diff --git a/packages/editor/src/components/media-placeholder/index.js b/packages/editor/src/components/media-placeholder/index.js
index 48d906254c563c..4334aa3b5a2d2f 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/components/media-placeholder/index.js
+++ b/packages/editor/src/components/media-placeholder/index.js
@@ -258,8 +258,13 @@ class MediaPlaceholder extends Component {
 }
 
 const applyWithSelect = withSelect( ( select ) => {
+	let hasUploadPermissions = false;
+	if ( undefined !== select( 'core' ) ) {
+		hasUploadPermissions = select( 'core' ).hasUploadPermissions();
+	}
+
 	return {
-		hasUploadPermissions: select( 'core' ).hasUploadPermissions(),
+		hasUploadPermissions: hasUploadPermissions,
 	};
 } );
 
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/components/media-upload/check.js b/packages/editor/src/components/media-upload/check.js
index df9bab268a1d52..13f9fac617f5a7 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/components/media-upload/check.js
+++ b/packages/editor/src/components/media-upload/check.js
@@ -3,13 +3,17 @@
  */
 import { withSelect } from '@wordpress/data';
 
-export function MediaUploadCheck( { hasUploadPermissions, fallback, children } ) {
-	const optionalFallback = fallback || null;
-	return hasUploadPermissions ? children : optionalFallback;
+export function MediaUploadCheck( { hasUploadPermissions, fallback = null, children } ) {
+	return hasUploadPermissions ? children : fallback;
 }
 
 export default withSelect( ( select ) => {
+	let hasUploadPermissions = false;
+	if ( undefined !== select( 'core' ) ) {
+		hasUploadPermissions = select( 'core' ).hasUploadPermissions();
+	}
+
 	return {
-		hasUploadPermissions: select( 'core' ).hasUploadPermissions(),
+		hasUploadPermissions: hasUploadPermissions,
 	};
 } )( MediaUploadCheck );
diff --git a/packages/format-library/src/image/index.js b/packages/format-library/src/image/index.js
index a1720a78bc10c9..c26bcca626a5dd 100644
--- a/packages/format-library/src/image/index.js
+++ b/packages/format-library/src/image/index.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  */
 import { Path, SVG } from '@wordpress/components';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
-import { Fragment, Component } from '@wordpress/element';
+import { Component } from '@wordpress/element';
 import { insertObject } from '@wordpress/rich-text';
 import { MediaUpload, RichTextInserterItem, MediaUploadCheck } from '@wordpress/editor';
 
@@ -47,34 +47,32 @@ export const image = {
 
 			return (
 				<MediaUploadCheck>
-					<Fragment>
-						<RichTextInserterItem
-							name={ name }
-							icon={ <SVG xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><Path d="M4 16h10c1.1 0 2-.9 2-2V5c0-1.1-.9-2-2-2H4c-1.1 0-2 .9-2 2v9c0 1.1.9 2 2 2zM4 5h10v9H4V5zm14 9v2h4v-2h-4zM2 20h20v-2H2v2zm6.4-8.8L7 9.4 5 12h8l-2.6-3.4-2 2.6z" /></SVG> }
-							title={ __( 'Inline Image' ) }
-							onClick={ this.openModal }
-						/>
-						{ this.state.modal && <MediaUpload
-							allowedTypes={ ALLOWED_MEDIA_TYPES }
-							onSelect={ ( { id, url, alt, width } ) => {
-								this.closeModal();
-								onChange( insertObject( value, {
-									type: name,
-									attributes: {
-										className: `wp-image-${ id }`,
-										style: `width: ${ Math.min( width, 150 ) }px;`,
-										url,
-										alt,
-									},
-								} ) );
-							} }
-							onClose={ this.closeModal }
-							render={ ( { open } ) => {
-								open();
-								return null;
-							} }
-						/> }
-					</Fragment>
+					<RichTextInserterItem
+						name={ name }
+						icon={ <SVG xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><Path d="M4 16h10c1.1 0 2-.9 2-2V5c0-1.1-.9-2-2-2H4c-1.1 0-2 .9-2 2v9c0 1.1.9 2 2 2zM4 5h10v9H4V5zm14 9v2h4v-2h-4zM2 20h20v-2H2v2zm6.4-8.8L7 9.4 5 12h8l-2.6-3.4-2 2.6z" /></SVG> }
+						title={ __( 'Inline Image' ) }
+						onClick={ this.openModal }
+					/>
+					{ this.state.modal && <MediaUpload
+						allowedTypes={ ALLOWED_MEDIA_TYPES }
+						onSelect={ ( { id, url, alt, width } ) => {
+							this.closeModal();
+							onChange( insertObject( value, {
+								type: name,
+								attributes: {
+									className: `wp-image-${ id }`,
+									style: `width: ${ Math.min( width, 150 ) }px;`,
+									url,
+									alt,
+								},
+							} ) );
+						} }
+						onClose={ this.closeModal }
+						render={ ( { open } ) => {
+							open();
+							return null;
+						} }
+					/> }
 				</MediaUploadCheck>
 			);
 		}