diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-external-helpers/src/index.js b/packages/babel-plugin-external-helpers/src/index.js
index 98ec935adc..ef08966b2c 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-external-helpers/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-external-helpers/src/index.js
@@ -1,12 +1,24 @@
 import { declare } from "@babel/helper-plugin-utils";
 import { types as t } from "@babel/core";
 
-export default declare(api => {
+export default declare((api, options) => {
   api.assertVersion(7);
 
+  const { helperVersion = "7.0.0-beta.0" } = options;
+
   return {
     pre(file) {
       file.set("helperGenerator", name => {
+        // If the helper didn't exist yet at the version given, we bail
+        // out and let Babel either insert it directly, or throw an error
+        // so that plugins can handle that case properly.
+        if (
+          file.availableHelper &&
+          !file.availableHelper(name, helperVersion)
+        ) {
+          return;
+        }
+
         return t.memberExpression(
           t.identifier("babelHelpers"),
           t.identifier(name),
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-transform-runtime/src/index.js b/packages/babel-plugin-transform-runtime/src/index.js
index dfb5d41306..876fea7641 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-transform-runtime/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-transform-runtime/src/index.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export default declare((api, options) => {
     regenerator,
     useBuiltIns,
     useESModules,
+    version: runtimeVersion = "7.0.0-beta.0",
   } = options;
   const regeneratorEnabled = regenerator !== false;
   const notPolyfillOrDoesUseBuiltIns = polyfill === false || useBuiltIns;
@@ -31,6 +32,16 @@ export default declare((api, options) => {
     pre(file) {
       if (helpers !== false) {
         file.set("helperGenerator", name => {
+          // If the helper didn't exist yet at the version given, we bail
+          // out and let Babel either insert it directly, or throw an error
+          // so that plugins can handle that case properly.
+          if (
+            file.availableHelper &&
+            !file.availableHelper(name, runtimeVersion)
+          ) {
+            return;
+          }
+
           const isInteropHelper = HEADER_HELPERS.indexOf(name) !== -1;
 
           // Explicitly set the CommonJS interop helpers to their reserve