diff --git a/Dalamud/Interface/Internal/Windows/PluginInstaller/PluginInstallerWindow.cs b/Dalamud/Interface/Internal/Windows/PluginInstaller/PluginInstallerWindow.cs
index 438bb446e..2d61dc65c 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Interface/Internal/Windows/PluginInstaller/PluginInstallerWindow.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Interface/Internal/Windows/PluginInstaller/PluginInstallerWindow.cs
@@ -2779,7 +2779,7 @@ internal class PluginInstallerWindow : Window, IDisposable
         var disabled = this.updateStatus == OperationStatus.InProgress || this.installStatus == OperationStatus.InProgress;
 
         // Disable everything if the plugin is outdated
-        disabled = disabled || (plugin.IsOutdated && !pluginManager.LoadAllApiLevels) || plugin.IsBanned;
+        disabled = disabled || (plugin.IsOutdated && !pluginManager.LoadAllApiLevels && !plugin.IsDev) || plugin.IsBanned;
 
         // Disable everything if the plugin is orphaned
         // Control will immediately be disabled once the plugin is disabled
diff --git a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginManager.cs b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginManager.cs
index 64d3d8b93..ef2116669 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginManager.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginManager.cs
@@ -1638,6 +1638,13 @@ internal class PluginManager : IInternalDisposableService
                 loadPlugin = false;
             }
 
+            // Never automatically load outdated dev plugins.
+            if (devPlugin.IsOutdated)
+            {
+                loadPlugin = false;
+                Log.Warning("DevPlugin {Name} is outdated, not loading automatically - update DalamudPackager or SDK!", plugin.Manifest.InternalName);
+            }
+
             plugin = devPlugin;
         }
 
diff --git a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginValidator.cs b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginValidator.cs
index 2ea98ef9e..9ca6b4efc 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginValidator.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginValidator.cs
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ internal static class PluginValidator
         if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(plugin.Manifest.Author))
             problems.Add(new NoAuthorProblem());
         
+        if (plugin.IsOutdated)
+            problems.Add(new WrongApiLevelProblem());
+            
         return problems;
     }
 
@@ -192,4 +195,17 @@ internal static class PluginValidator
         /// <inheritdoc/>
         public string GetLocalizedDescription() => "Your plugin does not have an author in its manifest.";
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Representing a problem where a plugin has an outdated API level.
+    /// </summary>
+    public class WrongApiLevelProblem : IValidationProblem
+    {
+        /// <inheritdoc/>
+        public ValidationSeverity Severity => ValidationSeverity.Fatal;
+
+        /// <inheritdoc/>
+        public string GetLocalizedDescription() => "Your plugin specifies an outdated API level. " +
+                                                   "Please update it by updating DalamudPackager or Dalamud.NET.Sdk.";
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/LocalPlugin.cs b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/LocalPlugin.cs
index c6bceed65..21713c458 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/LocalPlugin.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/LocalPlugin.cs
@@ -319,7 +319,8 @@ internal class LocalPlugin : IDisposable
             if (this.manifest.ApplicableVersion < dalamud.StartInfo.GameVersion)
                 throw new PluginPreconditionFailedException($"Unable to load {this.Name}, game is newer than applicable version {this.manifest.ApplicableVersion}");
 
-            if (this.manifest.EffectiveApiLevel < PluginManager.DalamudApiLevel && !pluginManager.LoadAllApiLevels)
+            // We want to allow loading dev plugins with a lower API level than the current Dalamud API level, for ease of development
+            if (this.manifest.EffectiveApiLevel < PluginManager.DalamudApiLevel && !pluginManager.LoadAllApiLevels && !this.IsDev)
                 throw new PluginPreconditionFailedException($"Unable to load {this.Name}, incompatible API level {this.manifest.EffectiveApiLevel}");
 
             // We might want to throw here?