diff --git a/src/lib/index.js b/src/lib/index.js
index e0b6576d8ca..0778748e09b 100644
--- a/src/lib/index.js
+++ b/src/lib/index.js
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ lib.addRelatedStyleRule = function(uid, selector, styleString) {
 lib.deleteRelatedStyleRule = function(uid) {
     var id = 'plotly.js-style-' + uid,
         style = document.getElementById(id);
-    if(style) style.remove();
+    if(style) lib.removeElement(style);
 };
 
 lib.isIE = function() {
diff --git a/test/jasmine/assets/unpolyfill.js b/test/jasmine/assets/unpolyfill.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..821a732ce5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/jasmine/assets/unpolyfill.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+/*
+ * Un-polyfills - to be included in karma.conf.js to catch
+ * browser-dependent errors.
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+(function(arr) {
+    arr.forEach(function(item) {
+        Object.defineProperty(item, 'remove', {
+            configurable: true,
+            enumerable: true,
+            writable: true,
+            value: function remove() {
+                throw Error([
+                    'test/jasmine/assets/unpolyfill.js error: calling ChildNode.remove()',
+                    'which is not available in IE.'
+                ].join(' '));
+            }
+        });
+    });
+})([Element.prototype, CharacterData.prototype, DocumentType.prototype]);
diff --git a/test/jasmine/karma.conf.js b/test/jasmine/karma.conf.js
index 4050c8ccc5e..0d8f789b90d 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/karma.conf.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/karma.conf.js
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ var pathToStrictD3 = path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', 'tasks', 'util', 'strict_d
 var pathToJQuery = path.join(__dirname, 'assets', 'jquery-1.8.3.min.js');
 var pathToIE9mock = path.join(__dirname, 'assets', 'ie9_mock.js');
 var pathToCustomMatchers = path.join(__dirname, 'assets', 'custom_matchers.js');
+var pathToUnpolyfill = path.join(__dirname, 'assets', 'unpolyfill.js');
 
 var reporters = (isFullSuite && !argv.tags) ? ['dots', 'spec'] : ['progress'];
 if(argv.failFast) reporters.push('fail-fast');
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ func.defaultConfig = {
     // list of files / patterns to load in the browser
     //
     // N.B. the rest of this field is filled below
-    files: [pathToCustomMatchers],
+    files: [pathToCustomMatchers, pathToUnpolyfill],
 
     // list of files / pattern to exclude
     exclude: [],