diff --git a/server/TracyFileHeader.hpp b/server/TracyFileHeader.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..67ca8afc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/TracyFileHeader.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#ifndef __TRACYFILEHEADER_HPP__
+#define __TRACYFILEHEADER_HPP__
+
+namespace tracy
+{
+
+static const char Lz4Header[4] = { 't', 'l', 'Z', 4 };
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/server/TracyFileRead.hpp b/server/TracyFileRead.hpp
index 45451b34..fb851167 100644
--- a/server/TracyFileRead.hpp
+++ b/server/TracyFileRead.hpp
@@ -2,15 +2,19 @@
 #define __TRACYFILEREAD_HPP__
 
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include "TracyFileHeader.hpp"
 #include "../common/tracy_lz4.hpp"
 #include "../common/TracyForceInline.hpp"
 
 namespace tracy
 {
 
+struct NotTracyDump : public std::exception {};
+
 class FileRead
 {
 public:
@@ -84,7 +88,18 @@ private:
         , m_offset( BufSize )
         , m_active( 1 )
         , m_lastBlock( 0 )
-    {}
+    {
+        char hdr[4];
+        if( fread( hdr, 1, sizeof( hdr ), m_file ) != sizeof( hdr ) ) throw NotTracyDump();
+        if( memcmp( hdr, Lz4Header, sizeof( hdr ) ) != 0 )
+        {
+            fseek( m_file, 0, SEEK_SET );
+            uint32_t sz;
+            static_assert( sizeof( sz ) == sizeof( hdr ), "Size mismatch" );
+            memcpy( &sz, hdr, sizeof( sz ) );
+            if( sz > LZ4Size ) throw NotTracyDump();
+        }
+    }
 
     tracy_force_inline void ReadSmall( void* ptr, size_t size )
     {
diff --git a/server/TracyFileWrite.hpp b/server/TracyFileWrite.hpp
index 71269f89..9d3f8537 100644
--- a/server/TracyFileWrite.hpp
+++ b/server/TracyFileWrite.hpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include "TracyFileHeader.hpp"
 #include "../common/tracy_lz4.hpp"
 #include "../common/TracyForceInline.hpp"
 
@@ -48,7 +49,9 @@ private:
         , m_file( f )
         , m_offset( 0 )
         , m_active( 0 )
-    {}
+    {
+        fwrite( Lz4Header, 1, sizeof( Lz4Header ), m_file );
+    }
 
     tracy_force_inline void WriteSmall( const void* ptr, size_t size )
     {
diff --git a/standalone/build/win32/Tracy.vcxproj b/standalone/build/win32/Tracy.vcxproj
index 9b5101fc..8aa4e9a7 100644
--- a/standalone/build/win32/Tracy.vcxproj
+++ b/standalone/build/win32/Tracy.vcxproj
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\..\nfd\nfd_common.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\..\server\TracyCharUtil.hpp" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\..\server\TracyEvent.hpp" />
+    <ClInclude Include="..\..\..\server\TracyFileHeader.hpp" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\..\server\TracyFileRead.hpp" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\..\server\TracyFileWrite.hpp" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\..\server\TracyImGui.hpp" />
diff --git a/standalone/build/win32/Tracy.vcxproj.filters b/standalone/build/win32/Tracy.vcxproj.filters
index fe6814c7..963db2b8 100644
--- a/standalone/build/win32/Tracy.vcxproj.filters
+++ b/standalone/build/win32/Tracy.vcxproj.filters
@@ -167,6 +167,9 @@
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\..\common\tracy_sema.h">
       <Filter>imgui</Filter>
     </ClInclude>
+    <ClInclude Include="..\..\..\server\TracyFileHeader.hpp">
+      <Filter>server</Filter>
+    </ClInclude>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Natvis Include="DebugVis.natvis" />