diff --git a/src/js/_enqueues/wp/util.js b/src/js/_enqueues/wp/util.js
index f6425f2178bcb..37a18655e2e1f 100644
--- a/src/js/_enqueues/wp/util.js
+++ b/src/js/_enqueues/wp/util.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 /** @namespace wp */
 window.wp = window.wp || {};
 
-(function ($) {
+(function ($, _) {
 	// Check for the utility settings.
 	var settings = typeof _wpUtilSettings === 'undefined' ? {} : _wpUtilSettings;
 
@@ -154,4 +154,4 @@ window.wp = window.wp || {};
 		}
 	};
 
-}(jQuery));
+}(jQuery, _));
diff --git a/tests/qunit/index.html b/tests/qunit/index.html
index d0e81acedb502..bc2c2c43964a3 100644
--- a/tests/qunit/index.html
+++ b/tests/qunit/index.html
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@
 		<script src="wp-includes/js/jquery.js"></script>
 		<script src="wp-includes/js/wp-api.js"></script>
 		<script src="wp-includes/js/wp-sanitize.js"></script>
+		<script src="wp-includes/js/wp-util.js"></script>
 		<script src="wp-admin/js/customize-controls.js"></script>
 		<script src="wp-admin/js/customize-controls-utils.js"></script>
 		<script src="wp-admin/js/customize-nav-menus.js"></script>
diff --git a/tests/qunit/wp-includes/js/wp-util.js b/tests/qunit/wp-includes/js/wp-util.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..70a04447a87f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/qunit/wp-includes/js/wp-util.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/* global wp */
+
+QUnit.module( 'wp.template' );
+
+QUnit.test( 'uses the Underscore instance available at initialization', function( assert ) {
+	var originalUnderscore = window._;
+
+	document.getElementById( 'qunit-fixture' ).innerHTML =
+		'<script type="text/html" id="tmpl-wp-util-test">Hello {{ data.name }}</script>';
+
+	window._ = {
+		template: function() {
+			return 'not a function';
+		}
+	};
+
+	try {
+		assert.strictEqual(
+			wp.template( 'wp-util-test' )( { name: 'World' } ),
+			'Hello World'
+		);
+	} finally {
+		window._ = originalUnderscore;
+	}
+} );