diff --git a/packages/livedata/client_convenience.js b/packages/livedata/client_convenience.js
index 3eb4ef8ddc..b049d630c4 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/client_convenience.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/client_convenience.js
@@ -1,22 +1,28 @@
-// By default, try to connect back to the same endpoint as the page
-// was served from.
-var ddpUrl = '/';
-if (typeof __meteor_runtime_config__ !== "undefined") {
-  if (__meteor_runtime_config__.DDP_DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL)
-    ddpUrl = __meteor_runtime_config__.DDP_DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL;
-}
-
 _.extend(Meteor, {
-  default_connection: Meteor.connect(ddpUrl, true /* restart_on_update */),
-
+  default_connection: null,
   refresh: function (notification) {
   }
 });
 
-// Proxy the public methods of Meteor.default_connection so they can
-// be called directly on Meteor.
-_.each(['subscribe', 'methods', 'call', 'apply', 'status', 'reconnect'],
-       function (name) {
-         Meteor[name] = _.bind(Meteor.default_connection[name],
-                               Meteor.default_connection);
-       });
+if (Meteor.isClient) {
+  // By default, try to connect back to the same endpoint as the page
+  // was served from.
+  var ddpUrl = '/';
+  if (typeof __meteor_runtime_config__ !== "undefined") {
+    if (__meteor_runtime_config__.DDP_DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL)
+      ddpUrl = __meteor_runtime_config__.DDP_DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL;
+  }
+  Meteor.default_connection =
+    Meteor.connect(ddpUrl, true /* restart_on_update */);
+
+  // Proxy the public methods of Meteor.default_connection so they can
+  // be called directly on Meteor.
+  _.each(['subscribe', 'methods', 'call', 'apply', 'status', 'reconnect'],
+         function (name) {
+           Meteor[name] = _.bind(Meteor.default_connection[name],
+                                 Meteor.default_connection);
+         });
+} else {
+  /* Never set up a default connection on the server. Don't even map
+     subscribe/call/etc onto Meteor. */
+}