diff --git a/Libraries/Animated/src/AnimatedImplementation.js b/Libraries/Animated/src/AnimatedImplementation.js
index dc8fcc162..2dc9de93b 100644
--- a/Libraries/Animated/src/AnimatedImplementation.js
+++ b/Libraries/Animated/src/AnimatedImplementation.js
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@
 
 var InteractionManager = require('InteractionManager');
 var Interpolation = require('Interpolation');
+var NativeAnimatedHelper = require('NativeAnimatedHelper');
 var React = require('React');
 var Set = require('Set');
 var SpringConfig = require('SpringConfig');
 var ViewStylePropTypes = require('ViewStylePropTypes');
-var NativeAnimatedHelper = require('NativeAnimatedHelper');
 
 var findNodeHandle = require('react/lib/findNodeHandle');
 var flattenStyle = require('flattenStyle');
@@ -32,6 +32,26 @@ type EndCallback = (result: EndResult) => void;
 
 var NativeAnimatedAPI = NativeAnimatedHelper.API;
 
+var warnedMissingNativeAnimated = false;
+
+function shouldUseNativeDriver(config: AnimationConfig | EventConfig): boolean {
+  if (config.useNativeDriver &&
+      !NativeAnimatedHelper.isNativeAnimatedAvailable()) {
+    if (!warnedMissingNativeAnimated) {
+      console.warn(
+        'Animated: `useNativeDriver` is not supported because the native ' +
+        'animated module is missing. Falling back to JS-based animation. To ' +
+        'resolve this, add `RCTAnimation` module to this app, or remove ' +
+        '`useNativeDriver`.'
+      );
+      warnedMissingNativeAnimated = true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return config.useNativeDriver || false;
+}
+
 // Note(vjeux): this would be better as an interface but flow doesn't
 // support them yet
 class Animated {
@@ -251,7 +271,7 @@ class TimingAnimation extends Animation {
     this._duration = config.duration !== undefined ? config.duration : 500;
     this._delay = config.delay !== undefined ? config.delay : 0;
     this.__isInteraction = config.isInteraction !== undefined ? config.isInteraction : true;
-    this._useNativeDriver = config.useNativeDriver !== undefined ? config.useNativeDriver : false;
+    this._useNativeDriver = shouldUseNativeDriver(config);
   }
 
   __getNativeAnimationConfig(): any {
@@ -360,7 +380,7 @@ class DecayAnimation extends Animation {
     super();
     this._deceleration = config.deceleration !== undefined ? config.deceleration : 0.998;
     this._velocity = config.velocity;
-    this._useNativeDriver = config.useNativeDriver !== undefined ? config.useNativeDriver : false;
+    this._useNativeDriver = shouldUseNativeDriver(config);
     this.__isInteraction = config.isInteraction !== undefined ? config.isInteraction : true;
   }
 
@@ -479,7 +499,7 @@ class SpringAnimation extends Animation {
     this._initialVelocity = config.velocity;
     this._lastVelocity = withDefault(config.velocity, 0);
     this._toValue = config.toValue;
-    this._useNativeDriver = config.useNativeDriver !== undefined ? config.useNativeDriver : false;
+    this._useNativeDriver = shouldUseNativeDriver(config);
     this.__isInteraction = config.isInteraction !== undefined ? config.isInteraction : true;
 
     var springConfig;
@@ -2105,8 +2125,8 @@ var stagger = function(
 
 type Mapping = {[key: string]: Mapping} | AnimatedValue;
 type EventConfig = {
-  listener?: ?Function;
-  useNativeDriver?: bool;
+  listener?: ?Function,
+  useNativeDriver?: bool,
 };
 
 class AnimatedEvent {
@@ -2120,7 +2140,7 @@ class AnimatedEvent {
   ) {
     this._argMapping = argMapping;
     this._listener = config.listener;
-    this.__isNative = config.useNativeDriver || false;
+    this.__isNative = shouldUseNativeDriver(config);
 
     if (this.__isNative) {
       invariant(!this._listener, 'Listener is not supported for native driven events.');
diff --git a/Libraries/Animated/src/NativeAnimatedHelper.js b/Libraries/Animated/src/NativeAnimatedHelper.js
index f9ba740df..67aae660c 100644
--- a/Libraries/Animated/src/NativeAnimatedHelper.js
+++ b/Libraries/Animated/src/NativeAnimatedHelper.js
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ const invariant = require('fbjs/lib/invariant');
 let __nativeAnimatedNodeTagCount = 1; /* used for animated nodes */
 let __nativeAnimationIdCount = 1; /* used for started animations */
 
-type EndResult = {finished: bool};
+type EndResult = {finished: boolean};
 type EndCallback = (result: EndResult) => void;
 type EventMapping = {
-  nativeEventPath: Array<string>;
-  animatedValueTag: number;
+  nativeEventPath: Array<string>,
+  animatedValueTag: number,
 };
 
 let nativeEventEmitter;
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@ function assertNativeAnimatedModule(): void {
   invariant(NativeAnimatedModule, 'Native animated module is not available');
 }
 
+function isNativeAnimatedAvailable(): boolean {
+  return !!NativeAnimatedModule;
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   API,
   validateProps,
@@ -187,6 +191,7 @@ module.exports = {
   generateNewNodeTag,
   generateNewAnimationId,
   assertNativeAnimatedModule,
+  isNativeAnimatedAvailable,
   get nativeEventEmitter() {
     if (!nativeEventEmitter) {
       nativeEventEmitter = new NativeEventEmitter(NativeAnimatedModule);