diff --git a/lib/module.js b/lib/module.js
index 308fd4e8e308..ba8862aa9d8a 100644
--- a/lib/module.js
+++ b/lib/module.js
@@ -380,6 +380,44 @@ Module.prototype._compile = function(content, filename) {
   }
   require.cache = Module._cache;
 
+  function define(id, dependencies, factory) {
+    var deps, fac, len;
+    // id is always ignored
+
+    // decode arguments
+    len = arguments.length;
+    if (len == 3) {
+      deps = dependencies;
+      fac = factory;
+    } else {
+      if (len == 1) {
+        fac = arguments[0];
+        deps = ["require", "exports", "module"];
+      } else {
+        if (Array.isArray(id)) {
+          deps = id;
+        } else {
+          deps = ["require", "exports", "module"];
+        }
+        fac = dependencies;
+      }
+    }
+    define.amd = {};
+
+    // validate argument types?
+    args = deps.map(function(dep) {
+      return {
+        "require": require,
+        "exports": self.exports,
+        "module": self
+      }[dep] || require(dep);
+    });
+
+    var exports = fac.apply(global, args);
+    if (exports)
+      self.exports = exports;
+  }
+
   var dirname = path.dirname(filename);
 
   if (Module._contextLoad) {
@@ -391,6 +429,7 @@ Module.prototype._compile = function(content, filename) {
         sandbox[k] = global[k];
       }
       sandbox.require = require;
+      sandbox.define = define;
       sandbox.exports = self.exports;
       sandbox.__filename = filename;
       sandbox.__dirname = dirname;
@@ -404,6 +443,7 @@ Module.prototype._compile = function(content, filename) {
     debug('load root module');
     // root module
     global.require = require;
+    global.define = define;
     global.exports = self.exports;
     global.__filename = filename;
     global.__dirname = dirname;
@@ -419,7 +459,7 @@ Module.prototype._compile = function(content, filename) {
   if (filename === process.argv[1] && global.v8debug) {
     global.v8debug.Debug.setBreakPoint(compiledWrapper, 0, 0);
   }
-  var args = [self.exports, require, self, filename, dirname];
+  var args = [self.exports, require, self, define, filename, dirname];
   return compiledWrapper.apply(self.exports, args);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/node.js b/src/node.js
index 1f512a5f6f17..e88f09a45078 100644
--- a/src/node.js
+++ b/src/node.js
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@
   };
 
   NativeModule.wrapper = [
-    '(function (exports, require, module, __filename, __dirname) { ',
+    '(function (exports, require, module, define, __filename, __dirname) { ',
     '\n});'
   ];
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/amd/explicit_deps.js b/test/fixtures/amd/explicit_deps.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..21b07fe0af36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/amd/explicit_deps.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+define(["fs"], function(fs) {
+  return {
+    args: arguments
+  }
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/fixtures/amd/return_exports.js b/test/fixtures/amd/return_exports.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9831119470a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/amd/return_exports.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+define(function(require, exports, module) {
+  return {
+    foo: "bar"
+  }
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/fixtures/amd/simple.js b/test/fixtures/amd/simple.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..386f7e0b610a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/amd/simple.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+define(function(require, exports, module) {
+
+  // check for module and exports argument
+  exports.id = module.id;
+  
+  // check require
+  exports.fs = require("fs");
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/simple/test-module-amd.js b/test/simple/test-module-amd.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d5dda5f4ceed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-module-amd.js
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+// "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+// without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+// distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit
+// persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
+// following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+// MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN
+// NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,
+// DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
+// USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+var common = require('../common');
+var assert = require('assert');
+var path = require('path');
+var fs = require('fs');
+
+// the canonical way
+common.debug('test load AMD with only a factory defined should default to require, exports, module');
+
+var m = require("../fixtures/amd/simple.js");
+assert.ok(m.id.match(/fixtures\/amd\/simple\.js$/));
+assert.equal(m.fs, fs);
+
+common.debug("test return value from factory should take this as exports");
+var m = require("../fixtures/amd/return_exports.js");
+assert.equal(m.foo, "bar");
+
+// the dojo way
+common.debug("test load AMD with explicit dependencies");
+var m = require("../fixtures/amd/explicit_deps.js");
+assert.equal(m.args.length, 1);
+assert.equal(m.args[0], fs);
\ No newline at end of file