diff --git a/.changeset/early-rice-fly.md b/.changeset/early-rice-fly.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8ca41852
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/early-rice-fly.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@callstack/react-native-brownfield': patch
+---
+
+fix: make sure native libs are loaded for RN >= 0.80
diff --git a/apps/RNApp/android/BrownfieldLib/consumer-rules.pro b/apps/RNApp/android/BrownfieldLib/consumer-rules.pro
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29b..00000000
diff --git a/apps/RNApp/android/BrownfieldLib/src/main/java/com/rnapp/brownfieldlib/ReactNativeHostManager.kt b/apps/RNApp/android/BrownfieldLib/src/main/java/com/rnapp/brownfieldlib/ReactNativeHostManager.kt
index 9e51c8c1..825698be 100644
--- a/apps/RNApp/android/BrownfieldLib/src/main/java/com/rnapp/brownfieldlib/ReactNativeHostManager.kt
+++ b/apps/RNApp/android/BrownfieldLib/src/main/java/com/rnapp/brownfieldlib/ReactNativeHostManager.kt
@@ -4,12 +4,9 @@ import android.app.Application
 import com.callstack.reactnativebrownfield.OnJSBundleLoaded
 import com.callstack.reactnativebrownfield.ReactNativeBrownfield
 import com.facebook.react.PackageList
-import com.facebook.react.ReactNativeApplicationEntryPoint.loadReactNative
 
 object ReactNativeHostManager {
     fun initialize(application: Application, onJSBundleLoaded: OnJSBundleLoaded? = null) {
-        loadReactNative(application)
-
         val packageList = PackageList(application).packages
         ReactNativeBrownfield.initialize(application, packageList, onJSBundleLoaded)
     }
diff --git a/packages/react-native-brownfield/android/src/main/java/com/callstack/reactnativebrownfield/ReactNativeBrownfield.kt b/packages/react-native-brownfield/android/src/main/java/com/callstack/reactnativebrownfield/ReactNativeBrownfield.kt
index 22f3387a..fc9349af 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-brownfield/android/src/main/java/com/callstack/reactnativebrownfield/ReactNativeBrownfield.kt
+++ b/packages/react-native-brownfield/android/src/main/java/com/callstack/reactnativebrownfield/ReactNativeBrownfield.kt
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import androidx.activity.OnBackPressedCallback
 import androidx.fragment.app.FragmentActivity
 import androidx.lifecycle.DefaultLifecycleObserver
 import androidx.lifecycle.LifecycleOwner
-import com.callstack.reactnativebrownfield.utils.VersionUtils
 import com.facebook.react.ReactHost
 import com.facebook.react.ReactInstanceEventListener
 import com.facebook.react.ReactPackage
@@ -28,33 +27,29 @@ fun interface OnMessageListener {
     fun onMessage(message: String)
 }
 
-/**
- * The threshold RN version based on which we decide whether to
- * load JNI libs or not. We only load JNI libs on version less
- * than this.
- */
-private const val RN_THRESHOLD_VERSION = "0.80.0"
-
 class ReactNativeBrownfield private constructor(val reactHost: ReactHost) {
     private val messageListeners = CopyOnWriteArrayList<OnMessageListener>()
 
     companion object {
         private lateinit var instance: ReactNativeBrownfield
         private val initialized = AtomicBoolean()
+        private val nativeLibsLoaded = AtomicBoolean()
         private const val LOG_TAG = "ReactNativeBrownfield"
 
         @JvmStatic
         val shared: ReactNativeBrownfield get() = instance
 
         private fun loadNativeLibs(application: Application) {
-            val rnVersion = BuildConfig.RN_VERSION
-
-            if (VersionUtils.isVersionLessThan(rnVersion, RN_THRESHOLD_VERSION)) {
-                SoLoader.init(application.applicationContext, OpenSourceMergedSoMapping)
-                load()
+            if (!nativeLibsLoaded.getAndSet(true)) {
+                loadNativeLibsInternal(application)
             }
         }
 
+        private fun loadNativeLibsInternal(application: Application) {
+            SoLoader.init(application.applicationContext, OpenSourceMergedSoMapping)
+            load()
+        }
+
         @JvmStatic
         @JvmOverloads
         fun initialize(
@@ -79,6 +74,8 @@ class ReactNativeBrownfield private constructor(val reactHost: ReactHost) {
             options: HashMap<String, Any>,
             onJSBundleLoaded: OnJSBundleLoaded? = null
         ) {
+            loadNativeLibs(application)
+
             val reactHost: ReactHost by lazy {
                 getDefaultReactHost(
                     context = application,
diff --git a/packages/react-native-brownfield/src/expo-config-plugin/template/android/ReactNativeHostManager.post55.kt b/packages/react-native-brownfield/src/expo-config-plugin/template/android/ReactNativeHostManager.post55.kt
index f7db6bef..57f628ba 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-brownfield/src/expo-config-plugin/template/android/ReactNativeHostManager.post55.kt
+++ b/packages/react-native-brownfield/src/expo-config-plugin/template/android/ReactNativeHostManager.post55.kt
@@ -6,14 +6,11 @@ import com.callstack.reactnativebrownfield.OnJSBundleLoaded
 import com.callstack.reactnativebrownfield.ReactNativeBrownfield
 import com.facebook.react.PackageList
 import com.facebook.react.ReactHost
-import com.facebook.react.ReactNativeApplicationEntryPoint.loadReactNative
 import expo.modules.ApplicationLifecycleDispatcher
 import expo.modules.ExpoReactHostFactory
 
 object ReactNativeHostManager {
     fun initialize(application: Application, onJSBundleLoaded: OnJSBundleLoaded? = null) {
-        loadReactNative(application)
-
         ApplicationLifecycleDispatcher.onApplicationCreate(application)
 
         val reactHost: ReactHost by lazy {
diff --git a/packages/react-native-brownfield/src/expo-config-plugin/template/android/ReactNativeHostManager.pre55.kt b/packages/react-native-brownfield/src/expo-config-plugin/template/android/ReactNativeHostManager.pre55.kt
index 67688768..c577aa09 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-brownfield/src/expo-config-plugin/template/android/ReactNativeHostManager.pre55.kt
+++ b/packages/react-native-brownfield/src/expo-config-plugin/template/android/ReactNativeHostManager.pre55.kt
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import com.callstack.reactnativebrownfield.OnJSBundleLoaded
 import com.callstack.reactnativebrownfield.ReactNativeBrownfield
 import com.facebook.react.PackageList
 import com.facebook.react.ReactHost
-import com.facebook.react.ReactNativeApplicationEntryPoint.loadReactNative
 import com.facebook.react.ReactPackage
 import com.facebook.react.defaults.DefaultReactNativeHost
 import expo.modules.ApplicationLifecycleDispatcher
@@ -15,8 +14,6 @@ import expo.modules.ReactNativeHostWrapper
 
 object ReactNativeHostManager {
     fun initialize(application: Application, onJSBundleLoaded: OnJSBundleLoaded? = null) {
-        loadReactNative(application)
-
         ApplicationLifecycleDispatcher.onApplicationCreate(application)
 
         val reactNativeHost = ReactNativeHostWrapper(