diff --git a/packages/core/application/application-common.ts b/packages/core/application/application-common.ts
index 960932081..30412a3f5 100644
--- a/packages/core/application/application-common.ts
+++ b/packages/core/application/application-common.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import type { ApplicationEventData, CssChangedEventData, DiscardedErrorEventData
 import { readyInitAccessibilityCssHelper, readyInitFontScale } from '../accessibility/accessibility-common';
 import { getAppMainEntry, isAppInBackground, setAppInBackground, setAppMainEntry } from './helpers-common';
 import { getNativeScriptGlobals } from '../globals/global-utils';
+import { SDK_VERSION } from '../utils/constants';
 
 // prettier-ignore
 const ORIENTATION_CSS_CLASSES = [
@@ -29,6 +30,54 @@ const SYSTEM_APPEARANCE_CSS_CLASSES = [
 	`${CSSUtils.CLASS_PREFIX}${CoreTypes.SystemAppearance.dark}`,
 ];
 
+// SDK Version CSS classes
+let sdkVersionClasses: string[] = [];
+
+export function initializeSdkVersionClass(rootView: View): void {
+	const majorVersion = Math.floor(SDK_VERSION);
+	sdkVersionClasses = [];
+
+	let platformPrefix = '';
+	if (__APPLE__) {
+		platformPrefix = __VISIONOS__ ? 'ns-visionos' : 'ns-ios';
+	} else if (__ANDROID__) {
+		platformPrefix = 'ns-android';
+	}
+
+	if (platformPrefix) {
+		// Add exact version class (e.g., .ns-ios-26 or .ns-android-36)
+		// this acts like 'gte' for that major version range
+		// e.g., if user wants iOS 27, they can add .ns-ios-27 specifiers
+		sdkVersionClasses.push(`${platformPrefix}-${majorVersion}`);
+	}
+
+	// Apply the SDK version classes to root views
+	applySdkVersionClass(rootView);
+}
+
+function applySdkVersionClass(rootView: View): void {
+	if (!sdkVersionClasses.length) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (!rootView) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// Batch apply all SDK version classes to root view for better performance
+	const classesToAdd = sdkVersionClasses.filter((className) => !rootView.cssClasses.has(className));
+	classesToAdd.forEach((className) => rootView.cssClasses.add(className));
+
+	// Apply to modal views only if there are any
+	const rootModalViews = <Array<View>>rootView._getRootModalViews();
+	if (rootModalViews.length > 0) {
+		rootModalViews.forEach((rootModalView) => {
+			const modalClassesToAdd = sdkVersionClasses.filter((className) => !rootModalView.cssClasses.has(className));
+			modalClassesToAdd.forEach((className) => rootModalView.cssClasses.add(className));
+		});
+	}
+}
+
 const globalEvents = getNativeScriptGlobals().events;
 
 // helper interface to correctly type Application event handlers
diff --git a/packages/core/application/application.android.ts b/packages/core/application/application.android.ts
index fb0367171..1f400277e 100644
--- a/packages/core/application/application.android.ts
+++ b/packages/core/application/application.android.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import type { View } from '../ui/core/view';
 import { AndroidActivityCallbacks, NavigationEntry } from '../ui/frame/frame-common';
 import { SDK_VERSION } from '../utils/constants';
 import { android as androidUtils } from '../utils';
-import { ApplicationCommon } from './application-common';
+import { ApplicationCommon, initializeSdkVersionClass } from './application-common';
 import type { AndroidActivityBundleEventData, AndroidActivityEventData, ApplicationEventData } from './application-interfaces';
 import { Observable } from '../data/observable';
 import { Trace } from '../trace';
@@ -715,6 +715,9 @@ export function ensureClasses() {
 	setFontScaleCssClasses(new Map(VALID_FONT_SCALES.map((fs) => [fs, `a11y-fontscale-${Number(fs * 100).toFixed(0)}`])));
 
 	accessibilityServiceObservable = new AccessibilityServiceEnabledObservable();
+
+	// Initialize SDK version CSS class once
+	initializeSdkVersionClass(Application.getRootView());
 }
 
 export function updateCurrentHelperClasses(applyRootCssClass: (cssClasses: string[], newCssClass: string) => void): void {
diff --git a/packages/core/application/application.ios.ts b/packages/core/application/application.ios.ts
index 8ae527436..874105909 100644
--- a/packages/core/application/application.ios.ts
+++ b/packages/core/application/application.ios.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import type { NavigationEntry } from '../ui/frame/frame-interfaces';
 import { getWindow } from '../utils/native-helper';
 import { SDK_VERSION } from '../utils/constants';
 import { ios as iosUtils } from '../utils/native-helper';
-import { ApplicationCommon } from './application-common';
+import { ApplicationCommon, initializeSdkVersionClass } from './application-common';
 import { ApplicationEventData } from './application-interfaces';
 import { Observable } from '../data/observable';
 import { Trace } from '../trace';
@@ -441,6 +441,20 @@ export class iOSApplication extends ApplicationCommon {
 	// Observers
 	@profile
 	private didFinishLaunchingWithOptions(notification: NSNotification) {
+		if (__DEV__) {
+			/**
+			 * v9+ runtime crash handling
+			 * When crash occurs during boot, we let runtime take over
+			 */
+			if (notification.userInfo) {
+				const isBootCrash = notification.userInfo.objectForKey('NativeScriptBootCrash');
+				if (isBootCrash) {
+					// fatal crash will show in console without app exiting
+					// allowing hot reload fixes to continue
+					return;
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		this.setMaxRefreshRate();
 		// ensures window is assigned to proper window scene
 		setiOSWindow(this.window);
@@ -935,6 +949,9 @@ export function ensureClasses() {
 	setFontScaleCssClasses(new Map(VALID_FONT_SCALES.map((fs) => [fs, `a11y-fontscale-${Number(fs * 100).toFixed(0)}`])));
 
 	accessibilityServiceObservable = new AccessibilityServiceEnabledObservable();
+
+	// Initialize SDK version CSS class once
+	initializeSdkVersionClass(Application.getRootView());
 }
 
 export function updateCurrentHelperClasses(applyRootCssClass: (cssClasses: string[], newCssClass: string) => void): void {