diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a75a9400e..462d459ab 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ IF(APPLE)
 elseif(WIN32)
     set(EVENT_INPUT_DEFAULT 1)
     set(ENABLE_VR_DEFAULT 1)
-    list(APPEND PLATFORM_LIBS "Shlwapi.lib")
+    list(APPEND PLATFORM_LIBS "Shlwapi.lib" "Version.lib")
 
     set(CMAKE_INSTALL_SYSTEM_RUNTIME_DESTINATION "bin")
     set(CMAKE_INSTALL_UCRT_LIBRARIES TRUE)
diff --git a/src/Main/bootstrap.cxx b/src/Main/bootstrap.cxx
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 1390b1dd1..d68b736ab
--- a/src/Main/bootstrap.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/bootstrap.cxx
@@ -147,6 +147,44 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
 
 	main(numArgs, utf8Args.data());
 }
+
+// see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/35572792/setlocale-stuck-on-windows
+// for why we need this
+bool checkUniversalCRTVersion()
+{
+	DWORD               dwSize = 0;
+	VS_FIXEDFILEINFO    *pFileInfo = NULL;
+	UINT                puLenFileInfo = 0;
+
+	// Get the version information for the file requested
+	dwSize = GetFileVersionInfoSize("ucrtbase.dll", NULL);
+	if (dwSize == 0) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	std::vector<BYTE> versionInfo;
+	versionInfo.resize(dwSize);
+
+	if (!GetFileVersionInfo("ucrtbase.dll", 0, dwSize, versionInfo.data())) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	if (!VerQueryValue(versionInfo.data(), TEXT("\\"), (LPVOID*)&pFileInfo, &puLenFileInfo)) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	const WORD majorVersion = pFileInfo->dwFileVersionMS >> 16;
+	const WORD minorVersion = pFileInfo->dwFileVersionMS & 0xffff;
+	const WORD buildVersion = pFileInfo->dwFileVersionLS >> 16;
+	const WORD releaseVersion = pFileInfo->dwFileVersionLS & 0xffff;
+
+	// char buffer[256];
+	// snprintf(buffer, 256, "File Version: %d.%d.%d.%d\n",
+	// 	majorVersion, minorVersion, buildVersion, releaseVersion);
+	// OutputDebugString(buffer);
+	return (buildVersion > 10586);
+}
+
 #endif
 
 #if defined(__GNUC__)
@@ -255,8 +293,14 @@ int main ( int argc, char **argv )
   // See Microsoft MSDN #ms680621: "GUI apps should specify SEM_NOOPENFILEERRORBOX"
   SetErrorMode(SEM_NOOPENFILEERRORBOX);
 
-  std::cerr << "Boostrap-0" << std::endl;
   hostname = ::getenv( "COMPUTERNAME" );
+
+  if (!checkUniversalCRTVersion()) {
+	  flightgear::fatalMessageBoxThenExit(
+		  "Fatal error",
+		  "The Microsoft Universal CRT on this computer is to old to run FlightGear. "
+		"Pleaese use Windows Update to update to a more recent Universal CRT version.");
+  }
 #else
   // Unix(alike) systems
   char _hostname[256];
@@ -270,9 +314,7 @@ int main ( int argc, char **argv )
 #if defined(HAVE_SENTRY)
   const bool noSentry = flightgear::Options::checkForArg(argc, argv, "disable-sentry");
   if (!noSentry) {
-      std::cerr << "Will init sentry" << std::endl;
       flightgear::initSentry();
-      std::cerr << "Did init sentry" << std::endl;
   }
   #endif
 
@@ -287,7 +329,6 @@ int main ( int argc, char **argv )
 #endif
 
     initFPE(flightgear::Options::checkForArg(argc, argv, "enable-fpe"));
-    std::cerr << "Did init FPE" << std::endl;
 
     // pick up all user locale settings, but force C locale for numerical/sorting
     // conversions because we have lots of code which assumes standard
@@ -300,8 +341,6 @@ int main ( int argc, char **argv )
         return fgUninstall();
     }
     
-    std::cerr << "Boostrap-1" << std::endl;
-
     bool fgviewer = flightgear::Options::checkForArg(argc, argv, "fgviewer");
     int exitStatus = EXIT_FAILURE;
     try {
@@ -326,8 +365,6 @@ int main ( int argc, char **argv )
         std::set_terminate(fg_terminate);
         atexit(fgExitCleanup);
         
-        std::cerr << "Boostrap-2" << std::endl;
-
         if (fgviewer) {
             exitStatus = fgviewerMain(argc, argv);
         } else {