diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/brew.sh b/Library/Homebrew/brew.sh
index 9c4326f309..9f846880d3 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/brew.sh
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/brew.sh
@@ -584,6 +584,11 @@ then
   export HOMEBREW_BOTTLE_DOMAIN="$HOMEBREW_BOTTLE_DEFAULT_DOMAIN"
 fi
 
+if [[ -n "$HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER" || -n "$HOMEBREW_DEV_CMD_RUN" ]]
+then
+  export HOMEBREW_BOOTSNAP="1"
+fi
+
 export HOMEBREW_BREW_DEFAULT_GIT_REMOTE="https://github.com/Homebrew/brew"
 if [[ -z "$HOMEBREW_BREW_GIT_REMOTE" ]]
 then
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/env_config.rb b/Library/Homebrew/env_config.rb
index 8438e1aec4..f3bcb87bc4 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/env_config.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/env_config.rb
@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@ module Homebrew
         description: "Use this username when accessing the Bintray API (where bottles are stored).",
       },
       HOMEBREW_BOOTSNAP:                      {
-        description: "If set, use Bootsnap to speed up repeated `brew` calls. "\
-                     "A no-op when using Homebrew's vendored, relocatable Ruby on macOS (as it doesn't work).",
+        description: "If set, use Bootsnap to speed up repeated `brew` calls. " \
+                     "A no-op in various configurations where it doesn't work. " \
+                     "Enabled by default if HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER is set or a developer command has been run.",
         boolean:     true,
       },
       HOMEBREW_BOTTLE_DOMAIN:                 {
diff --git a/docs/Manpage.md b/docs/Manpage.md
index 95e9f04901..91f5dadb00 100644
--- a/docs/Manpage.md
+++ b/docs/Manpage.md
@@ -1721,7 +1721,7 @@ example, run `export HOMEBREW_NO_INSECURE_REDIRECT=1` rather than just
   <br>Use this username when accessing the Bintray API (where bottles are stored).
 
 - `HOMEBREW_BOOTSNAP`
-  <br>If set, use Bootsnap to speed up repeated `brew` calls. A no-op when using Homebrew's vendored, relocatable Ruby on macOS (as it doesn't work).
+  <br>If set, use Bootsnap to speed up repeated `brew` calls. A no-op in various configurations where it doesn't work. Enabled by default if HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER is set or a developer command has been run.
 
 - `HOMEBREW_BOTTLE_DOMAIN`
   <br>Use this URL as the download mirror for bottles. For example, `HOMEBREW_BOTTLE_DOMAIN=http://localhost:8080` will cause all bottles to download from the prefix `http://localhost:8080/`.
diff --git a/manpages/brew.1 b/manpages/brew.1
index 733c78cc81..e7c9bd92d7 100644
--- a/manpages/brew.1
+++ b/manpages/brew.1
@@ -2398,7 +2398,7 @@ Use this username when accessing the Bintray API (where bottles are stored)\.
 \fBHOMEBREW_BOOTSNAP\fR
 .
 .br
-If set, use Bootsnap to speed up repeated \fBbrew\fR calls\. A no\-op when using Homebrew\'s vendored, relocatable Ruby on macOS (as it doesn\'t work)\.
+If set, use Bootsnap to speed up repeated \fBbrew\fR calls\. A no\-op in various configurations where it doesn\'t work\. Enabled by default if HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER is set or a developer command has been run\.
 .
 .TP
 \fBHOMEBREW_BOTTLE_DOMAIN\fR