diff --git a/src/compiler/emitter.ts b/src/compiler/emitter.ts
index 44e5a45b057..8928e437622 100644
--- a/src/compiler/emitter.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/emitter.ts
@@ -1515,8 +1515,14 @@ var __awaiter = (this && this.__awaiter) || function (thisArg, _arguments, Promi
                         else if (declaration.kind === SyntaxKind.ImportSpecifier) {
                             // Identifier references named import
                             write(getGeneratedNameForNode(<ImportDeclaration>declaration.parent.parent.parent));
-                            write(".");
-                            writeTextOfNode(currentSourceFile, (<ImportSpecifier>declaration).propertyName || (<ImportSpecifier>declaration).name);
+                            var name =  (<ImportSpecifier>declaration).propertyName || (<ImportSpecifier>declaration).name;
+                            var identifier = getSourceTextOfNodeFromSourceFile(currentSourceFile, name);
+                            if (languageVersion == ScriptTarget.ES3 && identifier === "default") {
+                                write(`["default"]`);
+                            } else {
+                                write(".");
+                                write(identifier);
+                            }
                             return;
                         }
                     }