diff --git a/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/NodejsPackage.cs b/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/NodejsPackage.cs
index df3f0db19..fef6781b3 100644
--- a/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/NodejsPackage.cs
+++ b/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/NodejsPackage.cs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Web.Script.Serialization;
 using System.Windows.Forms;
@@ -109,6 +110,16 @@ internal sealed partial class NodejsPackage : CommonPackage {
         // after the initialization
         private List<EnvDTE.CommandEvents> _subscribedCommandEvents = new List<EnvDTE.CommandEvents>();
 
+        private static readonly Version _minRequiredTypescriptVersion = new Version("1.8");
+
+        private readonly Lazy<bool> _hasRequiredTypescriptVersion = new Lazy<bool>(() => {
+            Version version;
+            var versionString = GetTypeScriptToolsVersion();
+            return !string.IsNullOrEmpty(versionString)
+                && Version.TryParse(versionString, out version)
+                && version.CompareTo(_minRequiredTypescriptVersion) > -1;
+        });
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Default constructor of the package.
         /// Inside this method you can place any initialization code that does not require 
@@ -188,6 +199,14 @@ protected override void Initialize() {
             Debug.WriteLine(string.Format(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture, "Entering Initialize() of: {0}", this.ToString()));
             base.Initialize();
 
+            if (!_hasRequiredTypescriptVersion.Value) {
+                MessageBox.Show(
+                   Project.SR.GetString(Project.SR.TypeScriptMinVersionNotInstalled, _minRequiredTypescriptVersion.ToString()),
+                   Project.SR.ProductName,
+                   MessageBoxButtons.OK,
+                   MessageBoxIcon.Error);
+            }
+
             SubscribeToVsCommandEvents(
                 (int)VSConstants.VSStd97CmdID.AddNewProject,
                 delegate { NewProjectFromExistingWizard.IsAddNewProjectCmd = true; },
@@ -616,5 +635,43 @@ private void LogLooseFileAnalysisLevel() {
                 _logger.LogEvent(NodejsToolsLogEvent.AnalysisLevel, (int)val);
             }
         }
+
+        private static string GetTypeScriptToolsVersion() {
+            var toolsVersion = string.Empty;
+            try {
+                object installDirAsObject = null;
+                var shell = NodejsPackage.Instance.GetService(typeof(SVsShell)) as IVsShell;
+                if (shell != null) {
+                    shell.GetProperty((int)__VSSPROPID.VSSPROPID_InstallDirectory, out installDirAsObject);
+                }
+
+                var idePath = CommonUtils.NormalizeDirectoryPath((string)installDirAsObject) ?? string.Empty;
+                if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(idePath)) {
+                    return toolsVersion;
+                }
+
+                var typeScriptServicesPath = Path.Combine(idePath, @"CommonExtensions\Microsoft\TypeScript\typescriptServices.js");
+                if (!File.Exists(typeScriptServicesPath)) {
+                    return toolsVersion;
+                }
+
+                var regex = new Regex(@"toolsVersion = ""(?<version>\d.\d?)"";");
+                var fileText = File.ReadAllText(typeScriptServicesPath);
+                var match = regex.Match(fileText);
+
+                var version = match.Groups["version"].Value;
+                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(version)) {
+                    toolsVersion = version;
+                }
+            } catch (Exception ex) {
+                if (ex.IsCriticalException()) {
+                    throw;
+                }
+
+                Debug.WriteLine(string.Format("Failed to obtain TypeScript tools version: {0}", ex.ToString()));
+            }
+
+            return toolsVersion;
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Options/NodejsIntellisenseOptionsPage.cs b/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Options/NodejsIntellisenseOptionsPage.cs
index b375379b4..086c93f64 100644
--- a/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Options/NodejsIntellisenseOptionsPage.cs
+++ b/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Options/NodejsIntellisenseOptionsPage.cs
@@ -88,43 +88,5 @@ public override void SaveSettingsToStorage() {
             SaveBool(ShowTypingsInfoBarSetting, ShowTypingsInfoBar);
             SaveBool(SaveChangesToConfigFileSetting, SaveChangesToConfigFile);
         }
-
-        private static string GetTypeScriptToolsVersion() {
-            var toolsVersion = string.Empty;
-            try {
-                object installDirAsObject = null;
-                var shell = NodejsPackage.Instance.GetService(typeof(SVsShell)) as IVsShell;
-                if (shell != null) {
-                    shell.GetProperty((int)__VSSPROPID.VSSPROPID_InstallDirectory, out installDirAsObject);
-                }
-
-                var idePath = CommonUtils.NormalizeDirectoryPath((string)installDirAsObject) ?? string.Empty;
-                if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(idePath)) {
-                    return toolsVersion;
-                }
-
-                var typeScriptServicesPath = Path.Combine(idePath, @"CommonExtensions\Microsoft\TypeScript\typescriptServices.js");
-                if (!File.Exists(typeScriptServicesPath)) {
-                    return toolsVersion;
-                }
-
-                var regex = new Regex(@"toolsVersion = ""(?<version>\d.\d?)"";");
-                var fileText = File.ReadAllText(typeScriptServicesPath);
-                var match = regex.Match(fileText);
-
-                var version = match.Groups["version"].Value;
-                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(version)) {
-                    toolsVersion = version;
-                }
-            } catch (Exception ex) {
-                if (ex.IsCriticalException()) {
-                    throw;
-                }
-
-                Debug.WriteLine(string.Format("Failed to obtain TypeScript tools version: {0}", ex.ToString()));
-            }
-
-            return toolsVersion;
-        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Project/ProjectResources.cs b/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Project/ProjectResources.cs
index 7baa5a599..aabd4af77 100644
--- a/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Project/ProjectResources.cs
+++ b/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Project/ProjectResources.cs
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ internal class SR : CommonSR {
         internal const string TypingsInfoBarSpan2 = "TypingsInfoBarSpan2";
         internal const string TypingsInfoBarSpan3 = "TypingsInfoBarSpan3";
         internal const string TypingsOpenOptionsText = "TypingsOpenOptionsText";
+        internal const string TypeScriptMinVersionNotInstalled = "TypeScriptMinVersionNotInstalled";
         internal const string TypingsToolCouldNotStart = "TypingsToolCouldNotStart";
         internal const string TypingsToolInstallFailed = "TypingsToolInstallFailed";
         internal const string TypingsToolNotInstalledError = "TypingsToolNotInstalledError";
diff --git a/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Resources.resx b/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Resources.resx
index de03c6f9e..03b26ab9e 100644
--- a/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Resources.resx
+++ b/Nodejs/Product/Nodejs/Resources.resx
@@ -630,4 +630,7 @@ You will need to restart Visual Studio after installation.</value>
   <data name="CouldNotGetTypeScriptLanguagePreferences" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>Could not retrieve Typescript language preferences. NTVS is not able to load. Please ensure Typescript is properly installed.</value>
   </data>
+  <data name="TypeScriptMinVersionNotInstalled" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>Node.js Tools requires TypeScript for Visual Studio {0} or higher. Please ensure TypeScript is installed</value>
+  </data>
 </root>
\ No newline at end of file