diff --git a/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/index.d.ts b/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/index.d.ts
index 132445bbde745..7ee96050a1248 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/index.d.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ export const distDir: string;
  */
 export const distFilename: string;
 
+/**
+ * Filename of the unthemed css file in the distributable directory
+ */
+export const baseCssDistFilename: string;
+
 /**
  * Filename of the dark-theme css file in the distributable directory
  */
diff --git a/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/index.js b/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/index.js
index c7c004bd55794..d1bb93ddecd0a 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/index.js
+++ b/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/index.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ const Path = require('path');
 
 exports.distDir = Path.resolve(__dirname, 'target');
 exports.distFilename = 'kbn-ui-shared-deps.js';
+exports.baseCssDistFilename = 'kbn-ui-shared-deps.css';
 exports.lightCssDistFilename = 'kbn-ui-shared-deps.light.css';
 exports.darkCssDistFilename = 'kbn-ui-shared-deps.dark.css';
 exports.externals = {
diff --git a/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/scripts/build.js b/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/scripts/build.js
index 8b7c22dac24ff..e45b3dbed1748 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/scripts/build.js
+++ b/packages/kbn-ui-shared-deps/scripts/build.js
@@ -64,8 +64,11 @@ run(
       });
 
       compiler.hooks.watchRun.tap('report on start', () => {
-        process.stdout.cursorTo(0, 0);
-        process.stdout.clearScreenDown();
+        if (process.stdout.isTTY) {
+          process.stdout.cursorTo(0, 0);
+          process.stdout.clearScreenDown();
+        }
+
         log.info('Running webpack compilation...');
       });
 
diff --git a/src/legacy/ui/ui_render/ui_render_mixin.js b/src/legacy/ui/ui_render/ui_render_mixin.js
index 21c10bb20962f..0a1b95c23450b 100644
--- a/src/legacy/ui/ui_render/ui_render_mixin.js
+++ b/src/legacy/ui/ui_render/ui_render_mixin.js
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ export function uiRenderMixin(kbnServer, server, config) {
         );
         const styleSheetPaths = [
           ...dllStyleChunks,
+          `${basePath}/bundles/kbn-ui-shared-deps/${UiSharedDeps.baseCssDistFilename}`,
           ...(darkMode
             ? [
                 `${basePath}/bundles/kbn-ui-shared-deps/${UiSharedDeps.darkCssDistFilename}`,
diff --git a/tasks/config/karma.js b/tasks/config/karma.js
index 9992dafed41c5..24e97aa081e51 100644
--- a/tasks/config/karma.js
+++ b/tasks/config/karma.js
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
         ? `http://localhost:5610/bundles/tests.bundle.js`
         : `http://localhost:5610/bundles/tests.bundle.js?shards=${TOTAL_CI_SHARDS}&shard_num=${shardNum}`,
 
+      `http://localhost:5610/bundles/kbn-ui-shared-deps/${UiSharedDeps.baseCssDistFilename}`,
       // this causes tilemap tests to fail, probably because the eui styles haven't been
       // included in the karma harness a long some time, if ever
       // `http://localhost:5610/bundles/kbn-ui-shared-deps/${UiSharedDeps.lightCssDistFilename}`,