diff --git a/framework/xmlhttprequest.sky b/framework/xmlhttprequest.sky
index 7018d084f20..75a7a4795a5 100644
--- a/framework/xmlhttprequest.sky
+++ b/framework/xmlhttprequest.sky
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ class Private {
     this.request = null;
     this.loader = null;
     this.headers = new Map();
+    this.responseText = "";
   }
 }
 
 class XMLHttpRequest {
   constructor() {
     this[kPrivate] = new Private;
-    this.responseText = null;
   }
 
   onload() {
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ class XMLHttpRequest {
   onerror(error) {
   }
 
+  get responseText() {
+    return this[kPrivate].responseText;
+  }
+
   open(method, url) {
     var request = new loader.URLRequest();
     request.url = new URL(url, document.URL);
@@ -64,7 +68,7 @@ class XMLHttpRequest {
     priv.loader.start(priv.request).then(function(result) {
       return core.drainData(result.response.body).then(function(result) {
         outstandingRequests.delete(self);
-        self.responseText = unicode.decodeUtf8String(new Uint8Array(result.buffer));
+        priv.responseText = unicode.decodeUtf8String(new Uint8Array(result.buffer));
         self.onload();
       });
     }).catch(function(error) {