diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/meta.js b/ui (gen4)/features/meta.js
index 7b28f5c9..352750fa 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/meta.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/meta.js	
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature('viewer-testing', [
 
 	// XXX not yet fully tested...
 	'system-journal',
+
+
+	'fail-safe-devtools',
 ])
 
 /*
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/ui.js b/ui (gen4)/features/ui.js
index 70e4a5ba..98b4bdc5 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/ui.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/ui.js	
@@ -1742,6 +1742,26 @@ module.IndirectControl = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 
 
+/*********************************************************************/
+
+var FailsafeDevTools = 
+module.FailsafeDevTools = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
+	title: '',
+	doc: '',
+
+	tag: 'fail-safe-devtools',
+
+	priority: 'low',
+
+	handlers: [
+		['start',
+			function(){
+				window.__devtools_failsafe && clearTimeout(window.__devtools_failsafe) }],
+	],
+})
+
+
+
 /*********************************************************************/
 // XXX experimental...
 
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/index.html b/ui (gen4)/index.html
index 8b5b3528..2d7192cc 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/index.html	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/index.html	
@@ -233,7 +233,9 @@ body {
 </style>
 
 <script>
-typeof(require) != 'undefined' && require('nw.gui').Window.get().showDevTools()
+window.__devtools_failsafe = setTimeout(function(){
+	typeof(require) != 'undefined' && nw.Window.get().showDevTools()
+}, 1000)
 </script>