diff --git a/src/setup_node_env/babel_register/register.js b/src/setup_node_env/babel_register/register.js
index e0f013a28ccbed..2dd5850cfa9fbf 100644
--- a/src/setup_node_env/babel_register/register.js
+++ b/src/setup_node_env/babel_register/register.js
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ if (global.__BUILT_WITH_BABEL__) {
   // building their server code at require-time since version 4.2
   // TODO: the plugin install process could transpile plugin server code...
   ignore.push(resolve(__dirname, '../../../src'));
+} else {
+  ignore.push(
+    // ignore any path in the packages, unless it is in the package's
+    // root `src` directory, in any test or __tests__ directory, or it
+    // ends with .test.js, .test.ts, or .test.tsx
+    /\/packages\/(eslint-|kbn-)[^\/]+\/(?!src\/.*|(.+\/)?(test|__tests__)\/.+|.+\.test\.(js|ts|tsx)$)(.+$)/
+  );
 }
 
 // modifies all future calls to require() to automatically