { DropUnusedChatHubColumns1760965142113 } from './1760965142113-DropUnuse
 import { AddAudienceColumnToApiKeys1758731786132 } from '../common/1758731786132-AddAudienceColumnToApiKey';
 import { CreateWorkflowDependencyTable1760314000000 } from '../common/1760314000000-CreateWorkflowDependencyTable';
 import { AddMfaColumns1690000000030 } from './../common/1690000000040-AddMfaColumns';
-import { LinkRoleToProjectRelationTable1753953244168 } from './../common/1753953244168-LinkRoleToProjectRelationTable';
 import { InitialMigration1588157391238 } from './1588157391238-InitialMigration';
 import { WebhookModel1592447867632 } from './1592447867632-WebhookModel';
 import { CreateIndexStoppedAt1594902918301 } from './1594902918301-CreateIndexStoppedAt';
@@ -50,6 +49,7 @@ import { CreateTestMetricTable1732271325258 } from './1732271325258-CreateTestMe
 import { AddStatsColumnsToTestRun1736172058779 } from './1736172058779-AddStatsColumnsToTestRun';
 import { FixTestDefinitionPrimaryKey1739873751194 } from './1739873751194-FixTestDefinitionPrimaryKey';
 import { AddProjectIdToVariableTable1758794506893 } from './1758794506893-AddProjectIdToVariableTable';
+import { AddWorkflowVersionColumn1761047826451 } from './1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn';
 import { CreateLdapEntities1674509946020 } from '../common/1674509946020-CreateLdapEntities';
 import { PurgeInvalidWorkflowConnections1675940580449 } from '../common/1675940580449-PurgeInvalidWorkflowConnections';
 import { RemoveResetPasswordColumns1690000000030 } from '../common/1690000000030-RemoveResetPasswordColumns';
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ import { CreateChatHubTables1760019379982 } from '../common/1760019379982-Create
 import { UniqueRoleNames1760020838000 } from '../common/1760020838000-UniqueRoleNames';
 import type { Migration } from '../migration-types';
 import { UpdateParentFolderIdColumn1740445074052 } from '../mysqldb/1740445074052-UpdateParentFolderIdColumn';
+import { LinkRoleToProjectRelationTable1753953244168 } from './../common/1753953244168-LinkRoleToProjectRelationTable';
 
 export const mysqlMigrations: Migration[] = [
 	InitialMigration1588157391238,
@@ -215,4 +216,5 @@ export const mysqlMigrations: Migration[] = [
 	UniqueRoleNames1760020838000,
 	CreateWorkflowDependencyTable1760314000000,
 	DropUnusedChatHubColumns1760965142113,
+	AddWorkflowVersionColumn1761047826451,
 ];
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/postgresdb/1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn.ts b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/postgresdb/1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..61d820db450
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/postgresdb/1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import type { MigrationContext, ReversibleMigration } from '../migration-types';
+
+/**
+ * PostgreSQL-specific migration to add versionCounter column and trigger for auto-incrementing.
+ */
+export class AddWorkflowVersionColumn1761047826451 implements ReversibleMigration {
+	async up({ queryRunner, tablePrefix }: MigrationContext) {
+		const tableName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_entity`;
+		const triggerName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_version_increment`;
+		const functionName = `${tablePrefix}increment_workflow_version`;
+
+		// Add versionCounter column
+		await queryRunner.query(
+			`ALTER TABLE ${tableName} ADD COLUMN "versionCounter" integer NOT NULL DEFAULT 1`,
+		);
+
+		// Create function that increments version counter.
+		// NOTE: we're modifying the NEW record before the update happens, so we do it BEFORE the update.
+		await queryRunner.query(`
+			CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION ${functionName}()
+			RETURNS TRIGGER AS $$
+			BEGIN
+				IF NEW."versionCounter" IS NOT DISTINCT FROM OLD."versionCounter" THEN
+					NEW."versionCounter" = OLD."versionCounter" + 1;
+				END IF;
+				RETURN NEW;
+			END;
+			$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+		`);
+
+		// Create trigger that calls the function before update
+		await queryRunner.query(`
+			CREATE TRIGGER ${triggerName}
+			BEFORE UPDATE ON ${tableName}
+			FOR EACH ROW
+			EXECUTE FUNCTION ${functionName}();
+		`);
+	}
+
+	async down({ queryRunner, tablePrefix }: MigrationContext) {
+		const tableName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_entity`;
+		const triggerName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_version_increment`;
+		const functionName = `${tablePrefix}increment_workflow_version`;
+
+		// Drop trigger and function
+		await queryRunner.query(`DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS ${triggerName} ON ${tableName}`);
+		await queryRunner.query(`DROP FUNCTION IF EXISTS ${functionName}`);
+
+		// Drop column
+		await queryRunner.query(`ALTER TABLE ${tableName} DROP COLUMN "versionCounter"`);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/postgresdb/index.ts b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/postgresdb/index.ts
index 4242a170df1..73a832a257b 100644
--- a/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/postgresdb/index.ts
+++ b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/postgresdb/index.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import { FixExecutionMetadataSequence1721377157740 } from './1721377157740-FixEx
 import { MigrateTestDefinitionKeyToString1731582748663 } from './1731582748663-MigrateTestDefinitionKeyToString';
 import { UpdateParentFolderIdColumn1740445074052 } from './1740445074052-UpdateParentFolderIdColumn';
 import { AddProjectIdToVariableTable1758794506893 } from './1758794506893-AddProjectIdToVariableTable';
+import { AddWorkflowVersionColumn1761047826451 } from './1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn';
 import { CreateLdapEntities1674509946020 } from '../common/1674509946020-CreateLdapEntities';
 import { PurgeInvalidWorkflowConnections1675940580449 } from '../common/1675940580449-PurgeInvalidWorkflowConnections';
 import { RemoveResetPasswordColumns1690000000030 } from '../common/1690000000030-RemoveResetPasswordColumns';
@@ -213,4 +214,5 @@ export const postgresMigrations: Migration[] = [
 	UniqueRoleNames1760020838000,
 	CreateWorkflowDependencyTable1760314000000,
 	DropUnusedChatHubColumns1760965142113,
+	AddWorkflowVersionColumn1761047826451,
 ];
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/sqlite/1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn.ts b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/sqlite/1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f02fb7b39e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/sqlite/1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import type { MigrationContext, ReversibleMigration } from '../migration-types';
+
+/**
+ * SQLite-specific migration to add versionCounter column and trigger for auto-incrementing.
+ */
+export class AddWorkflowVersionColumn1761047826451 implements ReversibleMigration {
+	async up({ queryRunner, tablePrefix }: MigrationContext) {
+		const tableName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_entity`;
+		const triggerName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_version_increment`;
+
+		// Add versionCounter column
+		await queryRunner.query(
+			`ALTER TABLE ${tableName} ADD COLUMN "versionCounter" integer NOT NULL DEFAULT 1`,
+		);
+
+		// Create trigger that increments version counter on update.
+		// NOTE: we perform the version counter bump AFTER so it isn't overwritten by the original update.
+		await queryRunner.query(`
+			CREATE TRIGGER ${triggerName}
+			AFTER UPDATE ON ${tableName}
+			FOR EACH ROW
+			WHEN OLD."versionCounter" = NEW."versionCounter"
+			BEGIN
+				UPDATE ${tableName}
+				SET "versionCounter" = "versionCounter" + 1
+				WHERE id = NEW.id;
+			END;
+		`);
+	}
+
+	async down({ queryRunner, tablePrefix }: MigrationContext) {
+		const tableName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_entity`;
+		const triggerName = `${tablePrefix}workflow_version_increment`;
+
+		// Drop trigger
+		await queryRunner.query(`DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS ${triggerName}`);
+
+		// Drop column
+		await queryRunner.query(`ALTER TABLE ${tableName} DROP COLUMN "versionCounter"`);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/sqlite/index.ts b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/sqlite/index.ts
index 09c6567dbb9..7fdc6c09978 100644
--- a/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/sqlite/index.ts
+++ b/packages/@n8n/db/src/migrations/sqlite/index.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import { MigrateTestDefinitionKeyToString1731582748663 } from './1731582748663-M
 import { CreateFolderTable1738709609940 } from './1738709609940-CreateFolderTable';
 import { UpdateParentFolderIdColumn1740445074052 } from './1740445074052-UpdateParentFolderIdColumn';
 import { AddScopesColumnToApiKeys1742918400000 } from './1742918400000-AddScopesColumnToApiKeys';
+import { AddWorkflowVersionColumn1761047826451 } from './1761047826451-AddWorkflowVersionColumn';
 import { UniqueWorkflowNames1620821879465 } from '../common/1620821879465-UniqueWorkflowNames';
 import { UpdateWorkflowCredentials1630330987096 } from '../common/1630330987096-UpdateWorkflowCredentials';
 import { AddNodeIds1658930531669 } from '../common/1658930531669-AddNodeIds';
@@ -207,6 +208,7 @@ const sqliteMigrations: Migration[] = [
 	UniqueRoleNames1760020838000,
 	CreateWorkflowDependencyTable1760314000000,
 	DropUnusedChatHubColumns1760965142113,
+	AddWorkflowVersionColumn1761047826451,
 ];
 
 export { sqliteMigrations };