diff --git a/packages/learn/gatsby-node.js b/packages/learn/gatsby-node.js
index 67c6de47047..9d0d0468316 100644
--- a/packages/learn/gatsby-node.js
+++ b/packages/learn/gatsby-node.js
@@ -83,8 +83,26 @@ exports.createPages = ({ graphql, boundActionCreators }) => {
   });
 };
 
-exports.modifyWebpackConfig = ({ config, stage, babelConfig }) => {
-  if (stage === 'build-javascript' || stage === 'develop') {
+const generateBabelConfig = require('gatsby/dist/utils/babel-config');
+
+exports.modifyWebpackConfig = ({ config, stage }) => {
+  const program = {
+    directory: __dirname,
+    browserslist: ['> 1%', 'last 2 versions', 'IE >= 9']
+  };
+
+  return generateBabelConfig(program, stage).then(babelConfig => {
+    config.removeLoader('js').loader('js', {
+      test: /\.jsx?$/,
+      exclude: modulePath => {
+        return (
+          /node_modules/.test(modulePath) &&
+          !(/node_modules\/(ansi-styles|chalk)/).test(modulePath)
+        );
+      },
+      loader: 'babel',
+      query: babelConfig
+    });
     config.plugin('CopyWebpackPlugin', CopyWebpackPlugin, [
       [
         {
@@ -93,16 +111,5 @@ exports.modifyWebpackConfig = ({ config, stage, babelConfig }) => {
         }
       ]
     ]);
-    // remove the default 'js' loader so we can create our own
-    config.removeLoader('js');
-    // these modules are shipped with es6 code, we need to transform them due
-    // to the version of the uglifyjs plugin gatsby is using
-    config.loader('js', {
-      test: /\.jsx?$/,
-      exclude: /(node_modules|bower_components)\/(?!ansi-styles|chalk)/,
-      loader: 'babel',
-      query: babelConfig
-    });
-  }
-  return config;
+  });
 };
diff --git a/packages/learn/gatsby-ssr.js b/packages/learn/gatsby-ssr.js
index ede5d71f75c..31853c49cec 100644
--- a/packages/learn/gatsby-ssr.js
+++ b/packages/learn/gatsby-ssr.js
@@ -16,3 +16,12 @@ exports.replaceRenderer = ({
   );
   replaceBodyHTMLString(renderToString(<ConnectedBody />));
 };
+
+exports.onRenderBody = ({ setPostBodyComponents }) =>
+  setPostBodyComponents([
+    <script
+      async='true'
+      key='chai-CDN'
+      src='https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/chai/4.1.2/chai.min.js'
+    />
+  ]);
diff --git a/packages/learn/src/client/frame-runner.js b/packages/learn/src/client/frame-runner.js
index 15a36d10a01..c05d6357ae5 100644
--- a/packages/learn/src/client/frame-runner.js
+++ b/packages/learn/src/client/frame-runner.js
@@ -2,12 +2,18 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
   var testTimeout = 5000;
   var Rx = document.Rx;
   var frameReady = document.__frameReady;
-  var helpers = Rx.helpers;
-  var chai = require('chai');
+  var chai = parent.chai;
   var source = document.__source;
   var __getUserInput = document.__getUserInput || (x => x);
   var checkChallengePayload = document.__checkChallengePayload;
 
+  function isPromise(value) {
+    return (
+      value &&
+      typeof value.subscribe !== 'function' &&
+      typeof value.then === 'function'
+    );
+  }
   // Fake Deep Equal dependency
   /* eslint-disable no-unused-vars */
   const DeepEqual = (a, b) => JSON.stringify(a) === JSON.stringify(b);
@@ -105,7 +111,7 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
               // sync tests can return Any type
               __result = test(getUserInput);
 
-              if (helpers.isPromise(__result)) {
+              if (isPromise(__result)) {
                 // turn promise into an observable
                 __result = Rx.Observable.fromPromise(__result);
               }
diff --git a/packages/learn/src/templates/Challenges/utils/ajax-stream.js b/packages/learn/src/templates/Challenges/utils/ajax-stream.js
index 534d2a0b4c6..d82896ca14b 100644
--- a/packages/learn/src/templates/Challenges/utils/ajax-stream.js
+++ b/packages/learn/src/templates/Challenges/utils/ajax-stream.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  */
 
 import debugFactory from 'debug';
-import { Observable, helpers } from 'rxjs';
+import { Observable, noop } from 'rxjs';
 
 const debug = debugFactory('fcc:ajax$');
 const root = typeof window !== 'undefined' ? window : {};
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ function getXMLHttpRequest() {
           }
         } catch (e) {
           // purposely do nothing
-          helpers.noop(e);
+          noop.noop(e);
         }
       }
       return new root.ActiveXObject(progId);