diff --git a/tns-core-modules/application/application-common.ts b/tns-core-modules/application/application-common.ts
index 0ca6c76a1..c6bda6fe4 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/application/application-common.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/application/application-common.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // Require globals first so that snapshot takes __extends function.
-require("../globals");
-
+import "../globals";
 import { Observable, EventData } from "../data/observable";
 import { View } from "../ui/core/view";
 import {
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/globals/polyfills/polyfill-helpers/polyfill-helpers.ts b/tns-core-modules/globals/polyfills/polyfill-helpers/polyfill-helpers.ts
index 371f5bfea..e5ecd55a7 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/globals/polyfills/polyfill-helpers/polyfill-helpers.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/globals/polyfills/polyfill-helpers/polyfill-helpers.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ function registerOnGlobalContext(moduleName: string, exportName: string): void {
 }
 
 export function installPolyfills(moduleName: string, exportNames: string[]) {
-    if ((<any>global).__snapshot || (<any>global).__snapshotEnabled) {
+    if (global.__snapshot) {
         const loadedModule = global.loadModule(moduleName);
         exportNames.forEach(exportName => global[exportName] = loadedModule[exportName]);
     } else {
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/module.d.ts b/tns-core-modules/module.d.ts
index 748487b6b..90d58cbf1 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/module.d.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/module.d.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ declare namespace NodeJS {
         __onUncaughtError: (error: NativeScriptError) => void;
         __onDiscardedError: (error: NativeScriptError) => void;
         TNS_WEBPACK?: boolean;
+        __snapshot?: boolean;
         __requireOverride?: (name: string, dir: string) => any;
     }
 }
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/ui/frame/activity.android.ts b/tns-core-modules/ui/frame/activity.android.ts
index 28fdca7b5..8bfadbc56 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/ui/frame/activity.android.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/ui/frame/activity.android.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { setActivityCallbacks, AndroidActivityCallbacks } from "./frame";
 import * as globals from "../../globals";
 import * as appModule from "../../application";
 
-if ((<any>global).__snapshot || (<any>global).__snapshotEnabled) {
+if (global.__snapshot) {
     globals.install();
 }
 
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/xml/xml.js b/tns-core-modules/xml/xml.js
index 22f24476f..06bbf33dc 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/xml/xml.js
+++ b/tns-core-modules/xml/xml.js
@@ -106,14 +106,14 @@ function _HandleAmpEntities(found, decimalValue, hexValue, wordValue) {
         }
         var res = _ampCodes.get(wordValue);
         if (res) {
-            return String.fromCharCode(res);
+            return String.fromCodePoint(res);
         }
         return found;
     }
     if (decimalValue) {
-        return String.fromCharCode(parseInt(decimalValue, 10));
+        return String.fromCodePoint(parseInt(decimalValue, 10));
     }
-    return String.fromCharCode(parseInt(hexValue, 16));
+    return String.fromCodePoint(parseInt(hexValue, 16));
 }
 var XmlParser = (function () {
     function XmlParser(onEvent, onError, processNamespaces) {
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/xml/xml.ts b/tns-core-modules/xml/xml.ts
index cc11f454f..ef4d93e9e 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/xml/xml.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/xml/xml.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ function _generateAmpMap(): any {
 }
 
 // android-specific implementation, which pre-populates the map to get it saved into the heap blob
-if ((<any>global).__snapshot) {
+if (global.__snapshot) {
     _ampCodes = _generateAmpMap();
 }