diff --git a/packages/container/lib/registry.js b/packages/container/lib/registry.js
index fd9237d347b..1e510961c29 100644
--- a/packages/container/lib/registry.js
+++ b/packages/container/lib/registry.js
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@ import { assert, deprecate } from 'ember-debug';
 import { EMBER_MODULE_UNIFICATION } from 'ember/features';
 import Container from './container';
 import { DEBUG } from 'ember-env-flags';
+import { ENV } from 'ember-environment';
 
 const VALID_FULL_NAME_REGEXP = /^[^:]+:[^:]+$/;
+let missingResolverFunctionsDeprecation = 'Passing a `resolver` function into a Registry is deprecated. Please pass in a Resolver object with a `resolve` method.';
 
 /**
  A registry used to store factory and option information keyed
@@ -24,7 +26,14 @@ export default class Registry {
     this.fallback = options.fallback || null;
     this.resolver = options.resolver || null;
 
-    if (typeof this.resolver === 'function') {
+    if (ENV._ENABLE_RESOLVER_FUNCTION_SUPPORT !== true) {
+      assert(
+        missingResolverFunctionsDeprecation,
+        typeof this.resolver !== 'function'
+      );
+    }
+
+    if (typeof this.resolver === 'function' && ENV._ENABLE_RESOLVER_FUNCTION_SUPPORT === true) {
       deprecateResolverFunction(this);
     }
 
@@ -604,7 +613,7 @@ export default class Registry {
 
 function deprecateResolverFunction(registry) {
   deprecate(
-    'Passing a `resolver` function into a Registry is deprecated. Please pass in a Resolver object with a `resolve` method.',
+    missingResolverFunctionsDeprecation,
     false,
     { id: 'ember-application.registry-resolver-as-function', until: '3.0.0', url: 'https://emberjs.com/deprecations/v2.x#toc_registry-resolver-as-function' }
   );
diff --git a/packages/container/tests/registry_test.js b/packages/container/tests/registry_test.js
index 2b579f8a57c..29e6eaf9276 100644
--- a/packages/container/tests/registry_test.js
+++ b/packages/container/tests/registry_test.js
@@ -1,8 +1,20 @@
 import { Registry, privatize } from '..';
 import { factory } from 'internal-test-helpers';
 import { EMBER_MODULE_UNIFICATION } from 'ember/features';
+import { ENV } from 'ember-environment';
 
-QUnit.module('Registry');
+let originalResolverFunctionSupport;
+
+QUnit.module('Registry', {
+  setup() {
+    originalResolverFunctionSupport = ENV._ENABLE_RESOLVER_FUNCTION_SUPPORT;
+    ENV._ENABLE_RESOLVER_FUNCTION_SUPPORT = true;
+  },
+
+  teardown() {
+    ENV._ENABLE_RESOLVER_FUNCTION_SUPPORT = originalResolverFunctionSupport;
+  }
+});
 
 QUnit.test('A registered factory is returned from resolve', function() {
   let registry = new Registry();
@@ -473,8 +485,10 @@ QUnit.test('`knownForType` is called on the resolver if present', function() {
   });
 });
 
-QUnit.test('A registry can be created with a deprecated `resolver` function instead of an object', function() {
-  expect(2);
+QUnit.test('A registry created with `resolver` function instead of an object throws deprecation', (assert) => {
+  assert.expect(2);
+
+  ENV._ENABLE_RESOLVER_FUNCTION_SUPPORT = true;
 
   let registry;
 
@@ -486,7 +500,23 @@ QUnit.test('A registry can be created with a deprecated `resolver` function inst
     });
   }, 'Passing a `resolver` function into a Registry is deprecated. Please pass in a Resolver object with a `resolve` method.');
 
-  equal(registry.resolve('foo:bar'), 'foo:bar-resolved', '`resolve` still calls the deprecated function');
+  assert.equal(registry.resolve('foo:bar'), 'foo:bar-resolved', '`resolve` still calls the deprecated function');
+});
+
+QUnit.test('A registry created with `resolver` function instead of an object throws assertion', (assert) => {
+  assert.expect(1);
+
+  ENV._ENABLE_RESOLVER_FUNCTION_SUPPORT = false;
+
+  let registry;
+
+  expectAssertion(() => {
+    registry = new Registry({
+      resolver(fullName) {
+        return `${fullName}-resolved`;
+      }
+    });
+  }, /Passing a \`resolver\` function into a Registry is deprecated\. Please pass in a Resolver object with a \`resolve\` method\./);
 });
 
 QUnit.test('resolver.expandLocalLookup is not required', function(assert) {