diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 77aef5c497d..71b26a8c22b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ NODE_G_EXE = node_g$(EXEEXT)
 
 # Flags for packaging.
 BUILD_DOWNLOAD_FLAGS ?= --download=all
-BUILD_INTL_FLAGS ?= --with-intl=small-icu
+BUILD_INTL_FLAGS ?= --with-intl=none
 BUILD_RELEASE_FLAGS ?= $(BUILD_DOWNLOAD_FLAGS) $(BUILD_INTL_FLAGS)
 
 # Default to verbose builds.
diff --git a/common.gypi b/common.gypi
index 5b8b2c09d6b..a2fb04d56d6 100644
--- a/common.gypi
+++ b/common.gypi
@@ -214,8 +214,6 @@
           # ... or that C implementations shouldn't use
           # POSIX names
           '_CRT_NONSTDC_NO_DEPRECATE',
-          # Make sure the STL doesn't try to use exceptions
-          '_HAS_EXCEPTIONS=0',
           'BUILDING_V8_SHARED=1',
           'BUILDING_UV_SHARED=1',
         ],