diff --git a/common/api/atom_extensions.cc b/common/api/atom_extensions.cc
index e3f191bf20ee..ff6caa940de6 100644
--- a/common/api/atom_extensions.cc
+++ b/common/api/atom_extensions.cc
@@ -32,17 +32,18 @@ namespace atom {
 #include "common/api/atom_extensions.h"  // NOLINT
 
 node::node_module_struct* GetBuiltinModule(const char *name, bool is_browser) {
-  char buf[128];
+  char common[128];
+  char spec[128];
   node::node_module_struct *cur = NULL;
-  if (is_browser)
-    snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "atom_browser_%s", name);
-  else
-    snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "atom_renderer_%s", name);
+  snprintf(common, sizeof(common), "atom_common_%s", name);
+  snprintf(spec, sizeof(spec),
+           (is_browser ? "atom_browser_%s": "atom_renderer_%s"),
+           name);
   /* TODO: you could look these up in a hash, but there are only
    * a few, and once loaded they are cached. */
   for (int i = 0; node_module_list[i] != NULL; i++) {
     cur = node_module_list[i];
-    if (strcmp(cur->modname, buf) == 0) {
+    if (strcmp(cur->modname, common) == 0 || strcmp(cur->modname, spec) == 0) {
       return cur;
     }
   }
diff --git a/common/api/atom_extensions.h b/common/api/atom_extensions.h
index 2a985e5946d9..5a801a6606af 100644
--- a/common/api/atom_extensions.h
+++ b/common/api/atom_extensions.h
@@ -8,9 +8,15 @@
 
 NODE_EXT_LIST_START
 
+// Module names start with `atom_browser_` can only be used by browser process.
 NODE_EXT_LIST_ITEM(atom_browser_ipc)
 NODE_EXT_LIST_ITEM(atom_browser_window)
 
+// Module names start with `atom_renderer_` can only be used by renderer
+// process.
 NODE_EXT_LIST_ITEM(atom_renderer_ipc)
 
+// Module names start with `atom_common_` can be used by both browser and
+// renderer processes.
+
 NODE_EXT_LIST_END