diff --git a/stand/lua/core.lua b/stand/lua/core.lua
--- a/stand/lua/core.lua
+++ b/stand/lua/core.lua
@@ -542,6 +542,27 @@
 	end
 end
 
+-- Sanity check the boot loader revision
+-- Loaders with version 3.0 have everything that we need without backwards
+-- compatible hacks. Warn users that still have old versions to upgrade so
+-- that we can remove the backwards compatible hacks in the future since
+-- they have been there a long time.
+local loader_major = 3
+
+function core.loaderTooOld()
+	return loader.version == nil or loader.version < loader_major * 1000
+end
+
+if core.loaderTooOld() then
+	print("**********************************************************************")
+	print("**********************************************************************")
+	print("*****                                                            *****")
+	print("*****           BOOT LOADER IS TOO OLD. PLEASE UPGRADE.          *****")
+	print("*****                                                            *****")
+	print("**********************************************************************")
+	print("**********************************************************************")
+end
+
 recordDefaults()
 hook.register("config.reloaded", core.clearCachedKernels)
 return core
diff --git a/stand/lua/core.lua.8 b/stand/lua/core.lua.8
--- a/stand/lua/core.lua.8
+++ b/stand/lua/core.lua.8
@@ -218,6 +218,10 @@
 If there is one element, this returns the front element and an empty table.
 This will not operate on truly associative tables; numeric indices are
 required.
+.It Fn core.loaderTooOld
+Returns true if the loader is too old.
+Specifically, this means, is the loader old enough to require one or more
+workarounds in the current lua base modules.
 .El
 .Sh SEE ALSO
 .Xr loader.conf 5 ,