diff -r b273b43b16d2 -r 8354b390f1a2 qmlfrontend/main.cpp
--- a/qmlfrontend/main.cpp	Wed Nov 07 15:55:32 2018 +0100
+++ b/qmlfrontend/main.cpp	Wed Nov 07 15:59:51 2018 +0100
@@ -1,12 +1,48 @@
+#include <QDebug>
 #include <QGuiApplication>
+#include <QLibrary>
 #include <QQmlApplicationEngine>
 
+#include "engine_interface.h"
 #include "hwengine.h"
 
+namespace Engine {
+protocol_version_t* protocol_version;
+start_engine_t* start_engine;
+generate_preview_t* generate_preview;
+cleanup_t* cleanup;
+};  // namespace Engine
+
+void loadEngineLibrary() {
+#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
+  QLibrary hwlib("./libhedgewars_engine.dll");
+#else
+  QLibrary hwlib("./libhedgewars_engine.so");
+#endif
+
+  if (!hwlib.load())
+    qWarning() << "Engine library not found" << hwlib.errorString();
+
+  Engine::protocol_version = reinterpret_cast<Engine::protocol_version_t*>(
+      hwlib.resolve("protocol_version"));
+  Engine::start_engine =
+      reinterpret_cast<Engine::start_engine_t*>(hwlib.resolve("start_engine"));
+  Engine::generate_preview = reinterpret_cast<Engine::generate_preview_t*>(
+      hwlib.resolve("generate_preview"));
+  Engine::cleanup =
+      reinterpret_cast<Engine::cleanup_t*>(hwlib.resolve("cleanup"));
+
+  if (Engine::protocol_version)
+    qDebug() << "Loaded engine library with protocol version"
+             << Engine::protocol_version();
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   QCoreApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_EnableHighDpiScaling);
   QGuiApplication app(argc, argv);
 
+  loadEngineLibrary();
+
   QQmlApplicationEngine engine;
 
   HWEngine::exposeToQML();