diff --git a/src/libs/DebugDashboard.js b/src/libs/DebugDashboard.js
index 75239128..0ed88ec7 100644
--- a/src/libs/DebugDashboard.js
+++ b/src/libs/DebugDashboard.js
@@ -4,9 +4,27 @@
  */
 
 import React, { Suspense, lazy } from 'react';
-import { createRoot } from 'react-dom/client';
+import * as ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
 import { subscribe } from 'subscribe-ui-event';
 
+// react-dom/client only exists in React 18+, fall back to the legacy API for React 16/17
+let createRoot = null;
+try {
+  // eslint-disable-next-line global-require
+  ({ createRoot } = require('react-dom/client'));
+} catch {
+  createRoot = null;
+}
+
+/* eslint-disable react/no-deprecated */
+const legacyRoot = (container) => ({
+  render: (...args) => {
+    ReactDOM.render(...args);
+  },
+  unmount: () => ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(container)
+});
+/* eslint-enable react/no-deprecated */
+
 // Dashboard only used in client side, could safely defered load
 const Dashboard = lazy(() => import(/* webpackChunkName: "i13n-debug-dashboard" */ '../components/debug/Dashboard'));
 
@@ -112,7 +130,7 @@ const DebugDashboard = function DebugDashboard(i13nNode) {
     });
   };
 
-  this.root = createRoot(container);
+  this.root = createRoot ? createRoot(container) : legacyRoot(container);
   this.root.render(
     React.createElement(
       Suspense,
diff --git a/src/libs/tests/DebugDashboard.test.js b/src/libs/tests/DebugDashboard.test.js
index 457d2c91..648e0568 100644
--- a/src/libs/tests/DebugDashboard.test.js
+++ b/src/libs/tests/DebugDashboard.test.js
@@ -17,4 +17,33 @@ describe('clickHandler', () => {
     expect(document.getElementById('i13n-debug-0')).toBeDefined();
     debugDashboard.destroy();
   });
+
+  it('should fall back to legacy react-dom api when react-dom/client is unavailable', () => {
+    const render = jest.fn((element, container, callback) => callback());
+    const unmountComponentAtNode = jest.fn();
+
+    jest.isolateModules(() => {
+      jest.doMock('react-dom/client', () => {
+        throw new Error("Cannot find module 'react-dom/client'");
+      });
+      jest.doMock('react-dom', () => ({ render, unmountComponentAtNode }));
+
+      /* eslint-disable global-require */
+      const LegacyDebugDashboard = require('../DebugDashboard').default;
+      const LegacyI13nNode = require('../../core/I13nNode').default;
+      /* eslint-enable global-require */
+
+      const i13nNode = new LegacyI13nNode(null, {});
+      i13nNode.setDOMNode(document.body.appendChild(document.createElement('div')));
+      const debugDashboard = new LegacyDebugDashboard(i13nNode);
+      const { container } = debugDashboard;
+      expect(render).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.anything(), container, expect.any(Function));
+
+      debugDashboard.destroy();
+      expect(unmountComponentAtNode).toHaveBeenCalledWith(container);
+    });
+
+    jest.dontMock('react-dom/client');
+    jest.dontMock('react-dom');
+  });
 });