diff --git a/src/firmware/actions.ts b/src/firmware/actions.ts
index 051a95e8..1e7dc03f 100644
--- a/src/firmware/actions.ts
+++ b/src/firmware/actions.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 // Copyright (c) 2020-2022 The Pybricks Authors
 
-import { FirmwareReaderError } from '@pybricks/firmware';
+import { FirmwareReaderError, HubType } from '@pybricks/firmware';
 import { createAction } from '../actions';
 import { Hub } from '../components/hubPicker';
 
@@ -360,14 +360,14 @@ export const didFailToFinish = createAction(didFailToFinishCreator);
 
 /**
  * Low-level action to flash firmware using LEGO's DFU over USB.
- * @param data The firmware zip file data.
- * @param hubName A custom hub name or an empty string to use the default name.
+ * @param firmware The firmware binary blob.
+ * @param hubType The hub type the firmware blob is for.
  */
 export const firmwareFlashUsbDfu = createAction(
-    (data: ArrayBuffer, hubName: string) => ({
+    (firmware: ArrayBuffer, hubType: HubType) => ({
         type: 'firmware.action.flashUsbDfu',
-        data,
-        hubName,
+        firmware,
+        hubType,
     }),
 );
 
diff --git a/src/firmware/alerts/FirmwareMismatch.tsx b/src/firmware/alerts/FirmwareMismatch.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index dde81080..00000000
--- a/src/firmware/alerts/FirmwareMismatch.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
-// Copyright (c) 2022 The Pybricks Authors
-
-import { Intent } from '@blueprintjs/core';
-import React from 'react';
-import type { CreateToast } from '../../toasterTypes';
-import { useI18n } from './i18n';
-
-const FirmwareMismatch: React.VoidFunctionComponent = () => {
-    const i18n = useI18n();
-    return <p>{i18n.translate('firmwareMismatch.message')}</p>;
-};
-
-export const firmwareMismatch: CreateToast = (onAction) => {
-    return {
-        message: <FirmwareMismatch />,
-        icon: 'error',
-        intent: Intent.DANGER,
-        onDismiss: () => onAction('dismiss'),
-    };
-};
diff --git a/src/firmware/alerts/index.ts b/src/firmware/alerts/index.ts
index 2ae9b719..d25d162c 100644
--- a/src/firmware/alerts/index.ts
+++ b/src/firmware/alerts/index.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 // Copyright (c) 2022 The Pybricks Authors
 
 import { dfuError } from './DfuError';
-import { firmwareMismatch } from './FirmwareMismatch';
 import { flashProgress } from './FlashProgress';
 import { noDfuHub } from './NoDfuHub';
 import { noDfuInterface } from './NoDfuInterface';
@@ -11,7 +10,6 @@ import { releaseButton } from './ReleaseButton';
 
 export default {
     dfuError,
-    firmwareMismatch,
     flashProgress,
     noDfuHub,
     noDfuInterface,
diff --git a/src/firmware/alerts/translations/en.json b/src/firmware/alerts/translations/en.json
index d893bd5f..5784789e 100644
--- a/src/firmware/alerts/translations/en.json
+++ b/src/firmware/alerts/translations/en.json
@@ -20,9 +20,6 @@
     "noDfuInterface": {
         "message": "This is very unusual. The USB device did not contain the expected interface."
     },
-    "firmwareMismatch": {
-        "message": "Cannot flash firmware. The firmware file is for a different kind of hub."
-    },
     "flashProgress": {
         "erasing": "Erasing internal flash memory: {percent}",
         "flashing": "Writing new firmware: {percent}"
diff --git a/src/firmware/sagas.ts b/src/firmware/sagas.ts
index f64bb5ea..da6b6d02 100644
--- a/src/firmware/sagas.ts
+++ b/src/firmware/sagas.ts
@@ -616,13 +616,6 @@ function* handleFlashFirmware(action: ReturnType<typeof flashFirmware>): Generat
     }
 }
 
-/** Maps USB Product ID to LWP3 hub type ID */
-const productIdMap: ReadonlyMap<LegoUsbProductId, HubType> = new Map([
-    [LegoUsbProductId.SpikePrimeBootloader, HubType.PrimeHub],
-    [LegoUsbProductId.SpikeEssentialBootloader, HubType.EssentialHub],
-    [LegoUsbProductId.MindstormsRobotInventorBootloader, HubType.PrimeHub],
-]);
-
 // currently all hubs use the same start address
 const dfuFirmwareStartAddress = 0x08008000;
 
@@ -664,6 +657,31 @@ function* handleDfuWriteProcess(event: {
     );
 }
 
+function getUsbDeviceFiltersForHub(hubType: HubType): USBDeviceFilter[] {
+    switch (hubType) {
+        case HubType.PrimeHub:
+            return [
+                {
+                    vendorId: legoUsbVendorId,
+                    productId: LegoUsbProductId.SpikePrimeBootloader,
+                },
+                {
+                    vendorId: legoUsbVendorId,
+                    productId: LegoUsbProductId.MindstormsRobotInventorBootloader,
+                },
+            ];
+        case HubType.EssentialHub:
+            return [
+                {
+                    vendorId: legoUsbVendorId,
+                    productId: LegoUsbProductId.SpikeEssentialBootloader,
+                },
+            ];
+        default:
+            throw new Error(`unsupported hub type: ${hubType}`);
+    }
+}
+
 function* handleFlashUsbDfu(action: ReturnType<typeof firmwareFlashUsbDfu>): Generator {
     const defer = new Array<() => void>();
 
@@ -678,21 +696,7 @@ function* handleFlashUsbDfu(action: ReturnType<typeof firmwareFlashUsbDfu>): Gen
         const device = yield* call(() =>
             navigator.usb
                 .requestDevice({
-                    filters: [
-                        {
-                            vendorId: legoUsbVendorId,
-                            productId: LegoUsbProductId.SpikePrimeBootloader,
-                        },
-                        {
-                            vendorId: legoUsbVendorId,
-                            productId: LegoUsbProductId.SpikeEssentialBootloader,
-                        },
-                        {
-                            vendorId: legoUsbVendorId,
-                            productId:
-                                LegoUsbProductId.MindstormsRobotInventorBootloader,
-                        },
-                    ],
+                    filters: getUsbDeviceFiltersForHub(action.hubType),
                 })
                 .catch((err) => {
                     if (err instanceof DOMException && err.name === 'NotFoundError') {
@@ -749,16 +753,8 @@ function* handleFlashUsbDfu(action: ReturnType<typeof firmwareFlashUsbDfu>): Gen
             }),
         );
 
-        const { firmware, deviceId } = yield* loadFirmware(action.data, action.hubName);
-
-        if (deviceId !== productIdMap.get(device.productId)) {
-            yield* put(alertsShowAlert('firmware', 'firmwareMismatch'));
-            yield* put(firmwareDidFailToFlashUsbDfu());
-            return;
-        }
-
         dfu.dfuseStartAddress = dfuFirmwareStartAddress;
-        const writeProc = dfu.write(1024, firmware, true);
+        const writeProc = dfu.write(1024, action.firmware, true);
 
         const eraseProcessChan = eventChannel<{
             bytesSent: number;
@@ -817,6 +813,7 @@ function* handleFlashUsbDfu(action: ReturnType<typeof firmwareFlashUsbDfu>): Gen
         // errors can happen, e.g. if the USB cable is disconnected while
         // flashing the firmware
         if (error) {
+            // istanbul ignore if
             if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
                 console.error(error);
             }
@@ -844,6 +841,7 @@ function* handleFlashUsbDfu(action: ReturnType<typeof firmwareFlashUsbDfu>): Gen
 
         yield* put(firmwareDidFlashUsbDfu());
     } catch (err) {
+        // istanbul ignore if
         if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
             console.error(err);
         }
@@ -878,7 +876,25 @@ function* handleInstallPybricks(): Generator {
             yield* put(flashFirmware(accepted.firmwareZip, accepted.hubName));
             break;
         case 'usb-lego-dfu':
-            yield* put(firmwareFlashUsbDfu(accepted.firmwareZip, accepted.hubName));
+            try {
+                const { firmware, deviceId } = yield* loadFirmware(
+                    accepted.firmwareZip,
+                    accepted.hubName,
+                );
+
+                yield* put(firmwareFlashUsbDfu(firmware, deviceId));
+            } catch (err) {
+                // istanbul ignore if
+                if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'test') {
+                    console.error(err);
+                }
+
+                yield* put(
+                    alertsShowAlert('alerts', 'unexpectedError', {
+                        error: ensureError(err),
+                    }),
+                );
+            }
             break;
     }
 }