diff --git a/pkg/options/types.go b/pkg/options/types.go
index 3b14497..25a5256 100644
--- a/pkg/options/types.go
+++ b/pkg/options/types.go
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ type MajorMinorPatchVersion struct {
 }
 
 type RawVersion struct {
-	Raw string
+	Sign string
+	Raw  string
 }
 
 type VersionSpec interface {
@@ -30,10 +31,6 @@ type VersionSpec interface {
 	String() string
 }
 
-func (v MajorMinorPatchVersion) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%v.%v.%v", v.Sign, v.Major, v.Minor, v.Patch)
-}
-
 func compareMajorMinorPatch(sign string, nodeVersion, userVersion [3]int) bool {
 	res := 0
 	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
@@ -59,6 +56,16 @@ func compareMajorMinorPatch(sign string, nodeVersion, userVersion [3]int) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+func compareRaw(sign string, nodeVersion, userVersion string) bool {
+	switch sign {
+	case "==":
+		return nodeVersion == userVersion
+	case "!=":
+		return nodeVersion != userVersion
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func tryParseWith(reString, version string) (int, int, int, bool) {
 	re := regexp.MustCompile(reString)
 	matches := re.FindStringSubmatch(version)
@@ -100,10 +107,18 @@ func (v MajorMinorPatchVersion) Satisfies(otherVersion string) (bool, error) {
 	), nil
 }
 
+func (v MajorMinorPatchVersion) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%v.%v.%v", v.Sign, v.Major, v.Minor, v.Patch)
+}
+
 func (v RawVersion) Satisfies(otherVersion string) (bool, error) {
-	return v.Raw == otherVersion, nil
+	return compareRaw(
+		v.Sign,
+		otherVersion,
+		v.Raw,
+	), nil
 }
 
 func (v RawVersion) String() string {
-	return v.Raw
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%v", v.Sign, v.Raw)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/rolling/options.go b/pkg/rolling/options.go
index 4ad7049..0d3a66e 100644
--- a/pkg/rolling/options.go
+++ b/pkg/rolling/options.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ var (
 	majorMinorPatchPattern = `^(>|<|!=|~=)(\d+|\*)\.(\d+|\*)\.(\d+|\*)$`
 	majorMinorPatchRegexp  = regexp.MustCompile(majorMinorPatchPattern)
 
-	rawPattern = `^==(.*)$`
+	rawPattern = `^(==|!=)(.*)$`
 	rawRegexp  = regexp.MustCompile(rawPattern)
 )
 
@@ -238,11 +238,12 @@ func parseVersionFlag(versionUnparsedFlag string) (options.VersionSpec, error) {
 	}
 
 	matches = rawRegexp.FindStringSubmatch(versionUnparsedFlag)
-	if len(matches) == 2 {
+	if len(matches) == 3 {
 		// `--version` value is an arbitrary string value, and will
 		// be compared directly
 		return &options.RawVersion{
-			Raw: matches[1],
+			Sign: matches[1],
+			Raw:  matches[2],
 		}, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/rolling_test.go b/tests/rolling_test.go
index 95d8410..d1deba5 100644
--- a/tests/rolling_test.go
+++ b/tests/rolling_test.go
@@ -441,6 +441,80 @@ var _ = Describe("Test Rolling", func() {
 			},
 		},
 		),
+		Entry("filter nodes by --version flag, !=full_version_string_1234", TestCase{
+			nodeConfiguration: [][]uint32{
+				{1, 2, 3},
+			},
+			nodeInfoMap: map[uint32]mock.TestNodeInfo{
+				1: {
+					Version: "full_version_string_1234",
+				},
+				2: {
+					Version: "full_version_string_1235",
+				},
+				3: {
+					Version: "full_version_string_1236",
+				},
+			},
+			steps: []StepData{
+				{
+					ydbopsInvocation: []string{
+						"--endpoint", "grpcs://localhost:2135",
+						"--verbose",
+						"--availability-mode", "strong",
+						"--user", mock.TestUser,
+						"--cms-query-interval", "1",
+						"run",
+						"--storage",
+						"--version", "!=full_version_string_1234",
+						"--payload", filepath.Join(".", "mock", "noop-payload.sh"),
+						"--ca-file", filepath.Join(".", "test-data", "ssl-data", "ca.crt"),
+					},
+					expectedRequests: []proto.Message{
+						&Ydb_Auth.LoginRequest{
+							User:     mock.TestUser,
+							Password: mock.TestPassword,
+						},
+						&Ydb_Maintenance.ListClusterNodesRequest{},
+						&Ydb_Cms.ListDatabasesRequest{},
+						&Ydb_Discovery.WhoAmIRequest{},
+						&Ydb_Maintenance.ListMaintenanceTasksRequest{
+							User: &mock.TestUser,
+						},
+						&Ydb_Maintenance.CreateMaintenanceTaskRequest{
+							TaskOptions: &Ydb_Maintenance.MaintenanceTaskOptions{
+								TaskUid:          "task-UUID-1",
+								Description:      "Rolling restart maintenance task",
+								AvailabilityMode: Ydb_Maintenance.AvailabilityMode_AVAILABILITY_MODE_STRONG,
+							},
+							ActionGroups: mock.MakeActionGroupsFromNodeIds(2, 3),
+						},
+						&Ydb_Maintenance.CompleteActionRequest{
+							ActionUids: []*Ydb_Maintenance.ActionUid{
+								{
+									TaskUid:  "task-UUID-1",
+									GroupId:  "group-UUID-1",
+									ActionId: "action-UUID-1",
+								},
+							},
+						},
+						&Ydb_Maintenance.RefreshMaintenanceTaskRequest{
+							TaskUid: "task-UUID-1",
+						},
+						&Ydb_Maintenance.CompleteActionRequest{
+							ActionUids: []*Ydb_Maintenance.ActionUid{
+								{
+									TaskUid:  "task-UUID-1",
+									GroupId:  "group-UUID-2",
+									ActionId: "action-UUID-2",
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		),
 		Entry("happy path, restart dynnodes by tenant name", TestCase{
 			nodeConfiguration: [][]uint32{
 				{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8},