diff --git a/platforms/web/README.md b/platforms/web/README.md
index 1c0c65555..e164ae242 100644
--- a/platforms/web/README.md
+++ b/platforms/web/README.md
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ are available in `event.detail`.
 | `start`    | `{checkout}`   | Checkout has loaded and is interactive. |
 | `update`   | `{checkout}`   | A change to line items, fulfillment, totals, or checkout messages produces a different checkout snapshot. |
 | `complete` | `{checkout}`   | The buyer completed the order successfully. |
-| `error`    | `{error}`      | Checkout reported a terminal error, exposed as `{code, message}`. The component closes automatically after this event. |
+| `error`    | `{error}`      | Checkout could not open or reported a terminal error, exposed as `{code, message}`. An open session closes automatically after this event. |
 | `close`    | _(none)_       | The open session ended through `close()`, overlay dismissal, or detection of a popup the buyer closed. If the browser blocked the window, no `start` precedes it. |
 
 `start`, `update`, and `complete` carry a Checkout Kit `Checkout` snapshot in
@@ -548,6 +548,20 @@ checkout.addEventListener('close', () => {
 Protocol errors are terminal for the checkout session regardless of message
 severity. The component emits `error` before closing and emitting `close`.
 
+Before opening checkout, the component verifies that the browser supports Shadow
+DOM, native dialogs, and abortable event listeners. If a required capability is
+missing, it dispatches an `error` event with `event.detail.error.code ===
+"unsupported_browser"` without opening a checkout window. Use this to offer a
+normal checkout link or another fallback:
+
+```ts
+checkout.addEventListener('error', (event) => {
+  if (event.detail.error.code === 'unsupported_browser') {
+    window.location.assign(checkout.src);
+  }
+});
+```
+
 Because these events carry the full snapshot, one handler can combine fields.
 For example, rendering an inline cart summary on `start` requires line items,
 totals, and currency together:
diff --git a/platforms/web/src/browser-capabilities.ts b/platforms/web/src/browser-capabilities.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..428279447
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platforms/web/src/browser-capabilities.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+export type UnsupportedBrowserCapability =
+  | "shadow_dom"
+  | "native_dialog"
+  | "abortable_event_listeners";
+
+/** Returns capabilities Checkout Kit requires but the current browser does not provide. */
+export function getUnsupportedBrowserCapabilities(): UnsupportedBrowserCapability[] {
+  const unsupported: UnsupportedBrowserCapability[] = [];
+
+  if (!supportsShadowDOM()) unsupported.push("shadow_dom");
+  if (!supportsNativeDialog()) unsupported.push("native_dialog");
+  if (!supportsAbortableEventListeners()) unsupported.push("abortable_event_listeners");
+
+  return unsupported;
+}
+
+/** Whether custom elements can attach a shadow root. */
+export function supportsShadowDOM(): boolean {
+  return typeof HTMLElement.prototype.attachShadow === "function";
+}
+
+function supportsNativeDialog(): boolean {
+  return (
+    typeof HTMLDialogElement !== "undefined" &&
+    typeof HTMLDialogElement.prototype.showModal === "function"
+  );
+}
+
+function supportsAbortableEventListeners(): boolean {
+  if (typeof AbortController === "undefined") return false;
+
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const target = document.createElement("div");
+  let listenerCalled = false;
+
+  try {
+    target.addEventListener(
+      "checkout-kit-capability-test",
+      () => {
+        listenerCalled = true;
+      },
+      { signal: controller.signal },
+    );
+    controller.abort();
+    target.dispatchEvent(new Event("checkout-kit-capability-test"));
+    return !listenerCalled;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/platforms/web/src/checkout.test.ts b/platforms/web/src/checkout.test.ts
index fe905896e..e169cc160 100644
--- a/platforms/web/src/checkout.test.ts
+++ b/platforms/web/src/checkout.test.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ function expectWindowOpenArgs(spy: {
 describe("<shopify-checkout>", () => {
   afterEach(() => {
     vi.restoreAllMocks();
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
     installTestTelemetryFactory();
     // Disconnect elements so their global message listeners do not leak
     // into tests in this file or another concurrently running suite.
@@ -174,6 +175,28 @@ describe("<shopify-checkout>", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe("browser capabilities", () => {
+    it("dispatches an unsupported_browser error without opening checkout", () => {
+      const checkout = renderCheckout();
+      const onError = vi.fn();
+      const openWindow = vi.spyOn(window, "open");
+      vi.stubGlobal("HTMLDialogElement", undefined);
+      checkout.addEventListener("error", onError);
+
+      checkout.open();
+
+      expect(checkout.error).toEqual({
+        code: "unsupported_browser",
+        message: "This browser does not support: native_dialog.",
+      });
+      expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect((onError.mock.calls[0]![0] as CustomEvent).detail).toEqual({
+        error: checkout.error,
+      });
+      expect(openWindow).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
   describe("URL generation", () => {
     it("preserves existing query parameters when adding ec_* parameters", () => {
       const originalSrc = "https://example.com/checkout?existing=param&another=value";
diff --git a/platforms/web/src/checkout.ts b/platforms/web/src/checkout.ts
index 361f642bd..bfe076d6a 100644
--- a/platforms/web/src/checkout.ts
+++ b/platforms/web/src/checkout.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   type Checkout as ProtocolCheckout,
 } from "@shopify/checkout-kit-protocol";
 
+import { getUnsupportedBrowserCapabilities, supportsShadowDOM } from "./browser-capabilities";
 import { toCheckout, checkoutComparisonKey } from "./models/checkout";
 import { toCheckoutError } from "./models/error";
 import {
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ const SHADOW_TEMPLATE = createTemplate(html`
  * @event {ShopifyCheckoutStartEvent} start - Checkout has started.
  * @event {ShopifyCheckoutUpdateEvent} update - The checkout snapshot changed.
  * @event {ShopifyCheckoutCompleteEvent} complete - Checkout completed successfully.
- * @event {ShopifyCheckoutErrorEvent} error - Checkout reported a terminal error; the session closes after this event.
+ * @event {ShopifyCheckoutErrorEvent} error - Checkout could not open or reported a terminal error; an open session closes after this event.
  * @event {ShopifyCheckoutCloseEvent} close - The checkout session closed, including after a blocked window.
  *
  * @example
@@ -206,7 +207,11 @@ export class ShopifyCheckout
   constructor() {
     super();
 
-    this.attachShadow({ mode: "open" }).appendChild(SHADOW_TEMPLATE.content.cloneNode(true));
+    // Keep the element usable enough to dispatch an unsupported-browser error when
+    // Shadow DOM is unavailable, rather than throwing during custom-element construction.
+    if (supportsShadowDOM()) {
+      this.attachShadow({ mode: "open" }).appendChild(SHADOW_TEMPLATE.content.cloneNode(true));
+    }
   }
 
   #checkout?: Checkout;
@@ -428,6 +433,17 @@ export class ShopifyCheckout
    * Reveals checkout in the target.
    */
   open(): void {
+    const unsupportedCapabilities = getUnsupportedBrowserCapabilities();
+    if (unsupportedCapabilities.length > 0) {
+      this.#checkout = undefined;
+      this.#error = {
+        code: "unsupported_browser",
+        message: `This browser does not support: ${unsupportedCapabilities.join(", ")}.`,
+      };
+      this.dispatchEvent(new ShopifyCheckoutErrorEvent({ error: this.#error }));
+      return;
+    }
+
     const { target } = this;
     const src = this.#srcAsURL({ warnInvalidAppearance: true })?.href;
 
diff --git a/platforms/web/src/models/error.ts b/platforms/web/src/models/error.ts
index fe428f541..81a28cfcd 100644
--- a/platforms/web/src/models/error.ts
+++ b/platforms/web/src/models/error.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { ErrorResponse } from "@shopify/checkout-kit-protocol";
 
 /** Stable checkout error reasons applications can use to choose recovery. */
 export type CheckoutErrorCode =
+  | "unsupported_browser"
   | "storefront_password_required"
   | "customer_account_required"
   | "cart_expired"
diff --git a/platforms/web/test/e2e/tests/synthetic/presentation.spec.ts b/platforms/web/test/e2e/tests/synthetic/presentation.spec.ts
index 04463ad67..6f0aa6687 100644
--- a/platforms/web/test/e2e/tests/synthetic/presentation.spec.ts
+++ b/platforms/web/test/e2e/tests/synthetic/presentation.spec.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,33 @@ test.describe("src reflection and popup URL", () => {
 });
 
 test.describe("open()", () => {
+  test("dispatches unsupported_browser without opening a popup when native dialogs are unavailable", async ({
+    host,
+    page,
+    context,
+  }) => {
+    await page.addInitScript(() => {
+      Object.defineProperty(HTMLDialogElement.prototype, "showModal", {
+        configurable: true,
+        value: undefined,
+      });
+    });
+
+    await host.goto();
+    await host.clickBuy();
+
+    await host.expectEvent("error");
+    await expect
+      .poll(() => host.error())
+      .toEqual({
+        code: "unsupported_browser",
+        message: "This browser does not support: native_dialog.",
+      });
+    await expect.poll(() => host.eventTypes()).toEqual(["error"]);
+    expect(context.pages()).toHaveLength(1);
+    await expect(host.overlay).not.toBeVisible();
+  });
+
   for (const { name, src } of [
     { name: "empty", src: "" },
     { name: "non-HTTPS", src: "http://checkout.example.test/checkout" },