diff --git a/build.js b/build.js
index 1ef5555bd..f10bad5be 100755
--- a/build.js
+++ b/build.js
@@ -1082,6 +1082,9 @@
     source = source.replace(/(?:\n +\/\*[^*]*\*+(?:[^\/][^*]*\*+)*\/)?\n *var hasObjectSpliceBug;|.+?hasObjectSpliceBug *=.+/g, '');
   }
 
+  // remove pseudo private properties
+  source = source.replace(/(?:(?:\s*\/\/.*)*\s*lodash\._[^=]+=.+\n)+/g, '\n');
+
   // assign debug source before further modifications that rely on the minifier
   // to remove unused variables and other dead code
   debugSource = source;
@@ -1136,9 +1139,6 @@
     source = source.replace(/ *\(function\(\) *{[\s\S]+?}\(1\)\);/, '');
   }
 
-  // remove pseudo private properties
-  source = source.replace(/(?:(?:\s*\/\/.*)*\s*lodash\._[^=]+=.+\n)+/g, '\n');
-
   // consolidate consecutive horizontal rule comment separators
   source = source.replace(/(?:\s*\/\*-+\*\/\s*){2,}/g, function(separators) {
     return separators.match(/^\s*/)[0] + separators.slice(separators.lastIndexOf('/*'));