diff --git a/packages/fiber/src/core/index.tsx b/packages/fiber/src/core/index.tsx
index 32e18c5669..ed2f76f2f5 100644
--- a/packages/fiber/src/core/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/fiber/src/core/index.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import {
   useIsomorphicLayoutEffect,
   Camera,
   updateCamera,
-  ColorManagement,
+  getColorManagement,
 } from './utils'
 import { useStore } from './hooks'
 import type { Properties } from '../three-types'
@@ -286,6 +286,7 @@ function createRoot<TCanvas extends Canvas>(canvas: TCanvas): ReconcilerRoot<TCa
 
       // Safely set color management if available.
       // Avoid accessing THREE.ColorManagement to play nice with older versions
+      const ColorManagement = getColorManagement()
       if (ColorManagement) {
         if ('enabled' in ColorManagement) ColorManagement.enabled = !legacy
         else if ('legacyMode' in ColorManagement) ColorManagement.legacyMode = legacy
diff --git a/packages/fiber/src/core/renderer.ts b/packages/fiber/src/core/renderer.ts
index d12a15e1e9..8557f77277 100644
--- a/packages/fiber/src/core/renderer.ts
+++ b/packages/fiber/src/core/renderer.ts
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ interface Catalogue {
   }
 }
 
-let catalogue: Catalogue = {}
-let extend = (objects: object): void => void (catalogue = { ...catalogue, ...objects })
+export const catalogue: Catalogue = {}
+const extend = (objects: object): void => void Object.assign(catalogue, objects)
 
 function createRenderer<TCanvas>(_roots: Map<TCanvas, Root>, _getEventPriority?: () => any) {
   function createInstance(
diff --git a/packages/fiber/src/core/utils.ts b/packages/fiber/src/core/utils.ts
index d2c1b3faaf..01ca430dc3 100644
--- a/packages/fiber/src/core/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/fiber/src/core/utils.ts
@@ -2,21 +2,15 @@ import * as THREE from 'three'
 import * as React from 'react'
 import { UseBoundStore } from 'zustand'
 import { EventHandlers } from './events'
-import { AttachType, Instance, InstanceProps, LocalState } from './renderer'
+import { AttachType, catalogue, Instance, InstanceProps, LocalState } from './renderer'
 import { Dpr, RootState, Size } from './store'
 
-/**
- * Safely accesses a deeply-nested value on an object to get around static bundler analysis.
- */
-const getDeep = (obj: any, ...keys: string[]): any => keys.reduce((acc, key) => acc?.[key], obj)
-
 export type ColorManagementRepresentation = { enabled: boolean | never } | { legacyMode: boolean | never }
 
 /**
  * The current THREE.ColorManagement instance, if present.
  */
-export const ColorManagement: ColorManagementRepresentation | null =
-  ('ColorManagement' in THREE && getDeep(THREE, 'ColorManagement')) || null
+export const getColorManagement = (): ColorManagementRepresentation | null => (catalogue as any).ColorManagement ?? null
 
 export type Camera = THREE.OrthographicCamera | THREE.PerspectiveCamera
 export const isOrthographicCamera = (def: Camera): def is THREE.OrthographicCamera =>
@@ -356,7 +350,7 @@ export function applyProps(instance: Instance, data: InstanceProps | DiffSet) {
         // For versions of three which don't support THREE.ColorManagement,
         // Auto-convert sRGB colors
         // https://github.com/pmndrs/react-three-fiber/issues/344
-        if (!ColorManagement && !rootState.linear && isColor) targetProp.convertSRGBToLinear()
+        if (!getColorManagement() && !rootState.linear && isColor) targetProp.convertSRGBToLinear()
       }
       // Else, just overwrite the value
     } else {
diff --git a/packages/fiber/tests/core/renderer.test.tsx b/packages/fiber/tests/core/renderer.test.tsx
index 6c53ee9312..c9c54fe730 100644
--- a/packages/fiber/tests/core/renderer.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/fiber/tests/core/renderer.test.tsx
@@ -734,6 +734,14 @@ describe('renderer', () => {
   })
 
   it('should respect legacy prop', async () => {
+    // <= r138 internal fallback
+    const material = React.createRef<THREE.MeshBasicMaterial>()
+    extend({ ColorManagement: null })
+    await act(async () => root.render(<meshBasicMaterial ref={material} color="#111111" />))
+    expect((THREE as any).ColorManagement.legacyMode).toBe(false)
+    expect(material.current!.color.toArray()).toStrictEqual(new THREE.Color('#111111').convertSRGBToLinear().toArray())
+    extend({ ColorManagement: (THREE as any).ColorManagement })
+
     // r139 legacyMode
     await act(async () => {
       root.configure({ legacy: true }).render(<group />)