diff --git a/packages/config/package.json b/packages/config/package.json
index eafaeb87e5..6126b20a18 100644
--- a/packages/config/package.json
+++ b/packages/config/package.json
@@ -12,11 +12,9 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@nuxt/utils": "2.14.12",
     "consola": "^2.15.0",
-    "create-require": "^1.1.1",
     "defu": "^3.2.2",
     "destr": "^1.0.1",
     "dotenv": "^8.2.0",
-    "jiti": "^0.1.18",
     "lodash": "^4.17.20",
     "rc9": "^1.2.0",
     "std-env": "^2.2.1",
diff --git a/packages/config/src/load.js b/packages/config/src/load.js
index ac094b4b5a..b780b024d9 100644
--- a/packages/config/src/load.js
+++ b/packages/config/src/load.js
@@ -3,15 +3,12 @@ import fs from 'fs'
 import defu from 'defu'
 import consola from 'consola'
 import dotenv from 'dotenv'
-import { clearRequireCache, scanRequireTree } from '@nuxt/utils'
-import jiti from 'jiti'
-import _createRequire from 'create-require'
+import { clearRequireCache, createRequire, scanRequireTree } from '@nuxt/utils'
 import destr from 'destr'
 import * as rc from 'rc9'
 import { defaultNuxtConfigFile } from './config'
 
-const isJest = typeof jest !== 'undefined'
-const _require = isJest ? _createRequire(__filename) : jiti(__filename)
+const _require = createRequire(__filename)
 
 export async function loadNuxtConfig ({
   rootDir = '.',
diff --git a/packages/config/src/options.js b/packages/config/src/options.js
index 7b2f42bb79..58a0981f80 100644
--- a/packages/config/src/options.js
+++ b/packages/config/src/options.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { defaultsDeep, pick, uniq } from 'lodash'
 import defu from 'defu'
 import consola from 'consola'
 import destr from 'destr'
-import { TARGETS, MODES, guardDir, isNonEmptyString, isPureObject, isUrl, getMainModule, getPKG } from '@nuxt/utils'
+import { TARGETS, MODES, createRequire, guardDir, isNonEmptyString, isPureObject, isUrl, getMainModule, getPKG } from '@nuxt/utils'
 import { joinURL, normalizeURL, withTrailingSlash } from 'ufo'
 import { defaultNuxtConfigFile, getDefaultNuxtConfig } from './config'
 
@@ -479,12 +479,9 @@ export function getNuxtConfig (_options) {
 
   options.createRequire = process.env.NUXT_CREATE_REQUIRE || options.createRequire || defaultCreateRequire
 
-  if (options.createRequire === 'native') {
-    const createRequire = require('create-require')
-    options.createRequire = p => createRequire(typeof p === 'string' ? p : p.filename)
-  } else if (options.createRequire === 'jiti') {
-    const jiti = require('jiti')
-    options.createRequire = p => jiti(typeof p === 'string' ? p : p.filename)
+  if (options.createRequire === 'native' || options.createRequire === 'jiti') {
+    const useJiti = options.createRequire === 'jiti'
+    options.createRequire = p => createRequire(typeof p === 'string' ? p : p.filename, useJiti)
   } else if (typeof options.createRequire !== 'function') {
     throw new TypeError(
       `Unsupported createRequire value ${options.createRequire}! Possible values: "native", "jiti", <Function>`
diff --git a/packages/core/package.json b/packages/core/package.json
index 7a245a631a..51f2976307 100644
--- a/packages/core/package.json
+++ b/packages/core/package.json
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
     "@nuxt/server": "2.14.12",
     "@nuxt/utils": "2.14.12",
     "consola": "^2.15.0",
-    "create-require": "^1.1.1",
     "fs-extra": "^9.0.1",
     "hable": "^3.0.0",
     "hash-sum": "^2.0.0",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/resolver.js b/packages/core/src/resolver.js
index c34fc2cb25..50adf7dd7d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/resolver.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/resolver.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import { resolve, join } from 'path'
 import fs from 'fs-extra'
 import consola from 'consola'
-import createRequire from 'create-require'
 
 import {
+  createRequire,
   startsWithRootAlias,
   startsWithSrcAlias,
   isExternalDependency,
diff --git a/packages/core/test/resolver.test.js b/packages/core/test/resolver.test.js
index 032e4b436c..c16b49954a 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/resolver.test.js
+++ b/packages/core/test/resolver.test.js
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ import { startsWithRootAlias, startsWithSrcAlias } from '@nuxt/utils'
 import Resolver from '../src/resolver'
 
 jest.mock('fs-extra')
-jest.mock('@nuxt/utils')
+jest.mock('@nuxt/utils', () => ({
+  ...jest.requireActual('@nuxt/utils'),
+  startsWithRootAlias: jest.fn(),
+  startsWithSrcAlias: jest.fn()
+}))
 
 jest.spyOn(path, 'join')
 jest.spyOn(path, 'resolve')
diff --git a/packages/utils/package.json b/packages/utils/package.json
index 2c33bb7290..ea87bfc82f 100644
--- a/packages/utils/package.json
+++ b/packages/utils/package.json
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
     "create-require": "^1.1.1",
     "fs-extra": "^9.0.1",
     "hash-sum": "^2.0.0",
+    "jiti": "^0.1.18",
     "lodash": "^4.17.20",
     "proper-lockfile": "^4.1.1",
     "semver": "^7.3.4",
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/cjs.js b/packages/utils/src/cjs.js
index cc6f32a103..de79bf15ac 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/cjs.js
+++ b/packages/utils/src/cjs.js
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 import { join } from 'path'
-import createRequire from 'create-require'
+import _createRequire from 'create-require'
+import jiti from 'jiti'
+
+export const createRequire = (
+  filename,
+  useJiti = global.__NUXT_DEV__ && typeof jest === 'undefined'
+) => {
+  if (useJiti) {
+    return jiti(filename)
+  }
+
+  return _createRequire(filename)
+}
 
 const _require = createRequire()