diff --git a/src/init.js b/src/init.js
index 82ebf0cde3..7a4cf37414 100644
--- a/src/init.js
+++ b/src/init.js
@@ -30,5 +30,5 @@
 // NOTE: We're not modifying the global `self` here. We receive its value passed
 // to the paper.js function scope, and this is the one that is modified here.
 self = self || require('./node/self.js');
-var window = self.window,
-    document = self.document;
+var window = self.CANVAS_NOT_FOUND ? null : self.window;
+var document = self.document;
diff --git a/src/node/canvas.js b/src/node/canvas.js
index ee325d7d03..5764569c5c 100644
--- a/src/node/canvas.js
+++ b/src/node/canvas.js
@@ -20,12 +20,11 @@ module.exports = function(self, requireName) {
     try {
         Canvas = require('canvas').Canvas;
     } catch(error) {
-        // Remove `self.window`, so we still have the global `self` reference,
-        // but no `window` object:
+        // Add/set CANVAS_NOT_FOUND=true:
         // - On the browser, this corresponds to a worker context.
         // - On Node.js, it basically means the canvas is missing or not working
         //   which can be treated the same way.
-        delete self.window;
+        self.CANVAS_NOT_FOUND = true;
         // Check the required module's name to see if it contains canvas, and
         // only complain about its lack if the module requires it.
         if (/\bcanvas\b/.test(requireName)) {