diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 07ac322401..99930fd3ac 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ Please add one entry in this file for each change in Yarn's behavior. Use the sa
 
 ## Master
 
+- Run the engines check before showing the UI for `upgrade-interactive`
+
+  [#6535](https://github.com/yarnpkg/yarn/pull/6536) - [**Orta Therox**](https://github.com/orta)
+
+
 - Restore Node v4 support by downgrading `cli-table3`
 
   [#6535](https://github.com/yarnpkg/yarn/pull/6535) - [**Mark Stacey**](https://github.com/Gudahtt)
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/install.js b/src/cli/commands/install.js
index c7387470ef..85c8648fb7 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/install.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/install.js
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ export class Install {
     if (!this.flags.ignoreEngines && typeof manifest.engines === 'object') {
       steps.push(async (curr: number, total: number) => {
         this.reporter.step(curr, total, this.reporter.lang('checkingManifest'), emoji.get('mag'));
-        await compatibility.checkOne({_reference: {}, ...manifest}, this.config, this.flags.ignoreEngines);
+        await this.checkCompatibility();
       });
     }
 
@@ -743,6 +743,11 @@ export class Install {
     return flattenedTopLevelPatterns;
   }
 
+  async checkCompatibility(): Promise<void> {
+    const {manifest} = await this.fetchRequestFromCwd();
+    await compatibility.checkOne({_reference: {}, ...manifest}, this.config, this.flags.ignoreEngines);
+  }
+
   async persistChanges(): Promise<void> {
     // get all the different registry manifests in this folder
     const manifests = await this.config.getRootManifests();
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/upgrade-interactive.js b/src/cli/commands/upgrade-interactive.js
index 090341f53a..e5e1d77803 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/upgrade-interactive.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/upgrade-interactive.js
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ export async function run(config: Config, reporter: Reporter, flags: Object, arg
     return;
   }
 
+  // Fail early with runtime compatibility checks so that it doesn't fail after you've made your selections
+  const install = new Install(flags, config, reporter, lockfile);
+  await install.checkCompatibility();
+
   const usesWorkspaces = !!config.workspaceRootFolder;
 
   const maxLengthArr = {