diff --git a/src/main/ipc.ts b/src/main/ipc.ts
index eb6c11a..03eec0f 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ import { isDeckGameMode, showGamePage } from "./utils/steamOS";
 import { isValidVencordInstall } from "./utils/vencordLoader";
 import { VENCORD_FILES_DIR } from "./vencordFilesDir";
 
+handleSync(IpcEvents.DEPRECATED_GET_VENCORD_PRELOAD_SCRIPT_PATH, () =>
+    join(VENCORD_FILES_DIR, "vencordDesktopPreload.js")
+);
 handleSync(IpcEvents.GET_VENCORD_PRELOAD_SCRIPT, () =>
     readFileSync(join(VENCORD_FILES_DIR, "vencordDesktopPreload.js"), "utf-8")
 );
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ handle(IpcEvents.GET_VESKTOP_RENDERER_CSS, () => readFile(VESKTOP_RENDERER_CSS_P
 
 if (IS_DEV) {
     watch(VESKTOP_RENDERER_CSS_PATH, { persistent: false }, async () => {
-        mainWin.webContents.postMessage(
+        mainWin?.webContents.postMessage(
             IpcEvents.VESKTOP_RENDERER_CSS_UPDATE,
             await readFile(VESKTOP_RENDERER_CSS_PATH, "utf-8")
         );
diff --git a/src/main/mainWindow.ts b/src/main/mainWindow.ts
index 6f9e05f..cb2c707 100644
--- a/src/main/mainWindow.ts
+++ b/src/main/mainWindow.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import { destroyTray, initTray } from "./tray";
 import { clearData } from "./utils/clearData";
 import { makeLinksOpenExternally } from "./utils/makeLinksOpenExternally";
 import { applyDeckKeyboardFix, askToApplySteamLayout, isDeckGameMode } from "./utils/steamOS";
-import { downloadVencordFiles, ensureVencordFiles } from "./utils/vencordLoader";
+import { downloadVencordFiles, ensureVencordFiles, vencordSupportsSandboxing } from "./utils/vencordLoader";
 import { VENCORD_FILES_DIR } from "./vencordFilesDir";
 
 let isQuitting = false;
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ function buildBrowserWindowOptions(): BrowserWindowConstructorOptions {
         backgroundColor,
         webPreferences: {
             nodeIntegration: false,
-            sandbox: true,
+            sandbox: vencordSupportsSandboxing(),
             contextIsolation: true,
             devTools: true,
             preload: join(__dirname, "preload.js"),
diff --git a/src/main/utils/vencordLoader.ts b/src/main/utils/vencordLoader.ts
index 25748b3..96ab1ff 100644
--- a/src/main/utils/vencordLoader.ts
+++ b/src/main/utils/vencordLoader.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
  */
 
-import { mkdirSync } from "fs";
+import { mkdirSync, readFileSync } from "fs";
 import { access, constants as FsConstants, writeFile } from "fs/promises";
 import { VENCORD_FILES_DIR } from "main/vencordFilesDir";
 import { join } from "path";
@@ -75,3 +75,16 @@ export async function ensureVencordFiles() {
 
     await Promise.all([downloadVencordFiles(), writeFile(join(VENCORD_FILES_DIR, "package.json"), "{}")]);
 }
+
+// TODO: remove this once enough time has passed
+export function vencordSupportsSandboxing() {
+    const supports = readFileSync(join(VENCORD_FILES_DIR, "vencordDesktopMain.js"), "utf-8").includes(
+        "VencordGetRendererCss"
+    );
+    if (!supports) {
+        console.warn(
+            "⚠️  [VencordLoader] Vencord version is outdated and does not support sandboxing. Please update Vencord to the latest version."
+        );
+    }
+    return supports;
+}
diff --git a/src/preload/index.ts b/src/preload/index.ts
index 6ed74f9..e91ffbc 100644
--- a/src/preload/index.ts
+++ b/src/preload/index.ts
@@ -11,16 +11,22 @@ import { VesktopNative } from "./VesktopNative";
 
 contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("VesktopNative", VesktopNative);
 
-// While sandboxed, Electron "polyfills" these APIs as local variables.
-// We have to pass them as arguments as they are not global
-Function(
-    "require",
-    "Buffer",
-    "process",
-    "clearImmediate",
-    "setImmediate",
-    ipcRenderer.sendSync(IpcEvents.GET_VENCORD_PRELOAD_SCRIPT)
-)(require, Buffer, process, clearImmediate, setImmediate);
+// TODO: remove this legacy workaround once some time has passed
+const isSandboxed = typeof __dirname === "undefined";
+if (isSandboxed) {
+    // While sandboxed, Electron "polyfills" these APIs as local variables.
+    // We have to pass them as arguments as they are not global
+    Function(
+        "require",
+        "Buffer",
+        "process",
+        "clearImmediate",
+        "setImmediate",
+        ipcRenderer.sendSync(IpcEvents.GET_VENCORD_PRELOAD_SCRIPT)
+    )(require, Buffer, process, clearImmediate, setImmediate);
+} else {
+    require(ipcRenderer.sendSync(IpcEvents.DEPRECATED_GET_VENCORD_PRELOAD_SCRIPT_PATH));
+}
 
 webFrame.executeJavaScript(ipcRenderer.sendSync(IpcEvents.GET_VENCORD_RENDERER_SCRIPT));
 webFrame.executeJavaScript(ipcRenderer.sendSync(IpcEvents.GET_VESKTOP_RENDERER_SCRIPT));
diff --git a/src/shared/IpcEvents.ts b/src/shared/IpcEvents.ts
index 40505c8..3bc6857 100644
--- a/src/shared/IpcEvents.ts
+++ b/src/shared/IpcEvents.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 export const enum IpcEvents {
     GET_VENCORD_PRELOAD_SCRIPT = "VCD_GET_VC_PRELOAD_SCRIPT",
+    DEPRECATED_GET_VENCORD_PRELOAD_SCRIPT_PATH = "DEPRECATED_GET_VENCORD_PRELOAD_SCRIPT_PATH",
     GET_VENCORD_RENDERER_SCRIPT = "VCD_GET_VC_RENDERER_SCRIPT",
 
     GET_VESKTOP_RENDERER_SCRIPT = "VCD_GET_RENDERER_SCRIPT",