diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e93d4be7..4e275e5c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 See also: [compojure-api 1.1.x changelog](./CHANGELOG-1.1.x.md)
 
+## Next
+* Lazily load spec and schema coercion support to preserve Clojure 1.8 support for 1.1.x
+
 ## 2.0.0-alpha34-SNAPSHOT
 * **BREAKING CHANGE**: `:formatter :muuntaja` sometimes required for `api{-middleware}` options
   * to prepare for 1.x compatibility, :muuntaja must be explicitly configured
diff --git a/src/compojure/api/coercion.clj b/src/compojure/api/coercion.clj
index a83a7082..0dd26b04 100644
--- a/src/compojure/api/coercion.clj
+++ b/src/compojure/api/coercion.clj
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
             [compojure.api.exception :as ex]
             [compojure.api.request :as request]
             [compojure.api.coercion.core :as cc]
-            [compojure.api.coercion.schema]
-            [compojure.api.coercion.spec])
+            ;; side effects
+            compojure.api.coercion.register-schema
+            compojure.api.coercion.register-spec)
   (:import (compojure.api.coercion.core CoercionError)))
 
 (def default-coercion :schema)
diff --git a/src/compojure/api/coercion/register_schema.clj b/src/compojure/api/coercion/register_schema.clj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e1e8f993
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compojure/api/coercion/register_schema.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+(ns compojure.api.coercion.register-schema
+  (:require [compojure.api.coercion.core :as cc]))
+
+(defmethod cc/named-coercion :schema [_] 
+  (deref
+    (or (resolve 'compojure.api.coercion.schema/default-coercion)
+        (do (require 'compojure.api.coercion.schema)
+            (resolve 'compojure.api.coercion.schema/default-coercion)))))
diff --git a/src/compojure/api/coercion/register_spec.clj b/src/compojure/api/coercion/register_spec.clj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..143320fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compojure/api/coercion/register_spec.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+(ns compojure.api.coercion.register-spec
+  (:require [compojure.api.coercion.core :as cc]))
+
+(defmethod cc/named-coercion :spec [_]
+  (deref
+    (or (resolve 'compojure.api.coercion.spec/default-coercion)
+        (do (require 'compojure.api.coercion.spec)
+            (resolve 'compojure.api.coercion.spec/default-coercion)))))
diff --git a/src/compojure/api/coercion/schema.clj b/src/compojure/api/coercion/schema.clj
index b308d0c2..b310fc18 100644
--- a/src/compojure/api/coercion/schema.clj
+++ b/src/compojure/api/coercion/schema.clj
@@ -84,5 +84,3 @@
   (->SchemaCoercion :schema options))
 
 (def default-coercion (create-coercion default-options))
-
-(defmethod cc/named-coercion :schema [_] default-coercion)
diff --git a/src/compojure/api/coercion/spec.clj b/src/compojure/api/coercion/spec.clj
index 9b20481a..ea8cf4b6 100644
--- a/src/compojure/api/coercion/spec.clj
+++ b/src/compojure/api/coercion/spec.clj
@@ -149,5 +149,3 @@
   (->SpecCoercion :spec options))
 
 (def default-coercion (create-coercion default-options))
-
-(defmethod cc/named-coercion :spec [_] default-coercion)