diff --git a/packages/material-ui-styles/src/ThemeProvider/nested.js b/packages/material-ui-styles/src/ThemeProvider/nested.js
index 5e75d0d8dabf9c..24ca888da9d5ea 100644
--- a/packages/material-ui-styles/src/ThemeProvider/nested.js
+++ b/packages/material-ui-styles/src/ThemeProvider/nested.js
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-const hasSymbol = typeof Symbol === 'function';
+const hasSymbol = typeof Symbol === 'function' && Symbol.for;
 
 export default (hasSymbol ? Symbol.for('mui.nested') : '__THEME_NESTED__');