diff --git a/spec/helpers/polyfills.ts b/spec/helpers/polyfills.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1d5a5e2df45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/helpers/polyfills.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+if (typeof Symbol !== 'function') {
+  let id = 0;
+  const symbolFn: any = (description: string) =>
+    `Symbol_${id++} ${description} (RxJS Testing Polyfill)`;
+
+  Symbol = symbolFn;
+}
+
+if (!(Symbol as any).observable) {
+  (Symbol as any).observable = Symbol('Symbol.observable polyfill from RxJS Testing');
+}
diff --git a/spec/support/coverage.opts b/spec/support/coverage.opts
index dd16ba80489..2c874036c19 100644
--- a/spec/support/coverage.opts
+++ b/spec/support/coverage.opts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+--require spec/helpers/polyfills.ts
 --require spec/helpers/testScheduler-ui.ts
 --ui spec/helpers/testScheduler-ui.ts
 
@@ -6,4 +7,4 @@
 --globals WebSocket,FormData,XDomainRequest,ActiveXObject
 
 --recursive
---timeout 5000
\ No newline at end of file
+--timeout 5000
diff --git a/spec/support/default.opts b/spec/support/default.opts
index 10a62777584..6445aa55ab4 100644
--- a/spec/support/default.opts
+++ b/spec/support/default.opts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+--require .out/spec/helpers/polyfills.ts
 --require .out/spec/helpers/testScheduler-ui.js
 --ui .out/spec/helpers/testScheduler-ui.js
 
diff --git a/spec/support/tests2png.opts b/spec/support/tests2png.opts
index df3515ca6cf..fc7c2293bf4 100644
--- a/spec/support/tests2png.opts
+++ b/spec/support/tests2png.opts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+--require spec-js/helpers/polyfills.ts
 --require source-map-support/register
 --require spec-js/helpers/tests2png/diagram-test-runner.js
 --require spec-js/helpers/testScheduler-ui.js
@@ -6,4 +7,4 @@
 --reporter dot
 
 --recursive
---timeout 5000
\ No newline at end of file
+--timeout 5000
diff --git a/spec/support/webpack.mocha.config.js b/spec/support/webpack.mocha.config.js
index dc4ac15129a..c9e2d6b6241 100644
--- a/spec/support/webpack.mocha.config.js
+++ b/spec/support/webpack.mocha.config.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ var path = require('path');
 var glob = require('glob');
 var webpack = require('webpack');
 
-var globPattern = 'spec-js/**/!(mocha.sauce.gruntfile|mocha.sauce.runner|webpack.mocha.config|painter|diagram-test-runner|testScheduler-ui).js';
+var globPattern = 'spec-js/**/!(mocha.sauce.gruntfile|mocha.sauce.runner|webpack.mocha.config|painter|diagram-test-runner|polyfills|testScheduler-ui).js';
 var files = _.map(glob.sync(globPattern), function (x) {
   return path.resolve('./', x);
 });
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ module.exports = {
   },
 
   entry: {
+    'browser.polyfills': './spec-js/helpers/polyfills.js',
     'browser.testscheduler': './spec-js/helpers/testScheduler-ui.js',
     'browser.spec': files
   },
@@ -31,4 +32,4 @@ module.exports = {
     new webpack.optimize.CommonsChunkPlugin('browser.common.js'),
     new webpack.IgnorePlugin(/^mocha$/)
   ]
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/spec/symbol/observable-polyfilled-spec.ts b/spec/symbol/observable-polyfilled-spec.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 79891d3b5fd..00000000000
--- a/spec/symbol/observable-polyfilled-spec.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-import { expect } from 'chai';
-
-import { getSymbolObservable } from '../../src/internal/symbol/observable';
-
-describe('observable symbol', () => {
-  it('should exist in the proper form when Symbol does not exist', () => {
-    let $$observable = getSymbolObservable({Symbol: undefined});
-    expect($$observable).to.equal('@@observable');
-  });
-});
diff --git a/spec/symbol/observable-spec.ts b/spec/symbol/observable-spec.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 62b789be1af..00000000000
--- a/spec/symbol/observable-spec.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-import { expect } from 'chai';
-import $$symbolObservable from 'symbol-observable';
-
-import { root } from '../../src/internal/util/root';
-import { getSymbolObservable } from '../../src/internal/symbol/observable';
-
-describe('observable symbol', () => {
-  it('should exist in the proper form', () => {
-    let $$observable = getSymbolObservable(root);
-    if (root.Symbol && root.Symbol.for) {
-      expect($$observable).to.equal($$symbolObservable);
-    } else {
-      expect($$observable).to.equal('@@observable');
-    }
-  });
-});
diff --git a/src/internal/symbol/observable.ts b/src/internal/symbol/observable.ts
index 4940e851236..4372959ceba 100644
--- a/src/internal/symbol/observable.ts
+++ b/src/internal/symbol/observable.ts
@@ -1,32 +1,27 @@
 import { root } from '../util/root';
 
-export function getSymbolObservable(context: { Symbol: SymbolConstructor; }): symbol {
-  let $$observable: symbol;
-  let Symbol = context.Symbol;
-
-  if (typeof Symbol === 'function') {
-    if (Symbol.observable) {
-      $$observable = Symbol.observable;
-    } else {
-      $$observable = Symbol('observable');
-      Symbol.observable = $$observable;
-    }
-  } else {
-    $$observable = <any>'@@observable';
+/** Symbol.observable addition */
+/* Note: This will add Symbol.observable globally for all TypeScript users,
+  however, we are no longer polyfilling Symbol.observable */
+declare global {
+  interface SymbolConstructor {
+    observable: symbol;
   }
-
-  return $$observable;
 }
 
-export const observable = getSymbolObservable(root);
+/* NOTE: Warning users that they don't have a Symbol.observable
+   polyfill. It's not something we'd throw on, because it's not
+   really *required*, however, they should be warned to give them a
+   clue as to why they might be seeing errors when trying to convert
+   ObservableLikes to Observables */
+if (!Symbol.observable) {
+  console.warn('RxJS: Symbol.observable does not exist');
+}
 
 /**
- * @deprecated use observable instead
+ * @deprecated use {@link observable}
  */
-export const $$observable = observable;
+export const $$observable = Symbol.observable || '@@observable';
 
-declare global {
-  interface SymbolConstructor {
-    observable: symbol;
-  }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+/** Symbol.observable or a string "@@observable". Used for interop */
+export const observable = $$observable;
diff --git a/src/internal/types.ts b/src/internal/types.ts
index e9ce758b99a..54c923b4a54 100644
--- a/src/internal/types.ts
+++ b/src/internal/types.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Observable } from './Observable';
 import { PartialObserver } from './types';
+import { observable as Symbol_observable } from './symbol/observable';
 
 /** OPERATOR INTERFACES */
 
@@ -73,4 +74,4 @@ export interface Observer<T> {
   next: (value: T) => void;
   error: (err: any) => void;
   complete: () => void;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}