diff --git a/packages/-ember-data/index.js b/packages/-ember-data/index.js
index 62381a84cda..61aba26a9b8 100644
--- a/packages/-ember-data/index.js
+++ b/packages/-ember-data/index.js
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ module.exports = Object.assign({}, addonBaseConfig, {
     ];
   },
   treeForAddon(tree) {
+    // if we don't do this we won't have a super when we call addonBaseConfig
+    this._super = this._super;
     tree = merge([tree, version()]);
     return addonBaseConfig.treeForAddon.call(this, tree);
   },
diff --git a/packages/private-build-infra/src/addon-build-config-for-data-package.js b/packages/private-build-infra/src/addon-build-config-for-data-package.js
index 7724404fcda..1f4a6c66985 100644
--- a/packages/private-build-infra/src/addon-build-config-for-data-package.js
+++ b/packages/private-build-infra/src/addon-build-config-for-data-package.js
@@ -128,7 +128,10 @@ function addonBuildConfigForDataPackage(PackageName) {
     },
 
     treeForAddon(tree) {
-      if (process.env.EMBER_DATA_ROLLUP_PRIVATE !== 'false' && this.shouldRollupPrivate !== true) {
+      if (process.env.EMBER_DATA_ROLLUP_PRIVATE === 'false' || this.shouldRollupPrivate !== true) {
+        if (!this._super) {
+          throw new Error(`WAT`);
+        }
         return this._super.treeForAddon.call(this, tree);
       }