diff --git a/packages/core/package.json b/packages/core/package.json
index 7ade0dd090a54..0d4da049f1e14 100644
--- a/packages/core/package.json
+++ b/packages/core/package.json
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     "file-icons-js": "^1.0.3",
     "font-awesome": "^4.7.0",
     "fuzzy": "^0.1.3",
-    "inversify": "^4.2.0",
+    "inversify": "^4.14.0",
     "lodash.debounce": "^4.0.8",
     "lodash.throttle": "^4.1.1",
     "perfect-scrollbar": "^1.3.0",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/common/contribution-provider.ts b/packages/core/src/common/contribution-provider.ts
index 4099666e6e332..23e7e9922d4cb 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/common/contribution-provider.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/common/contribution-provider.ts
@@ -59,7 +59,10 @@ class ContainerBasedContributionProvider<T extends object> implements Contributi
 export type Bindable = interfaces.Bind | interfaces.Container;
 export namespace Bindable {
     export function isContainer(arg: Bindable): arg is interfaces.Container {
-        return 'guid' in arg;
+        return typeof arg !== 'function'
+            // https://github.com/theia-ide/theia/issues/3204#issue-371029654
+            // In InversifyJS `4.14.0` containers no longer have a property `guid`.
+            && ('guid' in arg || 'parent' in arg);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 671f05501386d..75aa28cc3d483 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -4977,9 +4977,10 @@ invariant@^2.2.2:
   dependencies:
     loose-envify "^1.0.0"
 
-inversify@^4.2.0:
-  version "4.13.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/inversify/-/inversify-4.13.0.tgz#0ab40570bfa4474b04d5b919bbab3a4f682a72f5"
+inversify@^4.14.0:
+  version "4.14.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/inversify/-/inversify-4.14.0.tgz#393c1f86ee92aef0592eb0e493623b9d88dfb376"
+  integrity sha512-DQLg2u2tWaiHo6V5lGr47a/M9YBX3g72c8Y58+JPH0Lx9fXugEsnXRc08mwsTvDg6gGWBKSkIgtBS/eJCQmDVg==
 
 invert-kv@^1.0.0:
   version "1.0.0"