diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__mocks__/require/exports.js b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__mocks__/require/exports.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..18940aa15ea3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__mocks__/require/exports.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+exports.foo = () => {}
+exports.bar = () => {}
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__mocks__/require/unusual-exports.js b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__mocks__/require/unusual-exports.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..aa7a6390900d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__mocks__/require/unusual-exports.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Object.defineProperty(exports, `foo`, {
+  enumerable: true,
+  get: function get() {
+    return () => {}
+  },
+})
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__tests__/resolve-module-exports.js b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__tests__/resolve-module-exports.js
index 9eefec17552ac..4f0cf11755f12 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__tests__/resolve-module-exports.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__tests__/resolve-module-exports.js
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ describe(`Resolve module exports`, () => {
   })
 
   it(`Show meaningful error message for invalid JavaScript`, () => {
-    resolveModuleExports(`/bad/file`, resolver)
+    resolveModuleExports(`/bad/file`, { resolver })
     expect(
       reporter.panic.mock.calls.map(c =>
         // Remove console colors + trim whitespace
@@ -145,57 +145,75 @@ describe(`Resolve module exports`, () => {
   })
 
   it(`Resolves an export`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/simple/export`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/simple/export`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`foo`])
   })
 
   it(`Resolves multiple exports`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/multiple/export`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/multiple/export`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`bar`, `baz`, `foo`])
   })
 
   it(`Resolves an export from an ES6 file`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/import/with/export`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/import/with/export`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`baz`])
   })
 
   it(`Resolves an exported const`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/const`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/const`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`fooConst`])
   })
 
   it(`Resolves module.exports`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/module/exports`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/module/exports`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`barExports`])
   })
 
   it(`Resolves exports from a larger file`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/realistic/export`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/realistic/export`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`replaceHistory`, `replaceComponentRenderer`])
   })
 
   it(`Ignores exports.__esModule`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/esmodule/export`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/esmodule/export`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`foo`])
   })
 
   it(`Resolves a named export`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/named`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/named`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`foo`])
   })
 
   it(`Resolves a named export from`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/named/from`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/named/from`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`Component`])
   })
 
   it(`Resolves a named export as`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/named/as`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/named/as`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`bar`])
   })
 
   it(`Resolves multiple named exports`, () => {
-    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/named/multiple`, resolver)
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`/export/named/multiple`, { resolver })
     expect(result).toEqual([`foo`, `bar`, `baz`])
   })
+
+  it(`Resolves exports when using require mode - simple case`, () => {
+    jest.mock(`require/exports`)
+
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`require/exports`, {
+      mode: `require`,
+    })
+    expect(result).toEqual([`foo`, `bar`])
+  })
+
+  it(`Resolves exports when using require mode - unusual case`, () => {
+    jest.mock(`require/unusual-exports`)
+
+    const result = resolveModuleExports(`require/unusual-exports`, {
+      mode: `require`,
+    })
+    expect(result).toEqual([`foo`])
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/load-plugins/validate.js b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/load-plugins/validate.js
index cbfeecaafa675..140631673a64e 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/load-plugins/validate.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/load-plugins/validate.js
@@ -120,7 +120,10 @@ const collatePluginAPIs = ({ apis, flattenedPlugins }) => {
     // the plugin node itself *and* in an API to plugins map for faster lookups
     // later.
     const pluginNodeExports = resolveModuleExports(
-      `${plugin.resolve}/gatsby-node`
+      `${plugin.resolve}/gatsby-node`,
+      {
+        mode: `require`,
+      }
     )
     const pluginBrowserExports = resolveModuleExports(
       `${plugin.resolve}/gatsby-browser`
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/resolve-module-exports.js b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/resolve-module-exports.js
index 6f61e9ade732c..368329ac77817 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/resolve-module-exports.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/resolve-module-exports.js
@@ -6,16 +6,7 @@ const { codeFrameColumns } = require(`@babel/code-frame`)
 const { babelParseToAst } = require(`../utils/babel-parse-to-ast`)
 const report = require(`gatsby-cli/lib/reporter`)
 
-/**
- * Given a `require.resolve()` compatible path pointing to a JS module,
- * return an array listing the names of the module's exports.
- *
- * Returns [] for invalid paths and modules without exports.
- *
- * @param {string} modulePath
- * @param {function} resolver
- */
-module.exports = (modulePath, resolver = require.resolve) => {
+const staticallyAnalyzeExports = (modulePath, resolver = require.resolve) => {
   let absPath
   const exportNames = []
 
@@ -118,3 +109,25 @@ https://gatsby.dev/no-mixed-modules
   }
   return exportNames
 }
+
+/**
+ * Given a `require.resolve()` compatible path pointing to a JS module,
+ * return an array listing the names of the module's exports.
+ *
+ * Returns [] for invalid paths and modules without exports.
+ *
+ * @param {string} modulePath
+ * @param {string} mode
+ * @param {function} resolver
+ */
+module.exports = (modulePath, { mode = `analysis`, resolver } = {}) => {
+  if (mode === `require`) {
+    try {
+      return Object.keys(require(modulePath))
+    } catch {
+      return []
+    }
+  } else {
+    return staticallyAnalyzeExports(modulePath, resolver)
+  }
+}