diff --git a/crates/ocs_plugin_api/src/process.rs b/crates/ocs_plugin_api/src/process.rs
index f219af00..9a26d958 100644
--- a/crates/ocs_plugin_api/src/process.rs
+++ b/crates/ocs_plugin_api/src/process.rs
@@ -675,6 +675,11 @@ impl PluginProcess {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Whether this plugin process speaks the V4 protocol.
+    pub fn is_v4(&self) -> bool {
+        self.v4.is_some()
+    }
+
     /// Send a best-effort host-to-plugin notification. Requires V4; on V3
     /// processes this returns an error.
     pub fn notify_plugin(
diff --git a/crates/ocs_plugin_api/src/process/manager.rs b/crates/ocs_plugin_api/src/process/manager.rs
index d3495d0a..d2fec1e4 100644
--- a/crates/ocs_plugin_api/src/process/manager.rs
+++ b/crates/ocs_plugin_api/src/process/manager.rs
@@ -91,6 +91,15 @@ impl PluginManager {
             if !p.process.is_alive() {
                 continue;
             }
+            if !p.process.is_v4() {
+                if crate::process::verbose() {
+                    eprintln!(
+                        "[plugin] skipping notification for {} (not V4)",
+                        p.process.id()
+                    );
+                }
+                continue;
+            }
             if let Err(e) = p.process.notify_plugin(command_id, notification.clone()) {
                 eprintln!(
                     "[plugin] broadcast_notification failed for {}: {e}",