diff --git a/lib/transports/polling-xhr.ts b/lib/transports/polling-xhr.ts
index 50c2b7a99..92eba06f7 100755
--- a/lib/transports/polling-xhr.ts
+++ b/lib/transports/polling-xhr.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* global attachEvent */
 
-import * as XMLHttpRequestModule from "xmlhttprequest-ssl";
+import XMLHttpRequest from "./xmlhttprequest.js";
 import debugModule from "debug"; // debug()
 import globalThis from "../globalThis.js";
 import { installTimerFunctions, pick } from "../util.js";
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ import { SocketOptions } from "../socket.js";
 
 const debug = debugModule("engine.io-client:polling-xhr"); // debug()
 
-const XMLHttpRequest = XMLHttpRequestModule.default || XMLHttpRequestModule;
-
 /**
  * Empty function
  */
diff --git a/lib/transports/xmlhttprequest.browser.ts b/lib/transports/xmlhttprequest.browser.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6da802c72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/transports/xmlhttprequest.browser.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// browser shim for xmlhttprequest module
+
+import hasCORS from "has-cors";
+import globalThis from "../globalThis.js";
+
+export default function(opts) {
+  const xdomain = opts.xdomain;
+
+  // XMLHttpRequest can be disabled on IE
+  try {
+    if ("undefined" !== typeof XMLHttpRequest && (!xdomain || hasCORS)) {
+      return new XMLHttpRequest();
+    }
+  } catch (e) {}
+
+  if (!xdomain) {
+    try {
+      return new globalThis[["Active"].concat("Object").join("X")](
+        "Microsoft.XMLHTTP"
+      );
+    } catch (e) {}
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/transports/xmlhttprequest.ts b/lib/transports/xmlhttprequest.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d26dee659
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/transports/xmlhttprequest.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import * as XMLHttpRequestModule from "xmlhttprequest-ssl";
+
+const XMLHttpRequest = XMLHttpRequestModule.default || XMLHttpRequestModule;
+
+export default XMLHttpRequest;
diff --git a/support/package.cjs.json b/support/package.cjs.json
index 50a4d3547..65b52aa11 100644
--- a/support/package.cjs.json
+++ b/support/package.cjs.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "type": "commonjs",
   "browser": {
     "ws": false,
-    "xmlhttprequest-ssl": "./xmlhttprequest.js",
+    "./transports/xmlhttprequest.js": "./transports/xmlhttprequest.browser.js",
     "./transports/websocket-constructor.js": "./transports/websocket-constructor.browser.js",
     "./globalThis.js": "./globalThis.browser.js"
   }
diff --git a/support/package.esm.json b/support/package.esm.json
index 30a1e8999..5c5493883 100644
--- a/support/package.esm.json
+++ b/support/package.esm.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "type": "module",
   "browser": {
     "ws": false,
-    "xmlhttprequest-ssl": "./xmlhttprequest.js",
+    "./transports/xmlhttprequest.js": "./transports/xmlhttprequest.browser.js",
     "./transports/websocket-constructor.js": "./transports/websocket-constructor.browser.js",
     "./globalThis.js": "./globalThis.browser.js"
   }