diff --git a/lib/build/dependency-description.js b/lib/build/dependency-description.js
index 5315c0fb5..76258cd13 100644
--- a/lib/build/dependency-description.js
+++ b/lib/build/dependency-description.js
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ exports.DependencyDescription = class {
 
     for (let i = 0, keys = Object.keys(browser); i < keys.length; i++) {
       let key = keys[i];
+      // leave {".": "dist/index.js"} for main replacement
+      if (key === '.') continue;
       let target = browser[key];
 
       let sourceModule = filePathToModuleId(key);
diff --git a/lib/build/utils.js b/lib/build/utils.js
index 97be1588c..b697e5500 100644
--- a/lib/build/utils.js
+++ b/lib/build/utils.js
@@ -191,6 +191,9 @@ function nodejsLoadAsDirectory(resourcePath) {
     if (typeof metadata.browser === 'string')  {
       // use package.json browser field if possible.
       metaMain = metadata.browser;
+    } else if (typeof metadata.browser === 'object' && typeof metadata.browser['.'] === 'string') {
+      // use package.json browser mapping {".": "dist/index.js"} if possible.
+      metaMain = metadata.browser['.'];
     } else if (typeof metadata.module === 'string' &&
       !(metadata.name && metadata.name.startsWith('aurelia-'))) {
       // prefer es module format over cjs, just like webpack.
diff --git a/spec/lib/build/dependency-description.spec.js b/spec/lib/build/dependency-description.spec.js
index b91049ebb..c71d6e620 100644
--- a/spec/lib/build/dependency-description.spec.js
+++ b/spec/lib/build/dependency-description.spec.js
@@ -38,4 +38,16 @@ describe('The DependencyDescription', () => {
       './server/only': './shims/server-only'
     });
   });
+
+  it('gets browser replacement but leave . for main replacement', () => {
+    sut.metadata = {
+      browser: {
+        "readable-stream": "./lib/readable-stream-browser.js",
+        ".": "dist/jszip.min.js"
+      }
+    };
+    expect(sut.browserReplacement()).toEqual({
+      "readable-stream": "./lib/readable-stream-browser"
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/spec/lib/build/util.spec.js b/spec/lib/build/utils.spec.js
similarity index 85%
rename from spec/lib/build/util.spec.js
rename to spec/lib/build/utils.spec.js
index 9a437e7fe..5b3908039 100644
--- a/spec/lib/build/util.spec.js
+++ b/spec/lib/build/utils.spec.js
@@ -152,6 +152,30 @@ describe('the Utils.nodejsLoad function', () => {
     expect(Utils.nodejsLoad(path.resolve('foo', 'bar'))).toBe(path.resolve('foo', 'bar', 'lo.js'));
   });
 
+  it('load directory with package.json browser field', () => {
+    const fsConfig = {};
+    fsConfig[path.join('foo', 'bar', 'package.json')] = '{"main": "lo2.js", "browser": "lo.js"}';
+    fsConfig[path.join('foo', 'bar', 'lo.js')] = 'bar/lo.js';
+    mockfs(fsConfig);
+    expect(Utils.nodejsLoad(path.resolve('foo', 'bar'))).toBe(path.resolve('foo', 'bar', 'lo.js'));
+  });
+
+  it('load directory with package.json browser "." mapping', () => {
+    const fsConfig = {};
+    fsConfig[path.join('foo', 'bar', 'package.json')] = '{"main": "lo2.js", "browser": {".": "lo.js"}}';
+    fsConfig[path.join('foo', 'bar', 'lo.js')] = 'bar/lo.js';
+    mockfs(fsConfig);
+    expect(Utils.nodejsLoad(path.resolve('foo', 'bar'))).toBe(path.resolve('foo', 'bar', 'lo.js'));
+  });
+
+  it('load directory with package.json browser field', () => {
+    const fsConfig = {};
+    fsConfig[path.join('foo', 'bar', 'package.json')] = '{"main": "lo2.js", "module": "lo.js"}';
+    fsConfig[path.join('foo', 'bar', 'lo.js')] = 'bar/lo.js';
+    mockfs(fsConfig);
+    expect(Utils.nodejsLoad(path.resolve('foo', 'bar'))).toBe(path.resolve('foo', 'bar', 'lo.js'));
+  });
+
   it('load directory with package.json, case2', () => {
     const fsConfig = {};
     fsConfig[path.join('foo', 'bar', 'package.json')] = '{"main": "lo.js"}';