diff --git a/js/ui/appDisplay.js b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
index 1dd182b17..8981bbc96 100644
--- a/js/ui/appDisplay.js
+++ b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ function clamp(value, min, max) {
 
 class BaseAppView {
     constructor(params, gridParams) {
-        if (new.target === BaseAppView)
-            throw new TypeError('Cannot instantiate abstract class ' + new.target.name);
+        if (this.constructor === BaseAppView)
+            throw new TypeError(`Cannot instantiate abstract class ${this.constructor.name}`);
 
         gridParams = Params.parse(gridParams, { xAlign: St.Align.MIDDLE,
                                                 columnLimit: MAX_COLUMNS,
diff --git a/js/ui/popupMenu.js b/js/ui/popupMenu.js
index d61d18792..6bbdd3eec 100644
--- a/js/ui/popupMenu.js
+++ b/js/ui/popupMenu.js
@@ -397,8 +397,8 @@ var PopupImageMenuItem = class extends PopupBaseMenuItem {
 
 var PopupMenuBase = class {
     constructor(sourceActor, styleClass) {
-        if (new.target === PopupMenuBase)
-            throw new TypeError('Cannot instantiate abstract class ' + new.target.name);
+        if (this.constructor === PopupMenuBase)
+            throw new TypeError(`Cannot instantiate abstract class ${this.constructor.name}`);
 
         this.sourceActor = sourceActor;
         this._parent = null;
diff --git a/js/ui/status/keyboard.js b/js/ui/status/keyboard.js
index d711a5453..274147fe4 100644
--- a/js/ui/status/keyboard.js
+++ b/js/ui/status/keyboard.js
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ class InputSourceSwitcher extends SwitcherPopup.SwitcherList {
 
 var InputSourceSettings = class {
     constructor() {
-        if (new.target === InputSourceSettings)
-            throw new TypeError('Cannot instantiate abstract class ' + new.target.name);
+        if (this.constructor === InputSourceSettings)
+            throw new TypeError(`Cannot instantiate abstract class ${this.constructor.name}`);
     }
 
     _emitInputSourcesChanged() {
diff --git a/js/ui/status/network.js b/js/ui/status/network.js
index e6551f217..9354183d3 100644
--- a/js/ui/status/network.js
+++ b/js/ui/status/network.js
@@ -167,10 +167,10 @@ var NMConnectionItem = class {
 };
 Signals.addSignalMethods(NMConnectionItem.prototype);
 
-var NMConnectionSection = class {
+var NMConnectionSection = class NMConnectionSection {
     constructor(client) {
-        if (new.target === NMConnectionSection)
-            throw new TypeError('Cannot instantiate abstract type ' + new.target.name);
+        if (this.constructor === NMConnectionSection)
+            throw new TypeError(`Cannot instantiate abstract type ${this.constructor.name}`);
 
         this._client = client;
 
@@ -297,12 +297,13 @@ var NMConnectionSection = class {
 };
 Signals.addSignalMethods(NMConnectionSection.prototype);
 
-var NMConnectionDevice = class extends NMConnectionSection {
+var NMConnectionDevice = class NMConnectionDevice extends NMConnectionSection {
     constructor(client, device) {
-        if (new.target === NMConnectionDevice)
-            throw new TypeError('Cannot instantiate abstract type ' + new.target.name);
-
         super(client);
+
+        if (this.constructor === NMConnectionDevice)
+            throw new TypeError(`Cannot instantiate abstract type ${this.constructor.name}`);
+
         this._device = device;
         this._description = '';
 
diff --git a/js/ui/workspace.js b/js/ui/workspace.js
index 9c5886144..cf52684c0 100644
--- a/js/ui/workspace.js
+++ b/js/ui/workspace.js
@@ -786,8 +786,8 @@ var WindowPositionFlags = {
 
 var LayoutStrategy = class {
     constructor(monitor, rowSpacing, columnSpacing) {
-        if (new.target === LayoutStrategy)
-            throw new TypeError('Cannot instantiate abstract type ' + new.target.name);
+        if (this.constructor === LayoutStrategy)
+            throw new TypeError(`Cannot instantiate abstract type ${this.constructor.name}`);
 
         this._monitor = monitor;
         this._rowSpacing = rowSpacing;