diff --git a/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 3ba98779f..7939562ee 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" android:maxSdkVersion="18" />
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" android:maxSdkVersion="18" />
-  <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="13" android:targetSdkVersion="26"/>
+  <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="8" android:targetSdkVersion="26"/>
   
   <application android:icon="@mipmap/ccicon" android:label="ClassiCube">
 
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/classicube/MainActivity.java b/android/app/src/main/java/com/classicube/MainActivity.java
index 6726485ff..b9062399a 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/classicube/MainActivity.java
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/classicube/MainActivity.java
@@ -130,7 +130,15 @@ public class MainActivity extends Activity implements SurfaceHolder.Callback2 {
 
 	void startGameAsync() {
 		Log.i("CC_WIN", "handing off to native..");
-		System.loadLibrary("classicube");
+		try {
+			System.loadLibrary("classicube");
+		} catch (UnsatisfiedLinkError ex) {
+			ex.printStackTrace();
+			showAlert("Failed to start", "Cannot load libclassicube.so: " + ex.getMessage());
+			return;
+		}
+		
+		gameRunning = true;
 		runGameAsync();
 	}
 	
@@ -157,7 +165,6 @@ public class MainActivity extends Activity implements SurfaceHolder.Callback2 {
 		}
 
 		if (!gameRunning) startGameAsync();
-		gameRunning = true;
 		super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
 	}