diff --git a/code/core/src/common/utils/load-main-config.ts b/code/core/src/common/utils/load-main-config.ts
index 4bc08250e602..579680e8da8f 100644
--- a/code/core/src/common/utils/load-main-config.ts
+++ b/code/core/src/common/utils/load-main-config.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
-import { relative, resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { readFile, rm, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import { join, parse, relative, resolve } from 'node:path';
 
+import { logger } from 'storybook/internal/node-logger';
 import { MainFileEvaluationError } from 'storybook/internal/server-errors';
 import type { StorybookConfig } from 'storybook/internal/types';
 
+import { dedent } from 'ts-dedent';
+
 import { importModule } from '../../shared/utils/module';
 import { getInterpretedFile } from './interpret-files';
 import { validateConfigurationFiles } from './validate-configuration-files';
@@ -25,6 +29,37 @@ export async function loadMainConfig({
     if (!(e instanceof Error)) {
       throw e;
     }
+    if (e.message.includes('require is not defined')) {
+      logger.info(
+        'Loading main config failed, trying a temporary fix, Please ensure the main config is valid ESM'
+      );
+      const comment =
+        '// end of Storybook 10 migration assistant header, you can delete the above code';
+      const content = await readFile(mainPath, 'utf-8');
+
+      if (!content.includes(comment)) {
+        const header = dedent`
+          import { createRequire } from "node:module";
+          import { dirname } from "node:path";
+          import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+    
+          const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
+          const __dirname = dirname(__filename);
+          const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+        `;
+
+        const { ext, name, dir } = parse(mainPath);
+        const modifiedMainPath = join(dir, `${name}.tmp.${ext}`);
+        await writeFile(modifiedMainPath, [header, comment, content].join('\n\n'));
+        let out;
+        try {
+          out = await importModule(modifiedMainPath);
+        } finally {
+          await rm(modifiedMainPath);
+        }
+        return out;
+      }
+    }
 
     throw new MainFileEvaluationError({
       location: relative(process.cwd(), mainPath),
diff --git a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/addon-a11y-addon-test.test.ts b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/addon-a11y-addon-test.test.ts
index d02b89184685..9795c2cfe32f 100644
--- a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/addon-a11y-addon-test.test.ts
+++ b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/addon-a11y-addon-test.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import { getAddonNames } from 'storybook/internal/common';
 import { logger } from 'storybook/internal/node-logger';
 
 import { existsSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs';
-import * as jscodeshift from 'jscodeshift';
 import path from 'path';
 import { dedent } from 'ts-dedent';
 
diff --git a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/fix-faux-esm-require.test.ts b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/fix-faux-esm-require.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..05aadc126244
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/fix-faux-esm-require.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+import { readFile, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
+
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import { bannerComment } from '../helpers/mainConfigFile';
+import { fixFauxEsmRequire } from './fix-faux-esm-require';
+
+vi.mock('node:fs/promises', async (importOriginal) => ({
+  ...(await importOriginal<typeof import('node:fs/promises')>()),
+  readFile: vi.fn(),
+  writeFile: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+describe('fix-faux-esm-require', () => {
+  const mockReadFile = vi.mocked(readFile);
+  const mockWriteFile = vi.mocked(writeFile);
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  describe('check', () => {
+    it('should return null if no mainConfigPath', async () => {
+      const result = await fixFauxEsmRequire.check({
+        mainConfigPath: undefined,
+      } as any);
+
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('should return null if file is not ESM', async () => {
+      const contentWithoutESM = `
+        const config = require('./config');
+        module.exports = config;
+      `;
+
+      mockReadFile.mockResolvedValue(contentWithoutESM);
+
+      const result = await fixFauxEsmRequire.check({
+        mainConfigPath: 'main.js',
+      } as any);
+
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('should return null if file already has require banner', async () => {
+      const contentWithBanner = `
+        import { createRequire } from "node:module";
+        ${bannerComment}
+        const config = require('./some-config');
+      `;
+
+      mockReadFile.mockResolvedValue(contentWithBanner);
+
+      const result = await fixFauxEsmRequire.check({
+        mainConfigPath: 'main.js',
+      } as any);
+
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('should return null if file does not contain require usage', async () => {
+      const contentWithoutRequire = `
+        import { addons } from '@storybook/addon-essentials';
+        export default {
+          addons: ['@storybook/addon-essentials'],
+        };
+      `;
+
+      mockReadFile.mockResolvedValue(contentWithoutRequire);
+
+      const result = await fixFauxEsmRequire.check({
+        mainConfigPath: 'main.js',
+      } as any);
+
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('should return true if file is ESM with require usage', async () => {
+      const contentWithRequire = `
+        import { addons } from '@storybook/addon-essentials';
+        const config = require('./some-config');
+        export default {
+          addons: ['@storybook/addon-essentials'],
+        };
+      `;
+
+      mockReadFile.mockResolvedValue(contentWithRequire);
+
+      const result = await fixFauxEsmRequire.check({
+        mainConfigPath: 'main.js',
+      } as any);
+
+      expect(result).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should detect TypeScript config files', async () => {
+      const contentWithRequire = `
+        import { addons } from '@storybook/addon-essentials';
+        const config = require('./some-config');
+        export default {
+          addons: ['@storybook/addon-essentials'],
+        };
+      `;
+
+      mockReadFile.mockResolvedValue(contentWithRequire);
+
+      const result = await fixFauxEsmRequire.check({
+        mainConfigPath: 'main.ts',
+      } as any);
+
+      expect(result).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('run', () => {
+    it('should add require banner to file', async () => {
+      const originalContent = `
+        import { addons } from '@storybook/addon-essentials';
+        const config = require('./some-config');
+        export default {
+          addons: ['@storybook/addon-essentials'],
+        };
+      `;
+
+      mockReadFile.mockResolvedValue(originalContent);
+
+      await fixFauxEsmRequire.run({
+        dryRun: false,
+        mainConfigPath: 'main.js',
+      } as any);
+
+      expect(mockWriteFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'main.js',
+        expect.stringContaining('import { createRequire } from "node:module"')
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('should not write file in dry run mode', async () => {
+      await fixFauxEsmRequire.run({
+        dryRun: true,
+        mainConfigPath: 'main.js',
+      } as any);
+
+      expect(mockWriteFile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/fix-faux-esm-require.ts b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/fix-faux-esm-require.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c73d719b3aa5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/fix-faux-esm-require.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import { readFile, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
+
+import { dedent } from 'ts-dedent';
+
+import {
+  bannerComment,
+  containsESMUsage,
+  containsRequireUsage,
+  getRequireBanner,
+  hasRequireBanner,
+} from '../helpers/mainConfigFile';
+import type { Fix } from '../types';
+
+export const fixFauxEsmRequire = {
+  id: 'fix-faux-esm-require',
+  link: 'https://storybook.js.org/docs/faq#how-do-i-fix-module-resolution-in-special-environments',
+
+  async check({ mainConfigPath }) {
+    if (!mainConfigPath) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    // Read the raw file content to check for ESM syntax and require usage
+    const content = await readFile(mainConfigPath, 'utf-8');
+
+    const isESM = containsESMUsage(content);
+    const isWithRequire = containsRequireUsage(content);
+    const isWithBanner = hasRequireBanner(content);
+
+    // Check if the file is ESM format based on content
+    if (!isESM) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    // Check if the file already has the require banner
+    if (isWithBanner) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    // Check if the file contains require usage
+    if (!isWithRequire) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+  },
+
+  prompt() {
+    return dedent`Main config is ESM but uses 'require'. This will break in Storybook 10; Adding compatibility banner`;
+  },
+
+  async run({ dryRun, mainConfigPath }) {
+    if (dryRun) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const content = await readFile(mainConfigPath, 'utf-8');
+    const banner = getRequireBanner();
+    const comment = bannerComment;
+
+    const newContent = [banner, comment, content].join('\n');
+
+    await writeFile(mainConfigPath, newContent);
+  },
+} satisfies Fix<true>;
diff --git a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/index.ts b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/index.ts
index 143a0702a574..a6ad35e962a4 100644
--- a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/index.ts
+++ b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/fixes/index.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { addonMdxGfmRemove } from './addon-mdx-gfm-remove';
 import { addonStorysourceCodePanel } from './addon-storysource-code-panel';
 import { consolidatedImports } from './consolidated-imports';
 import { eslintPlugin } from './eslint-plugin';
+import { fixFauxEsmRequire } from './fix-faux-esm-require';
 import { initialGlobals } from './initial-globals';
 import { migrateAddonConsole } from './migrate-addon-console';
 import { removeAddonInteractions } from './remove-addon-interactions';
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ export const allFixes: Fix[] = [
   addonA11yParameters,
   removeDocsAutodocs,
   wrapGetAbsolutePath,
+  fixFauxEsmRequire,
 ];
 
 export const initFixes: Fix[] = [eslintPlugin];
diff --git a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/helpers/mainConfigFile.ts b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/helpers/mainConfigFile.ts
index 33830078ec7a..ee3bd3e329c5 100644
--- a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/helpers/mainConfigFile.ts
+++ b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/automigrate/helpers/mainConfigFile.ts
@@ -228,3 +228,49 @@ export const updateMainConfig = async (
     );
   }
 };
+
+/** Check if a file is in ESM format based on its content */
+export function containsESMUsage(content: string): boolean {
+  // For .js/.ts files, check the content for ESM syntax
+  // Check for ESM syntax indicators (multiline aware)
+  const hasImportStatement =
+    /^\s*import\s+/m.test(content) ||
+    /^\s*import\s*{/m.test(content) ||
+    /^\s*import\s*\(/m.test(content);
+  const hasExportStatement =
+    /^\s*export\s+/m.test(content) ||
+    /^\s*export\s*{/m.test(content) ||
+    /^\s*export\s*default/m.test(content);
+  const hasImportMeta = /import\.meta/.test(content);
+
+  // If any ESM syntax is found, it's likely an ESM file
+  return hasImportStatement || hasExportStatement || hasImportMeta;
+}
+
+/** Check if the file content contains require usage */
+export function containsRequireUsage(content: string): boolean {
+  // Check for require() calls
+  const requireCallRegex = /\brequire\(/;
+  const requireDotRegex = /\brequire\./;
+  return requireCallRegex.test(content) || requireDotRegex.test(content);
+}
+
+/** Check if the file already has the require banner */
+export const bannerComment =
+  '// end of Storybook 10 migration assistant header, You can delete the above code';
+export function hasRequireBanner(content: string): boolean {
+  return content.includes(bannerComment);
+}
+
+/** Generate the require compatibility banner */
+export function getRequireBanner(): string {
+  return dedent`
+    import { createRequire } from "node:module";
+    import { dirname } from "node:path";
+    import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+  
+    const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
+    const __dirname = dirname(__filename);
+    const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+  `;
+}