diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 2205c530bda..5bdcaeac716 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ module.exports = {
 
     let ember;
     let targets = (this.project && this.project.targets && this.project.targets.browsers) || [];
+    let targetNode = (this.project && this.project.targets && this.project.targets.node) || false;
 
     if (targets.includes('ie 11')) {
       this.ui.writeWarnLine(
@@ -282,7 +283,9 @@ module.exports = {
     if (
       !isProduction &&
       PRE_BUILT_TARGETS.every((target) => targets.includes(target)) &&
-      targets.length === PRE_BUILT_TARGETS.length
+      targets.length === PRE_BUILT_TARGETS.length &&
+      // if node is defined in targets we can't reliably use the prebuilt bundles
+      !targetNode
     ) {
       ember = new Funnel(tree, {
         destDir: 'ember',