diff --git a/platformio.ini b/platformio.ini
index b5b93187..34b118e7 100644
--- a/platformio.ini
+++ b/platformio.ini
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ lib_deps =
     ;;makuna/NeoPixelBus @ 2.7.5 ;; WLEDMM will be added in board specific sections
     ;;https://github.com/Aircoookie/ESPAsyncWebServer.git @ ~2.0.7
     ;; https://github.com/lost-hope/ESPAsyncWebServer.git#master  ;; WLEDMM to display .log and .wled files in /edit
-    https://github.com/Aircoookie/ESPAsyncWebServer.git @ 2.2.1  ;; newer with bugfixes and stability improvements
+    https://github.com/Aircoookie/ESPAsyncWebServer.git#v2.2.1  ;; newer with bugfixes and stability improvements
   #For use of the TTGO T-Display ESP32 Module with integrated TFT display uncomment the following line
     #TFT_eSPI
   #For compatible OLED display uncomment following
@@ -297,6 +297,37 @@ lib_deps =
   makuna/NeoPixelBus @ 2.7.5
   ${env.lib_deps}
 
+;; compatibilty flags - same as 0.14.0 which seems to work better on some 8266 boards. Not using PIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_MMU_CACHE16_IRAM48
+build_flags_compat =
+  -DESP8266
+  -DFP_IN_IROM
+  ;;-Wno-deprecated-declarations
+  -Wno-misleading-indentation
+  ;;-Wno-attributes ;; silence warnings about unknown attribute 'maybe_unused' in NeoPixelBus
+  -DPIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_ESPRESSIF_SDK22x_190703
+  -DPIO_FRAMEWORK_ARDUINO_LWIP_HIGHER_BANDWIDTH
+  -DVTABLES_IN_FLASH
+  -DMIMETYPE_MINIMAL
+  -DWLED_SAVE_IRAM ;; needed to prevent linker error
+
+;; this platform version was used for WLED 0.14.0
+platform_compat = espressif8266@4.2.0
+platform_packages_compat =
+                    platformio/toolchain-xtensa @ ~2.100300.220621 #2.40802.200502
+                    platformio/tool-esptool #@ ~1.413.0
+                    platformio/tool-esptoolpy #@ ~1.30000.0
+
+;; experimental - for using older NeoPixelBus 2.7.9
+lib_deps_compat =
+  ESPAsyncTCP @ 1.2.2
+  ESPAsyncUDP
+  ESP8266PWM
+  fastled/FastLED @ 3.6.0
+  IRremoteESP8266 @ 2.8.2
+  makuna/NeoPixelBus @ 2.7.9
+  https://github.com/Aircoookie/ESPAsyncWebServer.git#v2.2.1
+
+
 [esp32]
 #platform = https://github.com/tasmota/platform-espressif32/releases/download/v2.0.2.3/platform-espressif32-2.0.2.3.zip
 platform = espressif32@3.5.0