diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index c317f4e..5cdc2de 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ Imports:
     utils
 Suggests: 
     bitops,
+    callr,
     jsonlite,
     mathjaxr,
     pak,
diff --git a/R/load-data.R b/R/load-data.R
index 299e345..d1cf222 100644
--- a/R/load-data.R
+++ b/R/load-data.R
@@ -22,23 +22,38 @@ load_data <- function(path = ".") {
   }
 
   path_data <- package_file("data", path = path)
-  if (file.exists(path_data)) {
-    paths <- dir(path_data, "\\.[rR][dD]a(ta)?$", full.names = TRUE)
-    paths <- changed_files(paths)
-    objs <- c(objs, unlist(lapply(paths, load, envir = lazydata_env)))
-
-    paths <- dir(path_data, "\\.[rR]$", full.names = TRUE)
-    paths <- changed_files(paths)
-    objs <- c(
-      objs,
-      unlist(lapply(
-        paths,
-        sys.source,
-        envir = lazydata_env,
-        chdir = TRUE,
-        keep.source = TRUE
-      ))
-    )
+  if (!file.exists(path_data)) {
+    return(invisible(objs))
+  }
+
+  paths_rda <- dir(path_data, "\\.[rR][dD]a(ta)?$", full.names = TRUE)
+  paths_rda <- changed_files(paths_rda)
+  objs <- c(objs, unlist(lapply(paths_rda, load, envir = lazydata_env)))
+
+  paths_r <- dir(path_data, "\\.[rR]$", full.names = TRUE)
+  paths_r <- changed_files(paths_r)
+  if (length(paths_r) == 0) {
+    return(invisible(objs))
+  }
+
+  # always attach, as utils::data does. evalq to hide library from R CMD check
+  evalq(library(utils))
+
+  # We source the .R files into lazydata_env, but we want them to be
+  # able to find functions in the default packages like utils.
+  # By default lazydata_env inherits from base, bypassing the search path.
+  # We temporarily change its parent to .GlobalEnv so it can see the search path.
+  old_parent <- parent.env(lazydata_env)
+  parent.env(lazydata_env) <- .GlobalEnv
+  on.exit(parent.env(lazydata_env) <- old_parent, add = TRUE)
+
+  # sys.source() returns invisible() so it doesn't return the names of the
+  # objects it creates. We'll need to find them ourselves.
+  for (path in paths_r) {
+    old_objs <- ls(lazydata_env, all.names = TRUE)
+    sys.source(path, envir = lazydata_env, chdir = TRUE, keep.source = TRUE)
+    new_objs <- ls(lazydata_env, all.names = TRUE)
+    objs <- c(objs, setdiff(new_objs, old_objs))
   }
 
   invisible(objs)
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-load-data.R b/tests/testthat/test-load-data.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1c84626
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-load-data.R
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+test_that("load_data can load .R files that use utils functions in a clean environment", {
+  pkg_path <- normalizePath(test_path("testDataUtils"), mustWork = TRUE)
+  
+  expect_equal(
+    callr::r(
+      function(pkg_path) {
+        pkgload::load_all(pkg_path)
+        testDataUtils::myData$a
+      },
+      args = list(pkg_path = pkg_path),
+      env = c(R_DEFAULT_PACKAGES = "NULL")
+    ),
+    1L
+  )
+})
diff --git a/tests/testthat/testDataUtils/DESCRIPTION b/tests/testthat/testDataUtils/DESCRIPTION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cb74df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/testDataUtils/DESCRIPTION
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Package: testDataUtils
+Title: Test Package for load_data with utils
+Version: 0.0.1
+Description: Test package.
+License: MIT
+Encoding: UTF-8
+LazyData: true
diff --git a/tests/testthat/testDataUtils/data/myData.R b/tests/testthat/testDataUtils/data/myData.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae63d58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/testDataUtils/data/myData.R
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+myData <- read.csv(text = "a,b,c\n1,2,3\n")