diff --git a/.changeset/modern-nodes-load.md b/.changeset/modern-nodes-load.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1c18f62d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/modern-nodes-load.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+"react-native-node-api": patch
+---
+
+Declare the Node.js versions that support loading ESM from CommonJS so package
+managers warn before the CLI loads its ESM dependencies on an incompatible
+runtime.
diff --git a/packages/host/package.json b/packages/host/package.json
index 0209c52c..85120fe7 100644
--- a/packages/host/package.json
+++ b/packages/host/package.json
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
   },
   "main": "dist/react-native/index.js",
   "type": "commonjs",
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=20.19.0 <21 || >=22.12.0"
+  },
   "bin": {
     "react-native-node-api": "./bin/react-native-node-api.mjs"
   },