diff --git a/lib/module.js b/lib/module.js
index 11ef3c50d7..6ff17e9af3 100644
--- a/lib/module.js
+++ b/lib/module.js
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@
 
 // Module
 
+
+// Set the environ variable NODE_MODULE_CONTEXT=1 to make node load all
+// modules in thier own context.
+var contextLoad = false;
+if (parseInt(process.env["NODE_MODULE_CONTEXTS"]) > 0) contextLoad = true;
+var Script;
+
 var internalModuleCache = {};
 var extensionCache = {};
 
@@ -44,7 +51,9 @@ function loadNative (id) {
   m.loaded = true;
   return m;
 }
+
 exports.requireNative = requireNative;
+
 function requireNative (id) {
   if (internalModuleCache[id]) return internalModuleCache[id].exports;
   if (!natives[id]) throw new Error('No such native module ' + id);
@@ -374,18 +383,49 @@ Module.prototype._compile = function (content, filename) {
   require.main = process.mainModule;
   require.registerExtension = registerExtension;
 
+  var dirname = path.dirname(filename);
+
+  if (contextLoad) {
+    if (!Script) Script = Script = process.binding('evals').Script;
+
+    if (self.id !== ".") {
+      debug('load submodule');
+      // not root module
+      var sandbox = {};
+      for (var k in global) {
+        sandbox[k] = global[k];
+      }
+      sandbox.require     = require;
+      sandbox.exports     = self.exports;
+      sandbox.__filename  = filename;
+      sandbox.__dirname   = dirname;
+      sandbox.module      = self;
+
+      Script.runInNewContext(content, sandbox, filename);
 
-  if ('string' === typeof content) {
-    // create wrapper function
-    var wrapper = "(function (exports, require, module, __filename, __dirname) { "
-                + content
-                + "\n});";
+    } else {
+      debug('load root module');
+      // root module
+      global.require    = require;
+      global.exports    = self.exports;
+      global.__filename = filename;
+      global.__dirname  = dirname;
+      global.module     = self;
+      Script.runInThisContext(content, filename);
+    }
 
-    var compiledWrapper = process.compile(wrapper, filename);
-    var dirName = path.dirname(filename);
-    compiledWrapper.apply(self.exports, [self.exports, require, self, filename, dirName]);
   } else {
-    self.exports = content;
+    if ('string' === typeof content) {
+      // create wrapper function
+      var wrapper = "(function (exports, require, module, __filename, __dirname) { "
+                  + content
+                  + "\n});";
+
+      var compiledWrapper = process.compile(wrapper, filename);
+      compiledWrapper.apply(self.exports, [self.exports, require, self, filename, dirname]);
+    } else {
+      self.exports = content;
+    }
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index cd62b90224..6915c181a3 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -1721,6 +1721,8 @@ static void PrintHelp() {
          "                     prefixed to the module search path,\n"
          "                     require.paths.\n"
          "NODE_DEBUG           Print additional debugging output.\n"
+         "NODE_MODULE_CONTEXTS Set to 1 to load modules in their own\n"
+         "                     global contexts.\n"
          "\n"
          "Documentation can be found at http://nodejs.org/api.html"
          " or with 'man node'\n");
diff --git a/test/common.js b/test/common.js
index 0f8c1be52e..9593afdce3 100644
--- a/test/common.js
+++ b/test/common.js
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ exports.fixturesDir = path.join(exports.testDir, "fixtures");
 exports.libDir = path.join(exports.testDir, "../lib");
 exports.PORT = 12346;
 
+exports.assert = require('assert');
+
 var sys = require("sys");
 for (var i in sys) exports[i] = sys[i];
-exports.assert = require('assert');
+for (var i in exports) global[i] = exports[i];
diff --git a/test/pummel/test-timers.js b/test/pummel/test-timers.js
index 0aa470ca40..aa4e9892e4 100644
--- a/test/pummel/test-timers.js
+++ b/test/pummel/test-timers.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 require("../common");
 
+assert = require('assert');
+
 var WINDOW = 200; // why is does this need to be so big?
 
 var interval_count = 0;