diff --git a/lib/BaseViewer.js b/lib/BaseViewer.js
index 3bf0107205..1311490cc6 100644
--- a/lib/BaseViewer.js
+++ b/lib/BaseViewer.js
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ import {
   importBpmnDiagram
 } from './import/Importer';
 
+import {
+  wrapForCompatibility
+} from './util/CompatibilityUtil';
 
 /**
  * A base viewer for BPMN 2.0 diagrams.
@@ -88,7 +91,7 @@ inherits(BaseViewer, Diagram);
  * @param {ModdleElement<BPMNDiagram>|string} [bpmnDiagram] BPMN diagram or id of diagram to render (if not provided, the first one will be rendered)
  * @param {Function} [done] invoked with (err, warnings=[])
  */
-BaseViewer.prototype.importXML = function(xml, bpmnDiagram, done) {
+BaseViewer.prototype.importXML = wrapForCompatibility(function importXML(xml, bpmnDiagram, done) {
 
   if (isFunction(bpmnDiagram)) {
     done = bpmnDiagram;
@@ -143,7 +146,7 @@ BaseViewer.prototype.importXML = function(xml, bpmnDiagram, done) {
 
     return done(err, err.warnings);
   });
-};
+});
 
 /**
  * Import parsed definitions and render a BPMN 2.0 diagram.
@@ -164,7 +167,7 @@ BaseViewer.prototype.importXML = function(xml, bpmnDiagram, done) {
  * @param {ModdleElement<BPMNDiagram>|string} [bpmnDiagram] BPMN diagram or id of diagram to render (if not provided, the first one will be rendered)
  * @param {Function} [done] invoked with (err, warnings=[])
  */
-BaseViewer.prototype.importDefinitions = function(definitions, bpmnDiagram, done) {
+BaseViewer.prototype.importDefinitions = wrapForCompatibility(function importDefinitions(definitions, bpmnDiagram, done) {
 
   if (isFunction(bpmnDiagram)) {
     done = bpmnDiagram;
@@ -177,7 +180,7 @@ BaseViewer.prototype.importDefinitions = function(definitions, bpmnDiagram, done
   this._setDefinitions(definitions);
 
   return this.open(bpmnDiagram, done);
-};
+});
 
 /**
  * Open diagram of previously imported XML.
@@ -197,7 +200,7 @@ BaseViewer.prototype.importDefinitions = function(definitions, bpmnDiagram, done
  * @param {string|ModdleElement<BPMNDiagram>} [bpmnDiagramOrId] id or the diagram to open
  * @param {Function} [done] invoked with (err, warnings=[])
  */
-BaseViewer.prototype.open = function(bpmnDiagramOrId, done) {
+BaseViewer.prototype.open = wrapForCompatibility(function open(bpmnDiagramOrId, done) {
 
   if (isFunction(bpmnDiagramOrId)) {
     done = bpmnDiagramOrId;
@@ -232,7 +235,7 @@ BaseViewer.prototype.open = function(bpmnDiagramOrId, done) {
 
   // perform graphical import
   return importBpmnDiagram(this, definitions, bpmnDiagram, done);
-};
+});
 
 /**
  * Export the currently displayed BPMN 2.0 diagram as
@@ -254,7 +257,7 @@ BaseViewer.prototype.open = function(bpmnDiagramOrId, done) {
  *
  * @param {Function} done invoked with (err, xml)
  */
-BaseViewer.prototype.saveXML = function(options, done) {
+BaseViewer.prototype.saveXML = wrapForCompatibility(function saveXML(options, done) {
 
   if (!done) {
     done = options;
@@ -296,7 +299,7 @@ BaseViewer.prototype.saveXML = function(options, done) {
   }).catch(function(err) {
     done(err);
   });
-};
+});
 
 /**
  * Export the currently displayed BPMN 2.0 diagram as
@@ -314,7 +317,7 @@ BaseViewer.prototype.saveXML = function(options, done) {
  * @param {Object} [options]
  * @param {Function} done invoked with (err, svgStr)
  */
-BaseViewer.prototype.saveSVG = function(options, done) {
+BaseViewer.prototype.saveSVG = wrapForCompatibility(function saveSVG(options, done) {
 
   if (!done) {
     done = options;
@@ -355,7 +358,7 @@ BaseViewer.prototype.saveSVG = function(options, done) {
   });
 
   done(err, svg);
-};
+});
 
 /**
  * Get a named diagram service.
@@ -569,7 +572,6 @@ BaseViewer.prototype._createModdle = function(options) {
 
 BaseViewer.prototype._modules = [];
 
-
 // helpers ///////////////
 
 function checkValidationError(err) {
diff --git a/lib/util/CompatibilityUtil.js b/lib/util/CompatibilityUtil.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f60716a9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/util/CompatibilityUtil.js
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import { isFunction } from 'min-dash';
+
+// TODO(nikku): remove with future bpmn-js version
+
+/**
+ * Wraps APIs to check:
+ *
+ * 1) If a callback is passed -> Warn users about callback deprecation.
+ * 2) If Promise class is implemented in current environment.
+ *
+ * @private
+ */
+export function wrapForCompatibility(api) {
+
+  return function() {
+
+    if (!window.Promise) {
+      throw new Error('Promises is not supported in this environment. Consider polyfilling.');
+    }
+
+    var argLen = arguments.length;
+    if (argLen >= 1 && isFunction(arguments[argLen - 1])) {
+
+      var callback = arguments[argLen - 1];
+
+      console.warn(new Error(
+        'Passing callbacks to ' + api.name + ' is deprecated and will be removed in a future major release.' +
+        'Please switch to promises, cf. https://bpmn.io/l/moving-to-promises.html'
+      ));
+
+      var argsWithoutCallback = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 0, -1);
+
+      api.apply(this, argsWithoutCallback).then(function(result) {
+
+        var firstKey = Object.keys(result)[0];
+
+        // The APIs we are wrapping all resolve a single item depending on the API.
+        // For instance, importXML resolves { warnings } and saveXML returns { xml }.
+        // That's why we can call the callback with the first item of result.
+        return callback(null, result[firstKey]);
+
+        // Passing a second paramter instead of catch because we don't want to
+        // catch errors thrown by callback().
+      }, function(err) {
+
+        return callback(err, err.warnings);
+      });
+    } else {
+
+      return api.apply(this, arguments);
+    }
+  };
+}