diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index ac31c736..9beda147 100644
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ unreleased
   * deps: depd@~2.0.0
     - Replace internal `eval` usage with `Function` constructor
     - Use instance methods on `process` to check for listeners
+  * refactored deprecation message for `default` format to fix issue when using `esm` module
 
 1.9.1 / 2018-09-10
 ==================
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 4680eaec..10269cc3 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -161,8 +161,8 @@ morgan.format('common', ':remote-addr - :remote-user [:date[clf]] ":method :url
  * Default format.
  */
 
+// @deprecated
 morgan.format('default', ':remote-addr - :remote-user [:date] ":method :url HTTP/:http-version" :status :res[content-length] ":referrer" ":user-agent"')
-deprecate.property(morgan, 'default', 'default format: use combined format')
 
 /**
  * Short format.
@@ -445,6 +445,10 @@ function format (name, fmt) {
  */
 
 function getFormatFunction (name) {
+  if (name === 'default') {
+    deprecate('default format: use combined format')
+  }
+
   // lookup format
   var fmt = morgan[name] || name || morgan.default
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7775fe66..86aa0f1b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     "on-headers": "~1.0.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "eslint": "5.9.0",
+    "eslint": "5.10.0",
     "eslint-config-standard": "12.0.0",
     "eslint-plugin-import": "2.14.0",
     "eslint-plugin-markdown": "1.0.0-rc.0",