diff --git a/companion/src/appdata.cpp b/companion/src/appdata.cpp
index f9ff82d8e..6874cfbe3 100644
--- a/companion/src/appdata.cpp
+++ b/companion/src/appdata.cpp
@@ -673,6 +673,8 @@ AppData::AppData()
     getset( _outputDisplayDetails,  "outputDisplayDetails"     ,false );
     getset( _enableBackup,    "backupEnable"            ,false );
     getset( _backupOnFlash,   "backupOnFlash"           ,true  );
+    getset( _checkHardwareCompatibility,   "checkHardwareCompatibility"           ,true  );
+
     getset( _jsSupport,       "js_support"              ,false );
     getset( _maximized,       "maximized"               ,false );
     getset( _showSplash,      "show_splash"             ,true  );
diff --git a/companion/src/appdata.h b/companion/src/appdata.h
index 53148bf34..1c7859ff3 100644
--- a/companion/src/appdata.h
+++ b/companion/src/appdata.h
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ class AppData: protected CompStoreObj
   BOOL_PROPERTY(enableBackup, false)
   BOOL_PROPERTY(outputDisplayDetails, false)
   BOOL_PROPERTY(backupOnFlash, true)
+  BOOL_PROPERTY(checkHardwareCompatibility, true)
 
   // All the global variables
   public:
diff --git a/companion/src/firmwareinterface.cpp b/companion/src/firmwareinterface.cpp
index b0a4c5729..0fa9c559f 100755
--- a/companion/src/firmwareinterface.cpp
+++ b/companion/src/firmwareinterface.cpp
@@ -123,6 +123,29 @@ QString FirmwareInterface::seekLabel(const QString & label)
   return seekString(label + ":");
 }
 
+QString FirmwareInterface::getFlavour() const
+{
+  if (flavour == "opentx-x9dp")
+    return "opentx-taranis-plus";
+  else if (flavour == "opentx-x9d")
+    return "opentx-taranis";
+  else
+    return flavour;
+}
+
+bool FirmwareInterface::isHardwareCompatible(const FirmwareInterface &previousFirmware) const
+{
+  QString newFlavour = getFlavour();
+  if (newFlavour.isEmpty())
+    return true;
+
+  QString previousFlavour = previousFirmware.getFlavour();
+  if (previousFlavour.isEmpty())
+    return true;
+
+  return (newFlavour == previousFlavour);
+}
+
 bool FirmwareInterface::SeekSplash(QByteArray splash)
 {
   int start = flash.indexOf(splash);
diff --git a/companion/src/firmwareinterface.h b/companion/src/firmwareinterface.h
index 2a46e9cbe..2301d04a5 100755
--- a/companion/src/firmwareinterface.h
+++ b/companion/src/firmwareinterface.h
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ class FirmwareInterface
     inline QString getDate() { return date; }
     inline QString getTime() { return time; }
     int getSize() { return flash_size; }
-    inline QString getFlavour() { return flavour; }
+    QString getFlavour() const;
+    bool isHardwareCompatible(const FirmwareInterface &previousFirmware) const;
     inline QString getVersion() { return version; }
     unsigned int getVersionId() { return versionId; }
     inline int getEEpromVersion() { return eepromVersion; }
diff --git a/companion/src/flashfirmwaredialog.cpp b/companion/src/flashfirmwaredialog.cpp
index ff897e1f5..98d42b2a1 100755
--- a/companion/src/flashfirmwaredialog.cpp
+++ b/companion/src/flashfirmwaredialog.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "progressdialog.h"
 #include "radiointerface.h"
 #include "splashlibrary.h"
+#include "progresswidget.h"
 
 #if defined WIN32 || !defined __GNUC__
   #include <windows.h>
@@ -50,6 +51,8 @@ fwName(g.profile[g.id()].fwName())
     ui->backupEEprom->setEnabled(false);
   }
 
+  ui->checkHardwareCompatibility->setChecked(g.checkHardwareCompatibility());
+
   updateUI();
 
   resize(0, 0); // TODO needed?
@@ -197,6 +200,8 @@ void FlashFirmwareDialog::on_useLibrarySplash_clicked()
 void FlashFirmwareDialog::on_burnButton_clicked()
 {
   g.flashDir(QFileInfo(fwName).dir().absolutePath());
+  g.checkHardwareCompatibility(ui->checkHardwareCompatibility->isChecked());
+  g.backupOnFlash(ui->backupEEprom->isChecked());
 
   if (imageSource != FIRMWARE) {
     // load the splash image
@@ -240,13 +245,27 @@ void FlashFirmwareDialog::shrink()
 
 void FlashFirmwareDialog::startFlash(const QString &filename)
 {
-  bool backup = ui->backupEEprom->checkState() == Qt::Checked;
-  g.backupOnFlash(backup);
+  bool backup = g.backupOnFlash();
 
   close();
 
   ProgressDialog progressDialog(this, tr("Write Firmware to Radio"), CompanionIcon("write_flash.png"));
 
+  // check hardware compatibility if requested
+  if (g.checkHardwareCompatibility()) {
+    QString tempFirmware = generateProcessUniqueTempFileName("flash.bin");
+    if (!readFirmware(tempFirmware, progressDialog.progress())) {
+      QMessageBox::warning(this, tr("Firmware check failed"), tr("Could not check firmware from radio"));
+      return;
+    }
+    FirmwareInterface previousFirmware(tempFirmware);
+    FirmwareInterface newFirmware(filename);
+    if (!newFirmware.isHardwareCompatible(previousFirmware)) {
+      QMessageBox::warning(this, tr("Firmware check failed"), tr("New firmware is not compatible with the one currently installed!"));
+      return;
+    }
+  }
+
   // backup if requested
   bool result = true;
   QString backupFilename;
@@ -272,5 +291,6 @@ void FlashFirmwareDialog::startFlash(const QString &filename)
     }
   }
 
+  progressDialog.progress()->setInfo(tr("Flashing done"));
   progressDialog.exec();
 }
diff --git a/companion/src/flashfirmwaredialog.ui b/companion/src/flashfirmwaredialog.ui
index 065ed4cb9..01d74b78c 100755
--- a/companion/src/flashfirmwaredialog.ui
+++ b/companion/src/flashfirmwaredialog.ui
@@ -216,6 +216,22 @@
      </layout>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item>
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="checkHardwareCompatibility">
+     <property name="sizePolicy">
+      <sizepolicy hsizetype="Minimum" vsizetype="Minimum">
+       <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+       <verstretch>0</verstretch>
+      </sizepolicy>
+     </property>
+     <property name="toolTip">
+      <string>Allows Companion to write to older version of the firmware</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="text">
+      <string>Check Hardware compatibility</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
    <item>
     <widget class="QCheckBox" name="backupEEprom">
      <property name="enabled">
diff --git a/companion/src/process_flash.cpp b/companion/src/process_flash.cpp
index 75c1561d0..95d38e766 100755
--- a/companion/src/process_flash.cpp
+++ b/companion/src/process_flash.cpp
@@ -274,11 +274,10 @@ void FlashProcess::onFinished(int code=0)
       errorWizard();
     }
   }
-  else if (hasErrors)
+  else if (hasErrors) {
     progress->setInfo(tr("Flashing done with errors"));
-  else
-    progress->setInfo(tr("Flashing done"));
-  if(lfuse || hfuse || efuse) {
+  }
+  if (lfuse || hfuse || efuse) {
     addReadFuses();
   }
   progress->setValue(progress->maximum());
diff --git a/companion/src/radiointerface.cpp b/companion/src/radiointerface.cpp
index ddc3840a2..9a304f20d 100755
--- a/companion/src/radiointerface.cpp
+++ b/companion/src/radiointerface.cpp
@@ -248,8 +248,6 @@ bool readFirmware(const QString &filename, ProgressWidget *progress)
     return false;
   }
 
-  g.flashDir(QFileInfo(filename).dir().absolutePath());
-
   if (IS_ARM(GetCurrentFirmware()->getBoard())) {
     QString path = findMassstoragePath("FIRMWARE.BIN");
     if (!path.isEmpty()) {