diff --git a/js/tex.jsx b/js/tex.jsx
index d11605f..d4c375b 100644
--- a/js/tex.jsx
+++ b/js/tex.jsx
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 /**
  * For math rendered using KaTex and/or MathJax. Use me like <TeX>2x + 3</TeX>.
  */
-/* global MathJax, Khan */
-// TODO(joel) - require MathJax / katex so they don't have to be global
+/* global MathJax */
 
 const PureRenderMixin = require("react-addons-pure-render-mixin");
 const React = require("react");
@@ -39,10 +38,24 @@ const unProcess = script => {
 const loadMathJax = callback => {
     if (typeof MathJax !== "undefined") {
         callback();
-    } else if (typeof Khan !== "undefined" && Khan.mathJaxLoaded) {
-        Khan.mathJaxLoaded.then(callback);
     } else {
-        throw new Error("MathJax wasn't loaded before it was needed by <TeX/>");
+        /**
+         * We can either...
+         *
+         * A) Reach up and out of `third_party` folder into our core webapp
+         * code to include this `load-mathjax` file that, well, loads MathJax
+         * or...
+         *
+         * B) Move this file into the KateX package next to `load-mathjax` and
+         * then update everything that calls for this file to point at that
+         * path instead.
+         *
+         * There is no easy or obvious solution.  I am choosing A.
+         *
+         * - Jesse
+         */
+        const loadMathJax = require("../../../../javascript/katex-package/load-mathjax.js");
+        loadMathJax.then(callback);
     }
 };
 
@@ -98,15 +111,6 @@ const TeX = createReactClass({
 
     mixins: [PureRenderMixin],
 
-    // TODO(joshuan): Once we are using React 16.3+,
-    // migrate to getDerivedStateFromProps
-    getInitialState: function() {
-        return {
-            mounted: false,
-            katexHtml: this.getKatexHtml(this.props),
-        };
-    },
-
     getDefaultProps: function() {
         return {
             katexOptions: {
@@ -124,6 +128,15 @@ const TeX = createReactClass({
         };
     },
 
+    // TODO(joshuan): Once we are using React 16.3+,
+    // migrate to getDerivedStateFromProps
+    getInitialState: function() {
+        return {
+            mounted: false,
+            katexHtml: this.getKatexHtml(this.props),
+        };
+    },
+
     componentDidMount: function() {
         this._root = ReactDOM.findDOMNode(this);
 
@@ -160,27 +173,6 @@ const TeX = createReactClass({
         }
     },
 
-    getKatexHtml(props) {
-        // Try to render the math content with KaTeX.
-        // If this fails, componentDidUpdate() will notice and
-        // use MathJAX instead.
-        try {
-            return {
-                __html: katex.renderToString(
-                    props.children,
-                    props.katexOptions,
-                ),
-            };
-        } catch (e) {
-            /* jshint -W103 */
-            if (e.__proto__ !== katex.ParseError.prototype) {
-                /* jshint +W103 */
-                throw e;
-            }
-            return null;
-        }
-    },
-
     componentDidUpdate: function(prevProps, prevState) {
         if (this.props.children !== prevProps.children) {
             this.maybeUnprocess();
@@ -237,6 +229,40 @@ const TeX = createReactClass({
         }
     },
 
+    getKatexHtml(props) {
+        // Try to render the math content with KaTeX.
+        // If this fails, componentDidUpdate() will notice and
+        // use MathJAX instead.
+        try {
+            return {
+                __html: katex.renderToString(
+                    props.children,
+                    props.katexOptions,
+                ),
+            };
+        } catch (e) {
+            // By catching the exception here and returning null
+            // we will fall back to asyncronously rendering with
+            // MathJAX.
+            //
+            // NOTE: formerly we only returned null if the error
+            // was a parse error from Katex and re-threw any other errors.
+            // But https://khanacademy.atlassian.net/browse/CP-879 and
+            // https://khanacademy.atlassian.net/browse/CP-1742 were caused
+            // by regular TypeError exceptions in Katex, so we might as
+            // well fall back to MathJAX in that case as well. (The Katex
+            // bug is fixed in the latest version and will stop happening
+            // when we upgrade webapp to use Katex 1.0.)
+            //
+            // TODO: We could use Raven.captureMessage() to send a message
+            // to Sentry when these errors occur if we want to get serious
+            // about eliminating them. Such a message should include
+            // window.location, props.children (the string of katex source)
+            // and the error itself.
+            return null;
+        }
+    },
+
     process: function(callback) {
         this.hasProcessed = false;
         process(this.script, () => {