diff --git a/dev/user.clj b/dev/user.clj
index 583ad0f..10dfd25 100644
--- a/dev/user.clj
+++ b/dev/user.clj
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 (ns user
   (:require
+   ;; this unfortunately precludes testing against nrepl/nrepl
+   ;; better to have this code as a script to include during development?
    [clojure.tools.nrepl]
-   [cider.piggieback :as pback]
    [cljs.repl :as repl]
    [cljs.repl.nashorn :as nash]
    [cljs.repl.node :as node]))
 
+(require '[cider.piggieback :as pback])
+
 (defn cljs []
   (pback/cljs-repl (nash/repl-env :verbose true :repl-verbose true)))
 
diff --git a/test/cider/piggieback_test.clj b/test/cider/piggieback_test.clj
index 74c2724..b656d34 100644
--- a/test/cider/piggieback_test.clj
+++ b/test/cider/piggieback_test.clj
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 (ns cider.piggieback-test
-  (:require [cider.piggieback :as pb]
-            [nrepl.core :as nrepl]
-            [nrepl.server :as server])
   (:use clojure.test))
 
+(if (find-ns 'clojure.tools.nrepl)
+  (require
+   '[clojure.tools.nrepl :as nrepl]
+   '[clojure.tools.nrepl.server :as server])
+  (require
+   '[nrepl.core :as nrepl]
+   '[nrepl.server :as server]))
+
+(require '[cider.piggieback :as pb])
+
 (def ^:dynamic *server-port* nil)
 (def ^:dynamic *session*)