diff --git a/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/builder.ts b/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/builder.ts
index 73d3dfa18..c5614d16b 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/builder.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/builder.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ function parseInternal(value: string, context: any, uri?: string): ComponentModu
 function loadCustomComponent(componentPath: string, componentName?: string, attributes?: Object, context?: Object, parentPage?: Page): ComponentModule {
     var result: ComponentModule;
     componentPath = componentPath.replace("~/", "");
+    const moduleName = componentPath + "/" + componentName;
 
     var fullComponentPathFilePathWithoutExt = componentPath;
 
@@ -74,9 +75,14 @@ function loadCustomComponent(componentPath: string, componentName?: string, attr
         var jsFilePath = resolveFileName(fullComponentPathFilePathWithoutExt, "js");
 
         var subExports = context;
-        if (jsFilePath) {
-            // Custom components with XML and code
-            subExports = global.loadModule(jsFilePath)
+        if (global.moduleExists(moduleName)) {
+            // Component has registered code module.
+            subExports = global.loadModule(moduleName);
+        } else {
+            if (jsFilePath) {
+                // Component has code file.
+                subExports = global.loadModule(jsFilePath)
+            }
         }
 
         result = loadInternal(xmlFilePath, subExports);
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/component-builder.ts b/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
index b82740b2e..aca848ecf 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/ui/builder/component-builder.ts
@@ -50,18 +50,26 @@ export function getComponentModule(elementName: string, namespace: string, attri
 
     try {
         if (isString(namespace)) {
-            var pathInsideTNSModules = path.join(knownFolders.currentApp().path, "tns_modules", namespace);
-
-            if (Folder.exists(pathInsideTNSModules)) {
-                moduleId = pathInsideTNSModules;
+            if (global.moduleExists(namespace)) {
+                moduleId = namespace;
             } else {
-                // We expect module at root level in the app.
-                moduleId = path.join(knownFolders.currentApp().path, namespace);
+                var pathInsideTNSModules = path.join(knownFolders.currentApp().path, "tns_modules", namespace);
+
+                try {
+                    // module inside tns_modules
+                    instanceModule = require(pathInsideTNSModules);
+                    moduleId = pathInsideTNSModules;
+                } catch (e) {
+                    // module at root level in the app.
+                    moduleId = path.join(knownFolders.currentApp().path, namespace);
+                }
             }
         }
 
-        // Require module by module id.
-        instanceModule = global.loadModule(moduleId);
+        if (!instanceModule) {
+            // Require module by module id.
+            instanceModule = global.loadModule(moduleId);
+        }
 
         // Get the component type from module.
         var instanceType = instanceModule[elementName] || Object;