diff --git a/src/standard/configure.html b/src/standard/configure.html
index 97587ebfe0..0f910ebb75 100644
--- a/src/standard/configure.html
+++ b/src/standard/configure.html
@@ -101,7 +101,12 @@
         this._configureProperties(this.behaviors[i].properties, config);
       }
       // prototypical behavior
-      this._configureProperties(this.properties, config);
+      // Read `properties` off of the prototype, as an concession to non-spec
+      // compliant browsers where a.) HTMLElement's have a non-spec `properties`
+      // property, and b.) the `properties` accessor is on instances rather
+      // than `HTMLElement.prototype`; going under the instance to the prototype
+      // avoids the problem.
+      this._configureProperties(this.__proto__.properties, config);
       // TODO(sorvell): it *may* be faster to loop over _propertyInfo but
       // there are some test issues.
       //this._configureProperties(this._propertyInfo, config);