diff --git a/src/spice2x/launcher/launcher.cpp b/src/spice2x/launcher/launcher.cpp
index 7f5da40..94c922d 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/launcher/launcher.cpp
+++ b/src/spice2x/launcher/launcher.cpp
@@ -1806,6 +1806,9 @@ int main_implementation(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         exit(spicecfg_run(sextet_devices));
     }
 
+    // complain loudly & early about dll load ordering issue
+    libutils::check_duplicate_dlls();
+
     // print cpu features
     if (!cfg::CONFIGURATOR_STANDALONE && dump_sysinfo) {
         cpuutils::print_cpu_features();
diff --git a/src/spice2x/util/libutils.cpp b/src/spice2x/util/libutils.cpp
index fc76c5b..11509b5 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/util/libutils.cpp
+++ b/src/spice2x/util/libutils.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "logging.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "peb.h"
+#include "util/fileutils.h"
 
 std::filesystem::path libutils::module_file_name(HMODULE module) {
     std::wstring buf;
@@ -323,3 +324,35 @@ intptr_t libutils::offset2rva(const std::filesystem::path &path, intptr_t offset
 
     return rva;
 }
+
+void libutils::check_duplicate_dlls() {
+    const auto &spice_bin_path = libutils::module_file_name(nullptr).parent_path();
+    if (MODULE_PATH == spice_bin_path) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    for (const auto &file : std::filesystem::directory_iterator(MODULE_PATH)) {
+        const auto &filename = file.path().filename();
+        const auto extension = strtolower(filename.extension().string());
+
+        if (extension == ".dll" &&
+            fileutils::file_exists(spice_bin_path / filename)) {
+            log_warning(
+                "libutils",
+                "DLL CONFLICT WARNING\n\n\n"
+                "-------------------------------------------------------------------\n"
+                "WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING - WARNING\n"
+                "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\n"
+                "{} exists in BOTH of these directories:\n\n"
+                "    1. {}\n"
+                "    2. {}\n\n"
+                "due to Windows DLL load order rules, #1 will load instead of #2.\n"
+                "this has unintended consequences and may crash your game!\n"
+                "resolve the conflict by deleting the stale copy of the DLL\n"
+                "-------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n",
+                filename.string(),
+                (spice_bin_path / filename).string(),
+                (MODULE_PATH / filename).string());
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/spice2x/util/libutils.h b/src/spice2x/util/libutils.h
index e3cf06a..d5123ca 100644
--- a/src/spice2x/util/libutils.h
+++ b/src/spice2x/util/libutils.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ namespace libutils {
         return try_library(module_name.c_str());
     }
 
+    void check_duplicate_dlls();
+
     // get module handle helpers
     HMODULE get_module(const char *module_name);
     HMODULE try_module(const char *module_name);