diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 817c5f94..be96b9d1 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ Defaults to true.
 
 Enable UDP messaging between the host and the Factorio server by passing `--enable-lua-udp` to Factorio.
 This lets plugins send UDP packets to the server and receive data sent with `clusterio_api.send_udp` in-game.
-Requires Factorio 2.0.59 or later.
+Requires Factorio 2.1.12 or later, earlier versions crash when a packet is received while the server is paused.
 
 Defaults to false.
 
diff --git a/docs/developing-for-clusterio.md b/docs/developing-for-clusterio.md
index 8b11ef0c..f096af55 100644
--- a/docs/developing-for-clusterio.md
+++ b/docs/developing-for-clusterio.md
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ Parameters:
 
 Send data to Clusterio over the given channel using UDP instead of stdout.
 Clusterio plugins receive it as `udp-channel_name` events, see the [Communicating over UDP section](writing-plugins.md#communicating-over-udp) in the Writing Plugins document.
-Requires `factorio.enable_lua_udp` to be enabled on the instance and Factorio 2.0.59 or later, otherwise the data is silently dropped.
+Requires `factorio.enable_lua_udp` to be enabled on the instance and Factorio 2.1.12 or later, otherwise the data is silently dropped.
 The port to send to is passed to the module with a script command on startup, so `factorio.enable_script_commands` must be enabled as well.
 
 **Note**: Delivery is not guaranteed and payloads should be kept well below 32 kB.
diff --git a/docs/writing-plugins.md b/docs/writing-plugins.md
index 6df458dc..8479c099 100644
--- a/docs/writing-plugins.md
+++ b/docs/writing-plugins.md
@@ -484,7 +484,8 @@ For RCON, commands longer than 50 characters may end up being executed after sho
 
 ### Communicating over UDP
 
-Instances can optionally exchange UDP packets with the Factorio server for low latency fire-and-forget communication, using the `--enable-lua-udp` option of Factorio 2.0.59 and later.
+Instances can optionally exchange UDP packets with the Factorio server for low latency fire-and-forget communication, using the `--enable-lua-udp` option of Factorio.
+This needs Factorio 2.1.12 or later, earlier versions crash when a packet is received while the server is paused.
 This is disabled by default and enabled by setting `factorio.enable_lua_udp` on the instance.
 Sending data out of Factorio also needs `factorio.enable_script_commands`, as the port to send to is passed to the module with a script command on startup.
 Plugins requiring it should declare the `LuaUdp` feature.
diff --git a/packages/host/src/server.ts b/packages/host/src/server.ts
index a9aec3a7..55f298a0 100644
--- a/packages/host/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/host/src/server.ts
@@ -865,6 +865,13 @@ export class FactorioServer extends events.EventEmitter<FactorioServerEvents> {
 		this._udpSocket = socket;
 	}
 
+	// Factorio before 2.1.12 crashes when a packet is received while paused
+	_checkLuaUdpVersion() {
+		if (this.enableLuaUdp && lib.integerFullVersion(this._version!) < lib.integerFullVersion("2.1.12")) {
+			throw new Error("Lua UDP requires Factorio 2.1.12 or later");
+		}
+	}
+
 	_stopUdp() {
 		if (this._udpSocket) {
 			this._udpSocket.close();
@@ -1317,6 +1324,7 @@ export class FactorioServer extends events.EventEmitter<FactorioServerEvents> {
 	 */
 	async start(save: string) {
 		this._check(["init"]);
+		this._checkLuaUdpVersion();
 		this._state = "running";
 
 		try {
@@ -1370,6 +1378,7 @@ export class FactorioServer extends events.EventEmitter<FactorioServerEvents> {
 	 */
 	async startScenario(scenario: string, seed?: number, mapGenSettings?: object, mapSettings?: object) {
 		this._check(["init"]);
+		this._checkLuaUdpVersion();
 		this._state = "running";
 
 		try {
diff --git a/packages/lib/src/config/definitions.ts b/packages/lib/src/config/definitions.ts
index ad90b3f1..4854734e 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/config/definitions.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/src/config/definitions.ts
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ export class InstanceConfig extends classes.Config<InstanceConfigFields> {
 		"factorio.enable_lua_udp": {
 			description:
 				"Enable UDP messaging between the Factorio server and the host. " +
-				"Required by plugins using UDP. Requires Factorio 2.0.59 or later.",
+				"Required by plugins using UDP. Requires Factorio 2.1.12 or later.",
 			restartRequired: true, // Because of the cli option "--enable-lua-udp"
 			type: "boolean",
 			initialValue: false,
diff --git a/test/host/server.js b/test/host/server.js
index 18fd3628..b1a70eb6 100644
--- a/test/host/server.js
+++ b/test/host/server.js
@@ -365,6 +365,20 @@ describe("host/server", function() {
 				return { lines, restore: () => { server._logger = logger; } };
 			}
 
+			it("should refuse to start on Factorio before 2.1.12", async function() {
+				const version = server._version;
+				server._version = "2.1.11";
+				server.enableLuaUdp = true;
+				try {
+					const error = new Error("Lua UDP requires Factorio 2.1.12 or later");
+					await assert.rejects(server.start("save.zip"), error);
+					await assert.rejects(server.startScenario("test"), error);
+					assert.equal(server._state, "init");
+				} finally {
+					server._version = version;
+					server.enableLuaUdp = false;
+				}
+			});
 			it("should not have a host port when not running", function() {
 				assert.equal(server.hostUdpPort, undefined);
 			});
diff --git a/test/integration/instance.js b/test/integration/instance.js
index 79278f80..139932a7 100644
--- a/test/integration/instance.js
+++ b/test/integration/instance.js
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ const requireApi = [
 	"or package.loaded['__level__/modules/clusterio/api.lua']", // 2.0.0
 ].join(" ");
 
-// --enable-lua-udp was added in Factorio 2.0.59
+// Lua UDP needs Factorio 2.1.12, see docs/configuration.md
 function hasLuaUdp() {
-	return lib.integerFullVersion(getFactorioVersion()) >= lib.integerFullVersion("2.0.59");
+	return lib.integerFullVersion(getFactorioVersion()) >= lib.integerFullVersion("2.1.12");
 }
 
 function getUser(name) {
diff --git a/test/integration/server.js b/test/integration/server.js
index 8c3b8075..1675ac96 100644
--- a/test/integration/server.js
+++ b/test/integration/server.js
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ describe("Integration of host/src/server", function() {
 				let mapPath = server.writePath("saves", "test.zip");
 				await assert.doesNotReject(fs.access(mapPath), "save is missing");
 
-				// --enable-lua-udp was added in Factorio 2.0.59
-				server.enableLuaUdp = lib.integerFullVersion(server.version) >= lib.integerFullVersion("2.0.59");
+				// Lua UDP needs Factorio 2.1.12, see docs/configuration.md
+				server.enableLuaUdp = lib.integerFullVersion(server.version) >= lib.integerFullVersion("2.1.12");
 				await server.start("test.zip");
 			});
 		});
@@ -182,9 +182,11 @@ describe("Integration of host/src/server", function() {
 				}
 				log("Lua UDP to game");
 
+				// Poll from on_tick like the clusterio module does
 				await server.sendRcon(
 					"/sc script.on_event(defines.events.on_udp_packet_received, " +
-					"function(event) print('udp:' .. event.payload) end)"
+					"function(event) print('udp:' .. event.payload) end) " +
+					"script.on_nth_tick(1, function() helpers.recv_udp(0) end)"
 				);
 				let pass = false;
 				function filter(output) {
@@ -195,8 +197,9 @@ describe("Integration of host/src/server", function() {
 				server.on("output", filter);
 
 				await server.sendUdp("hello");
+				// The server does not tick without players, commands make it tick
 				for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
-					await server.sendRcon("/sc helpers.recv_udp(0)");
+					await server.sendRcon("/sc rcon.print('tick')");
 					await lib.wait(10);
 					if (pass) {
 						break;