diff --git a/src/main/clojure/cljs/closure.clj b/src/main/clojure/cljs/closure.clj
index cf589b85c..28faeb04d 100644
--- a/src/main/clojure/cljs/closure.clj
+++ b/src/main/clojure/cljs/closure.clj
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
 
 (ns cljs.closure
   (:refer-clojure :exclude [compile])
-  (:require [cljs.util :as util :refer [distinct-by]]
+  (:require [cljs.externs :as externs]
+            [cljs.util :as util :refer [distinct-by]]
             [cljs.core :as cljsm]
             [cljs.compiler :as comp]
             [cljs.analyzer :as ana]
@@ -402,7 +403,7 @@
       (cond->
         (if use-only-custom-externs
           all-sources
-          (into all-sources (CommandLineRunner/getDefaultExterns)))
+          (into all-sources (externs/default-externs)))
         infer-externs
         (conj (js-source-file nil
                 (io/file (util/output-directory opts) "inferred_externs.js")))))))
diff --git a/src/main/clojure/cljs/externs.clj b/src/main/clojure/cljs/externs.clj
index 5da818a72..d86aa91ef 100644
--- a/src/main/clojure/cljs/externs.clj
+++ b/src/main/clojure/cljs/externs.clj
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
             [clojure.java.io :as io]
             [clojure.string :as string])
   (:import [com.google.javascript.jscomp
-            CompilerOptions SourceFile JsAst CommandLineRunner]
+            CompilerOptions CompilerOptions$Environment SourceFile JsAst CommandLineRunner]
            [com.google.javascript.jscomp.parsing Config$JsDocParsing]
            [com.google.javascript.rhino
             Node Token JSTypeExpression JSDocInfo$Visibility]
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 (def ^:dynamic *source-file* nil)
 (def ^:dynamic *goog-ns* nil)
 
+(defn default-externs []
+  (CommandLineRunner/getBuiltinExterns CompilerOptions$Environment/BROWSER))
+
 ;; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ;; Externs Parsing
 
@@ -207,6 +210,7 @@
             (.init (list source-file) '() compiler-options))
           js-ast (JsAst. source-file)
           ^Node root (.getAstRoot js-ast closure-compiler)
+          ;; TODO: switch to getFirstChild + getNext in the loop
           nodes (.children root)]
       (loop [nodes (cond-> nodes
                      ;; handle goog.modules which won't have top-levels
@@ -229,7 +233,7 @@
 
 (defn externs-map*
   ([]
-   (externs-map* (CommandLineRunner/getDefaultExterns)))
+ (externs-map* (default-externs)))
   ([sources]
    (externs-map* sources
      '{eval {}
@@ -242,7 +246,7 @@
   ([sources defaults]
    (let [sources (if-not (empty? sources)
                    sources
-                   (CommandLineRunner/getDefaultExterns))]
+                   (default-externs))]
      (reduce
        (fn [externs externs-file]
          (util/map-merge
@@ -376,13 +380,13 @@
     (fn [s]
       (let [m (-> s parse-externs index-externs)]
         (get-in m '[Window prototype console])))
-    (CommandLineRunner/getDefaultExterns))
+    (default-externs))
 
   (->
     (filter
       (fn [s]
         (= "externs.zip//webkit_dom.js" (.getName s)))
-      (CommandLineRunner/getDefaultExterns))
+      (default-externs))
     first parse-externs index-externs
     (find 'console) first meta)
 
@@ -390,7 +394,7 @@
     (filter
       (fn [s]
         (= "externs.zip//webkit_dom.js" (.getName s)))
-      (CommandLineRunner/getDefaultExterns))
+      (default-externs))
     first parse-externs index-externs
     (get-in '[Console prototype])
     (find 'log) first meta)
diff --git a/src/test/clojure/cljs/externs_parsing_tests.clj b/src/test/clojure/cljs/externs_parsing_tests.clj
index c2b199cf1..effad773d 100644
--- a/src/test/clojure/cljs/externs_parsing_tests.clj
+++ b/src/test/clojure/cljs/externs_parsing_tests.clj
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
                (filter
                  (fn [s]
                    (= "externs.zip//w3c_dom2.js" (.getName s)))
-                 (CommandLineRunner/getDefaultExterns))
+                 (externs/default-externs))
                first externs/parse-externs externs/index-externs
                (find 'HTMLDocument) first meta)]
     (is (= 'Document (:super info)))))