diff --git a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/options.dart b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/options.dart
index 1fa1a0f3547..d4fb08610b3 100644
--- a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/options.dart
+++ b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/options.dart
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import 'package:logging/logging.dart' show Level;
 import 'package:path/path.dart' as path;
 import 'package:yaml/yaml.dart';
 
+const String _V8_BINARY_DEFAULT = 'node';
 const bool _CLOSURE_DEFAULT = false;
 
 /// Options used to set up Source URI resolution in the analysis context.
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ class RunnerOptions {
   /// executable.
   final String v8Binary;
 
-  const RunnerOptions({this.v8Binary: 'iojs'});
+  const RunnerOptions({this.v8Binary: _V8_BINARY_DEFAULT});
 }
 
 /// General options used by the dev compiler and server.
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ CompilerOptions parseOptions(List<String> argv, {bool forceOutDir: false}) {
   var htmlReport = args['html-report'];
 
   var v8Binary = args['v8-binary'];
-  if (v8Binary == null) v8Binary = 'iojs';
+  if (v8Binary == null) v8Binary = _V8_BINARY_DEFAULT;
 
   var customUrlMappings = <String, String>{};
   for (var mapping in args['url-mapping']) {
@@ -321,12 +322,20 @@ final ArgParser argParser = new ArgParser()
       help: 'Output compilation results to html', defaultsTo: false)
   ..addOption('v8-binary',
       help: 'V8-based binary to run JavaScript output with (iojs, node, d8)',
-      defaultsTo: 'iojs')
+      defaultsTo: _V8_BINARY_DEFAULT)
   ..addOption('dump-info-file',
       help: 'Dump info json file (requires dump-info)', defaultsTo: null);
 
 // TODO: Switch over to the `pub_cache` package (or the Resource API)?
 
+const _ENTRY_POINTS = const [
+  'dartdevc.dart',
+  'dev_compiler.dart',
+  'devrun.dart'
+];
+
+final _ENTRY_POINT_SNAPSHOTS = _ENTRY_POINTS.map((f) => "$f.snapshot");
+
 /// Tries to find the `lib/runtime/` directory of the dev_compiler package. This
 /// works when running devc from it's sources or from a snapshot that is
 /// activated via `pub global activate`.
@@ -346,16 +355,13 @@ String _computeRuntimeDir() {
   if (!new File(lockfile).existsSync()) return null;
 
   // If running from sources we found it!
-  if (file == 'dartdevc.dart' ||
-      file == 'dev_compiler.dart' ||
-      file == 'devrun.dart') {
+  if (_ENTRY_POINTS.contains(file)) {
     return path.join(dir, 'lib', 'runtime');
   }
 
   // If running from a pub global snapshot, we need to read the lock file to
   // find where the actual sources are located in the pub cache.
-  if (file == 'dartdevc.dart.snapshot' ||
-      file == 'dev_compiler.dart.snapshot') {
+  if (_ENTRY_POINT_SNAPSHOTS.contains(file)) {
     // Note: this depends on implementation details of pub.
     var yaml = loadYaml(new File(lockfile).readAsStringSync());
     var info = yaml['packages']['dev_compiler'];
diff --git a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/runner/v8_runner.dart b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/runner/v8_runner.dart
index 079606fa57a..704d4b33ada 100644
--- a/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/runner/v8_runner.dart
+++ b/pkg/dev_compiler/lib/src/runner/v8_runner.dart
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ import 'runtime_utils.dart' show getRuntimeFileAlias;
 _parseV8Version(String version) =>
     new Version.parse(version.split('.').getRange(0, 3).join('.'));
 
-/// io.js still has issues, like lexical this in arrow functions.
-final _MIN_SUPPORTED_V8_VERSION = _parseV8Version("4.4.63");
+final _MIN_SUPPORTED_V8_VERSION = _parseV8Version("4.5.103.30");
 
 /// TODO(ochafik): Move to dart_library.js
 const _GLOBALS = r'''
@@ -52,15 +51,8 @@ abstract class V8Runner {
 
   Future<Process> start(List<File> files, String startStatement) =>
       Process.start(
-          _v8Binary,
-          [
-            "--harmony_arrow_functions",
-            "--harmony_classes",
-            "--harmony_computed_property_names",
-            "--harmony_generators",
-            "--harmony_object_literals",
-            "--harmony_rest_parameters",
-            "--harmony_spreadcalls",
+          _v8Binary, [
+            "--harmony",
             "-e",
             _GLOBALS + _getLoadStatements(files).join() + startStatement
           ],