diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index c6d1d0f75..2d398e056 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -17,13 +17,18 @@ var async = require('../deps/async'),
 
 
 /**
- * Detect if coffee-script, iced-coffeescript, or streamline are available and 
+ * Detect if coffeescript, coffee-script, iced-coffeescript, or streamline are available and
  * the respective file extensions to the search filter in modulePaths if it is.
  */
 
 var extensions = [ 'js' ];  // js is always supported: add it unconditionally
 var extensionPattern;
 
+try {
+    require('coffee' + 'script/register');
+    extensions.push('coffee');
+} catch (e) { }
+
 try {
     require('coffee' + '-script/register');
     extensions.push('coffee');