diff --git a/src/isomorphic/classic/element/ReactElement.js b/src/isomorphic/classic/element/ReactElement.js
index bad91e5030c5..655b9aa881fc 100644
--- a/src/isomorphic/classic/element/ReactElement.js
+++ b/src/isomorphic/classic/element/ReactElement.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 var ReactCurrentOwner = require('ReactCurrentOwner');
 
 var assign = require('Object.assign');
+var canDefineProperty = require('canDefineProperty');
 
 // The Symbol used to tag the ReactElement type. If there is no native Symbol
 // nor polyfill, then a plain number is used for performance.
@@ -28,16 +29,6 @@ var RESERVED_PROPS = {
   __source: true,
 };
 
-var canDefineProperty = false;
-if (__DEV__) {
-  try {
-    Object.defineProperty({}, 'x', {});
-    canDefineProperty = true;
-  } catch (x) {
-    // IE will fail on defineProperty
-  }
-}
-
 /**
  * Base constructor for all React elements. This is only used to make this
  * work with a dynamic instanceof check. Nothing should live on this prototype.
diff --git a/src/isomorphic/classic/element/ReactElementValidator.js b/src/isomorphic/classic/element/ReactElementValidator.js
index a4ae328fa65d..cd91f30ba205 100644
--- a/src/isomorphic/classic/element/ReactElementValidator.js
+++ b/src/isomorphic/classic/element/ReactElementValidator.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ var ReactPropTypeLocations = require('ReactPropTypeLocations');
 var ReactPropTypeLocationNames = require('ReactPropTypeLocationNames');
 var ReactCurrentOwner = require('ReactCurrentOwner');
 
+var canDefineProperty = require('canDefineProperty');
 var getIteratorFn = require('getIteratorFn');
 var invariant = require('invariant');
 var warning = require('warning');
@@ -298,7 +299,7 @@ var ReactElementValidator = {
     validatedFactory.type = type;
 
     if (__DEV__) {
-      try {
+      if (canDefineProperty) {
         Object.defineProperty(
           validatedFactory,
           'type',
@@ -317,8 +318,6 @@ var ReactElementValidator = {
             },
           }
         );
-      } catch (x) {
-        // IE will fail on defineProperty (es5-shim/sham too)
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/isomorphic/modern/class/ReactComponent.js b/src/isomorphic/modern/class/ReactComponent.js
index f99cb0385c38..512df611373b 100644
--- a/src/isomorphic/modern/class/ReactComponent.js
+++ b/src/isomorphic/modern/class/ReactComponent.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 var ReactNoopUpdateQueue = require('ReactNoopUpdateQueue');
 
+var canDefineProperty = require('canDefineProperty');
 var emptyObject = require('emptyObject');
 var invariant = require('invariant');
 var warning = require('warning');
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ if (__DEV__) {
     ],
   };
   var defineDeprecationWarning = function(methodName, info) {
-    try {
+    if (canDefineProperty) {
       Object.defineProperty(ReactComponent.prototype, methodName, {
         get: function() {
           warning(
@@ -141,8 +142,6 @@ if (__DEV__) {
           return undefined;
         },
       });
-    } catch (x) {
-      // IE will fail on defineProperty (es5-shim/sham too)
     }
   };
   for (var fnName in deprecatedAPIs) {
diff --git a/src/renderers/dom/client/eventPlugins/ChangeEventPlugin.js b/src/renderers/dom/client/eventPlugins/ChangeEventPlugin.js
index e33a4ccba11e..8e35aca0b672 100644
--- a/src/renderers/dom/client/eventPlugins/ChangeEventPlugin.js
+++ b/src/renderers/dom/client/eventPlugins/ChangeEventPlugin.js
@@ -180,6 +180,8 @@ function startWatchingForValueChange(target, targetID) {
     'value'
   );
 
+  // Not guarded in a canDefineProperty check: IE8 supports defineProperty only
+  // on DOM elements
   Object.defineProperty(activeElement, 'value', newValueProp);
   activeElement.attachEvent('onpropertychange', handlePropertyChange);
 }
diff --git a/src/renderers/dom/shared/ReactDOMComponent.js b/src/renderers/dom/shared/ReactDOMComponent.js
index 827f06d945c9..42239e087761 100644
--- a/src/renderers/dom/shared/ReactDOMComponent.js
+++ b/src/renderers/dom/shared/ReactDOMComponent.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ var ReactPerf = require('ReactPerf');
 var ReactUpdateQueue = require('ReactUpdateQueue');
 
 var assign = require('Object.assign');
+var canDefineProperty = require('canDefineProperty');
 var escapeTextContentForBrowser = require('escapeTextContentForBrowser');
 var invariant = require('invariant');
 var isEventSupported = require('isEventSupported');
@@ -54,13 +55,6 @@ var STYLE = keyOf({style: null});
 
 var ELEMENT_NODE_TYPE = 1;
 
-var canDefineProperty = false;
-try {
-  Object.defineProperty({}, 'test', {get: function() {}});
-  canDefineProperty = true;
-} catch (e) {
-}
-
 function getDeclarationErrorAddendum(internalInstance) {
   if (internalInstance) {
     var owner = internalInstance._currentElement._owner || null;
diff --git a/src/shared/utils/canDefineProperty.js b/src/shared/utils/canDefineProperty.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b1e7e80a2796
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shared/utils/canDefineProperty.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright 2013-2015, Facebook, Inc.
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree. An additional grant
+ * of patent rights can be found in the PATENTS file in the same directory.
+ *
+ * @providesModule canDefineProperty
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+var canDefineProperty = false;
+if (__DEV__) {
+  try {
+    Object.defineProperty({}, 'x', {});
+    canDefineProperty = true;
+  } catch (x) {
+    // IE will fail on defineProperty
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = canDefineProperty;