diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/core.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/core.js
index c5fe55e360e..628ee5defb3 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/core.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/core.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 /*globals Ember:true,ENV,EmberENV */
 
+import require from 'require';
+
 /**
 @module ember
 @submodule ember-metal
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ Ember.toString = function() { return 'Ember'; };
 
 // The debug functions are exported to globals with `require` to
 // prevent babel-plugin-filter-imports from removing them.
-let debugModule = Ember.__loader.require('ember-metal/debug');
+let debugModule = require('ember-metal/debug');
 Ember.assert = debugModule.assert;
 Ember.warn = debugModule.warn;
 Ember.debug = debugModule.debug;
diff --git a/packages/ember-metal/lib/index.js b/packages/ember-metal/lib/index.js
index f90160fe214..0491f9bd2ca 100644
--- a/packages/ember-metal/lib/index.js
+++ b/packages/ember-metal/lib/index.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 */
 
 // BEGIN IMPORTS
+import require, { has } from 'require';
 import Ember from 'ember-metal/core';
 import { deprecateFunc } from 'ember-metal/debug';
 import isEnabled, { FEATURES } from 'ember-metal/features';
@@ -358,8 +359,8 @@ Ember.onerror = null;
 // do this for side-effects of updating Ember.assert, warn, etc when
 // ember-debug is present
 // This needs to be called before any deprecateFunc
-if (Ember.__loader.registry['ember-debug/index']) {
-  requireModule('ember-debug');
+if (has('ember-debug')) {
+  require('ember-debug');
 } else {
   Ember.Debug = { };
 
diff --git a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/ext/rsvp.js b/packages/ember-runtime/lib/ext/rsvp.js
index 4eb291b1cb2..d688bf52436 100644
--- a/packages/ember-runtime/lib/ext/rsvp.js
+++ b/packages/ember-runtime/lib/ext/rsvp.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /* globals RSVP:true */
 
 import Ember from 'ember-metal/core';
+import require, { has } from 'require';
 import { assert } from 'ember-metal/debug';
 import Logger from 'ember-metal/logger';
 import run from 'ember-metal/run_loop';
@@ -57,8 +58,8 @@ export function onerrorDefault(reason) {
   if (error && error.name !== 'TransitionAborted') {
     if (Ember.testing) {
       // ES6TODO: remove when possible
-      if (!Test && Ember.__loader.registry[testModuleName]) {
-        Test = requireModule(testModuleName)['default'];
+      if (!Test && has(testModuleName)) {
+        Test = require(testModuleName)['default'];
       }
 
       if (Test && Test.adapter) {
diff --git a/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/compat/precompile.js b/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/compat/precompile.js
index 62f4f7f6dfc..99885ac3bb1 100644
--- a/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/compat/precompile.js
+++ b/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/compat/precompile.js
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 @module ember
 @submodule ember-template-compiler
 */
-import Ember from 'ember-metal/core';
+import require, { has } from 'require';
 import compileOptions from 'ember-template-compiler/system/compile_options';
 
 var compile, compileSpec;
 
 export default function(string) {
-  if ((!compile || !compileSpec) && Ember.__loader.registry['htmlbars-compiler/compiler']) {
-    var Compiler = requireModule('htmlbars-compiler/compiler');
+  if ((!compile || !compileSpec) && has('htmlbars-compiler/compiler')) {
+    var Compiler = require('htmlbars-compiler/compiler');
 
     compile = Compiler.compile;
     compileSpec = Compiler.compileSpec;
diff --git a/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/system/compile.js b/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/system/compile.js
index 1cf1ec0a83e..3ebf8c19529 100644
--- a/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/system/compile.js
+++ b/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/system/compile.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 @submodule ember-template-compiler
 */
 
-import Ember from 'ember-metal/core';
+import require, { has } from 'require';
 import compileOptions from 'ember-template-compiler/system/compile_options';
 import template from 'ember-template-compiler/system/template';
 
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ var compile;
   @param {Object} options This is an options hash to augment the compiler options.
 */
 export default function(templateString, options) {
-  if (!compile && Ember.__loader.registry['htmlbars-compiler/compiler']) {
-    compile = requireModule('htmlbars-compiler/compiler').compile;
+  if (!compile && has('htmlbars-compiler/compiler')) {
+    compile = require('htmlbars-compiler/compiler').compile;
   }
 
   if (!compile) {
diff --git a/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/system/precompile.js b/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/system/precompile.js
index d5e62d30f23..ba126a1857a 100644
--- a/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/system/precompile.js
+++ b/packages/ember-template-compiler/lib/system/precompile.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 @module ember
 @submodule ember-template-compiler
 */
-import Ember from 'ember-metal/core';
+import require, { has } from 'require';
 import compileOptions from 'ember-template-compiler/system/compile_options';
 
 var compileSpec;
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ var compileSpec;
   @param {String} templateString This is the string to be compiled by HTMLBars.
 */
 export default function(templateString, options) {
-  if (!compileSpec && Ember.__loader.registry['htmlbars-compiler/compiler']) {
-    compileSpec = requireModule('htmlbars-compiler/compiler').compileSpec;
+  if (!compileSpec && has('htmlbars-compiler/compiler')) {
+    compileSpec = require('htmlbars-compiler/compiler').compileSpec;
   }
 
   if (!compileSpec) {
diff --git a/packages/ember/lib/index.js b/packages/ember/lib/index.js
index 831efe63677..18d109d9ee9 100644
--- a/packages/ember/lib/index.js
+++ b/packages/ember/lib/index.js
@@ -10,17 +10,17 @@ import 'ember-htmlbars';
 import 'ember-routing-htmlbars';
 import 'ember-routing-views';
 
-import Ember from 'ember-metal/core';
+import require, { has } from 'require';
 import { runLoadHooks } from 'ember-runtime/system/lazy_load';
 
-if (Ember.__loader.registry['ember-template-compiler/index']) {
-  requireModule('ember-template-compiler');
+if (has('ember-template-compiler')) {
+  require('ember-template-compiler');
 }
 
 // do this to ensure that Ember.Test is defined properly on the global
 // if it is present.
-if (Ember.__loader.registry['ember-testing/index']) {
-  requireModule('ember-testing');
+if (has('ember-testing')) {
+  require('ember-testing');
 }
 
 runLoadHooks('Ember');
diff --git a/packages/loader/lib/index.js b/packages/loader/lib/index.js
index b3b7cc47a54..3158e7b8762 100644
--- a/packages/loader/lib/index.js
+++ b/packages/loader/lib/index.js
@@ -32,8 +32,14 @@ var mainContext = this;
     requirejs = require = requireModule = function(name) {
       return internalRequire(name, null);
     }
+
+    // setup `require` module
     require['default'] = require;
 
+    require.has = function registryHas(moduleName) {
+      return !!registry[moduleName] || !!registry[moduleName + '/index'];
+    };
+
     function missingModule(name, referrerName) {
       if (referrerName) {
         throw new Error('Could not find module ' + name + ' required by: ' + referrerName);