diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Platform/ExportWindowingSubsystemAttribute.cs b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Platform/ExportWindowingSubsystemAttribute.cs
index 628f73ca80..420c56111f 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Controls/Platform/ExportWindowingSubsystemAttribute.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Controls/Platform/ExportWindowingSubsystemAttribute.cs
@@ -9,16 +9,19 @@ namespace Avalonia.Platform
     [AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Assembly, AllowMultiple = true)]
     public class ExportWindowingSubsystemAttribute : Attribute
     {
-        public ExportWindowingSubsystemAttribute(OperatingSystemType requiredRuntimePlatform, int priority, string name, Type initializationType, string initializationMethod)
+        public ExportWindowingSubsystemAttribute(OperatingSystemType requiredRuntimePlatform, int priority, string name, Type initializationType,
+            string initializationMethod, Type environmentChecker = null)
         {
             Name = name;
             InitializationType = initializationType;
             InitializationMethod = initializationMethod;
+            EnvironmentChecker = environmentChecker;
             RequiredOS = requiredRuntimePlatform;
             Priority = priority;
         }
 
         public string InitializationMethod { get; private set; }
+        public Type EnvironmentChecker { get; }
         public Type InitializationType { get; private set; }
         public string Name { get; private set; }
         public int Priority { get; private set; }
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.DotNetFrameworkRuntime/AppBuilder.cs b/src/Avalonia.DotNetFrameworkRuntime/AppBuilder.cs
index f643bfe6e2..fc7fdd2431 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.DotNetFrameworkRuntime/AppBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.DotNetFrameworkRuntime/AppBuilder.cs
@@ -31,6 +31,20 @@ namespace Avalonia
             Instance = app;
         }
 
+        bool CheckEnvironment(Type checkerType)
+        {
+            if (checkerType == null)
+                return true;
+            try
+            {
+                return ((IModuleEnvironmentChecker) Activator.CreateInstance(checkerType)).IsCompatible;
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Instructs the <see cref="AppBuilder"/> to use the best settings for the platform.
         /// </summary>
@@ -43,13 +57,13 @@ namespace Avalonia
 
             var windowingSubsystemAttribute = (from assembly in RuntimePlatform.GetLoadedAssemblies()
                                                from attribute in assembly.GetCustomAttributes<ExportWindowingSubsystemAttribute>()
-                                               where attribute.RequiredOS == os
+                                               where attribute.RequiredOS == os && CheckEnvironment(attribute.EnvironmentChecker)
                                                orderby attribute.Priority ascending
                                                select attribute).First();
 
             var renderingSubsystemAttribute = (from assembly in RuntimePlatform.GetLoadedAssemblies()
                                                from attribute in assembly.GetCustomAttributes<ExportRenderingSubsystemAttribute>()
-                                               where attribute.RequiredOS == os
+                                               where attribute.RequiredOS == os && CheckEnvironment(attribute.EnvironmentChecker)
                                                where attribute.RequiresWindowingSubsystem == null
                                                 || attribute.RequiresWindowingSubsystem == windowingSubsystemAttribute.Name
                                                orderby attribute.Priority ascending
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Avalonia.Visuals.csproj b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Avalonia.Visuals.csproj
index dd43f1d8f0..a0ed19d2b4 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Avalonia.Visuals.csproj
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Avalonia.Visuals.csproj
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Media\Geometry.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Media\IDrawingContext.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Platform\ExportRenderingSubsystemAttribute.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Platform\IModuleEnvironmentChecker.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Rendering\IRenderer.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Rendering\IRendererFactory.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Rendering\IRenderLoop.cs" />
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Platform/ExportRenderingSubsystemAttribute.cs b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Platform/ExportRenderingSubsystemAttribute.cs
index a020bf9b1c..73526d7622 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Platform/ExportRenderingSubsystemAttribute.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Platform/ExportRenderingSubsystemAttribute.cs
@@ -9,16 +9,19 @@ namespace Avalonia.Platform
     [AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Assembly, AllowMultiple = true)]
     public class ExportRenderingSubsystemAttribute : Attribute
     {
-        public ExportRenderingSubsystemAttribute(OperatingSystemType requiredOS, int priority, string name, Type initializationType, string initializationMethod)
+        public ExportRenderingSubsystemAttribute(OperatingSystemType requiredOS, int priority, string name, Type initializationType, string initializationMethod,
+            Type environmentChecker = null)
         {
             Name = name;
             InitializationType = initializationType;
             InitializationMethod = initializationMethod;
+            EnvironmentChecker = environmentChecker;
             RequiredOS = requiredOS;
             Priority = priority;
         }
 
         public string InitializationMethod { get; private set; }
+        public Type EnvironmentChecker { get; }
         public Type InitializationType { get; private set; }
         public string Name { get; private set; }
         public int Priority { get; private set; }
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Platform/IModuleEnvironmentChecker.cs b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Platform/IModuleEnvironmentChecker.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d8d3a19af6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Platform/IModuleEnvironmentChecker.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+namespace Avalonia.Platform
+{
+    public interface IModuleEnvironmentChecker
+    {
+        bool IsCompatible { get; }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/Avalonia.Direct2D1.csproj b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/Avalonia.Direct2D1.csproj
index a84a56d0d7..a055a337eb 100644
--- a/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/Avalonia.Direct2D1.csproj
+++ b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/Avalonia.Direct2D1.csproj
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
     <Compile Include="RenderTarget.cs" />
     <Compile Include="SwapChainRenderTarget.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="WindowsVersionChecker.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <None Include="app.config" />
diff --git a/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
index 3ab086b156..63d9c5bfe3 100644
--- a/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
+++ b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs
@@ -6,5 +6,6 @@ using Avalonia.Platform;
 using Avalonia.Direct2D1;
 
 [assembly: AssemblyTitle("Avalonia.Direct2D1")]
-[assembly: ExportRenderingSubsystem(OperatingSystemType.WinNT, 1, "Direct2D1", typeof(Direct2D1Platform), nameof(Direct2D1Platform.Initialize))]
+[assembly: ExportRenderingSubsystem(OperatingSystemType.WinNT, 1, "Direct2D1", typeof(Direct2D1Platform), nameof(Direct2D1Platform.Initialize),
+    typeof(WindowsVersionChecker))]
 
diff --git a/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/WindowsVersionChecker.cs b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/WindowsVersionChecker.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..875167b71a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Windows/Avalonia.Direct2D1/WindowsVersionChecker.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Avalonia.Platform;
+
+namespace Avalonia.Direct2D1
+{
+    class WindowsVersionChecker : IModuleEnvironmentChecker
+    {
+        //Direct2D backend doesn't work with Win7 anymore
+        public bool IsCompatible => Environment.OSVersion.Version >= new Version(6, 2);
+    }
+}