diff --git a/systemjs.config.js b/systemjs.config.js
index 9efcf9301..7a4d8df8b 100644
--- a/systemjs.config.js
+++ b/systemjs.config.js
@@ -39,6 +39,23 @@
                           typeof crypto !== 'undefined' &&
                           typeof crypto.subtle !== 'undefined';
 
+  // When we create a bundle, webpack is run on the source and it will replace
+  // require with __webpack_require__. When we want to use the real require,
+  // __non_webpack_require__ has to be used.
+  // In this target, we don't create a bundle, so we have to replace the
+  // occurences of __non_webpack_require__ ourselves.
+  function babelPluginReplaceNonWebPackRequire(babel) {
+    return {
+      visitor: {
+        Identifier(path, state) {
+          if (path.node.name === '__non_webpack_require__') {
+            path.replaceWith(babel.types.identifier('require'));
+          }
+        },
+      },
+    };
+  }
+
   SystemJS.config({
     packages: {
       '': {
@@ -58,6 +75,7 @@
         esModule: true,
         babelOptions: {
           es2015: false,
+          plugins: [babelPluginReplaceNonWebPackRequire],
         },
       },
     },
diff --git a/test/unit/display_svg_spec.js b/test/unit/display_svg_spec.js
index 63821fd06..46f047d11 100644
--- a/test/unit/display_svg_spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/display_svg_spec.js
@@ -108,6 +108,21 @@ describe('SVGGraphics', function () {
       });
     }
 
+    it('should fail require("zlib") unless in Node.js', function() {
+      function testFunc() {
+        __non_webpack_require__('zlib');
+      }
+      // Verifies that the script loader replaces __non_webpack_require__ with
+      // require.
+      expect(testFunc.toString()).toMatch(/\srequire\(["']zlib["']\)/);
+      if (isNodeJS()) {
+        expect(testFunc).not.toThrow();
+      } else {
+        // require not defined, require('zlib') not a module, etc.
+        expect(testFunc).toThrow();
+      }
+    });
+
     it('should produce a reasonably small svg:image', function(done) {
       if (!isNodeJS()) {
         pending('zlib.deflateSync is not supported in non-Node environments.');