diff --git a/src/plugins/platforms/direct2d/direct2d.pro b/src/plugins/platforms/direct2d/direct2d.pro
index 439d31fb56..03997f2737 100644
--- a/src/plugins/platforms/direct2d/direct2d.pro
+++ b/src/plugins/platforms/direct2d/direct2d.pro
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ QT *= core-private
 QT *= gui-private
 QT *= platformsupport-private
 
-LIBS *= -ld2d1 -ld3d11 -ldwrite
+LIBS *= -ld2d1 -ld3d11 -ldwrite -lVersion
 
 include(../windows/windows.pri)
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/platforms/direct2d/qwindowsdirect2dintegration.cpp b/src/plugins/platforms/direct2d/qwindowsdirect2dintegration.cpp
index 1a26d7029e..44fc7aa927 100644
--- a/src/plugins/platforms/direct2d/qwindowsdirect2dintegration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/platforms/direct2d/qwindowsdirect2dintegration.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@
 
 #include "qwindowscontext.h"
 
-#include <QtCore/QDebug>
+#include <qplatformdefs.h>
+#include <QtCore/QCoreApplication>
 #include <QtGui/private/qpixmap_raster_p.h>
 #include <QtGui/qpa/qwindowsysteminterface.h>
 
@@ -61,8 +62,140 @@ public:
     QWindowsDirect2DContext m_d2dContext;
 };
 
+class Direct2DVersion
+{
+private:
+    Direct2DVersion()
+        : partOne(0)
+        , partTwo(0)
+        , partThree(0)
+        , partFour(0)
+    {}
+
+    Direct2DVersion(int one, int two, int three, int four)
+        : partOne(one)
+        , partTwo(two)
+        , partThree(three)
+        , partFour(four)
+    {}
+
+public:
+    // 6.2.9200.16765 corresponds to Direct2D 1.1 on Windows 7 SP1 with Platform Update
+    enum {
+        D2DMinVersionPart1 = 6,
+        D2DMinVersionPart2 = 2,
+        D2DMinVersionPart3 = 9200,
+        D2DMinVersionPart4 = 16765
+    };
+
+    static Direct2DVersion systemVersion() {
+        static const int bufSize = 512;
+        TCHAR filename[bufSize];
+
+        UINT i = GetSystemDirectory(filename, bufSize);
+        if (i > 0 && i < MAX_PATH) {
+            if (_tcscat_s(filename, MAX_PATH, __TEXT("\\d2d1.dll")) == 0) {
+                DWORD versionInfoSize = GetFileVersionInfoSize(filename, NULL);
+                if (versionInfoSize) {
+                    QVector<BYTE> info(versionInfoSize);
+                    if (GetFileVersionInfo(filename, NULL, versionInfoSize, info.data())) {
+                        UINT size;
+                        DWORD *fi;
+
+                        if (VerQueryValue(info.constData(), __TEXT("\\"), (LPVOID *) &fi, &size) && size) {
+                            VS_FIXEDFILEINFO *verInfo = (VS_FIXEDFILEINFO *) fi;
+                            return Direct2DVersion(HIWORD(verInfo->dwFileVersionMS),
+                                                   LOWORD(verInfo->dwFileVersionMS),
+                                                   HIWORD(verInfo->dwFileVersionLS),
+                                                   LOWORD(verInfo->dwFileVersionLS));
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return Direct2DVersion();
+    }
+
+    static Direct2DVersion minimumVersion() {
+        return Direct2DVersion(D2DMinVersionPart1,
+                               D2DMinVersionPart2,
+                               D2DMinVersionPart3,
+                               D2DMinVersionPart4);
+    }
+
+    bool isValid() const {
+        return partOne || partTwo || partThree || partFour;
+    }
+
+    bool operator<(const Direct2DVersion &other) {
+        int c = cmp(partOne, other.partOne);
+        if (c > 0)
+            return false;
+        if (c < 0)
+            return true;
+
+        c = cmp(partTwo, other.partTwo);
+        if (c > 0)
+            return false;
+        if (c < 0)
+            return true;
+
+        c = cmp(partThree, other.partThree);
+        if (c > 0)
+            return false;
+        if (c < 0)
+            return true;
+
+        c = cmp(partFour, other.partFour);
+        if (c > 0)
+            return false;
+        if (c < 0)
+            return true;
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    static Q_DECL_CONSTEXPR int cmp(int a, int b) {
+        return a - b;
+    }
+
+    int partOne, partTwo, partThree, partFour;
+};
+
 QWindowsDirect2DIntegration *QWindowsDirect2DIntegration::create(const QStringList &paramList)
 {
+    Direct2DVersion systemVersion = Direct2DVersion::systemVersion();
+
+    if (systemVersion.isValid() && systemVersion < Direct2DVersion::minimumVersion()) {
+        QString msg = QCoreApplication::translate("QWindowsDirect2DIntegration",
+            "Qt cannot load the direct2d platform plugin because " \
+            "the Direct2D version on this system is too old. The " \
+            "minimum system requirement for this platform plugin " \
+            "is Windows 7 SP1 with Platform Update.\n\n" \
+            "The minimum Direct2D version required is %1.%2.%3.%4. " \
+            "The Direct2D version on this system is %5.%6.%7.%8.");
+
+        msg = msg.arg(Direct2DVersion::D2DMinVersionPart1)
+                 .arg(Direct2DVersion::D2DMinVersionPart2)
+                 .arg(Direct2DVersion::D2DMinVersionPart3)
+                 .arg(Direct2DVersion::D2DMinVersionPart4)
+                 .arg(systemVersion.partOne)
+                 .arg(systemVersion.partTwo)
+                 .arg(systemVersion.partThree)
+                 .arg(systemVersion.partFour);
+
+        QString caption = QCoreApplication::translate("QWindowsDirect2DIntegration",
+            "Cannot load direct2d platform plugin");
+
+        MessageBoxW(NULL,
+                    msg.toStdWString().c_str(),
+                    caption.toStdWString().c_str(),
+                    MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);
+
+        return Q_NULLPTR;
+    }
+
     QWindowsDirect2DIntegration *integration = new QWindowsDirect2DIntegration(paramList);
 
     if (!integration->init()) {