diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb b/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb
index 161862289a..e1058ef5f6 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb
@@ -51,8 +51,10 @@ begin
       internal_dev_cmd = require? HOMEBREW_LIBRARY_PATH/"dev-cmd"/cmd
       internal_cmd = internal_dev_cmd
       if internal_dev_cmd && !ARGV.homebrew_developer?
-        system "git", "config", "--file=#{HOMEBREW_REPOSITORY}/.git/config",
-                                "--replace-all", "homebrew.devcmdrun", "true"
+        if (HOMEBREW_REPOSITORY/".git/config").exist?
+          system "git", "config", "--file=#{HOMEBREW_REPOSITORY}/.git/config",
+                                  "--replace-all", "homebrew.devcmdrun", "true"
+        end
         ENV["HOMEBREW_DEV_CMD_RUN"] = "1"
       end
     end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/dev-cmd/tests.rb b/Library/Homebrew/dev-cmd/tests.rb
index bfc4694d0b..8b13301e95 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/dev-cmd/tests.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/dev-cmd/tests.rb
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ module Homebrew
       ENV.delete("HOMEBREW_TEMP")
       ENV.delete("HOMEBREW_NO_GITHUB_API")
       ENV.delete("HOMEBREW_NO_EMOJI")
+      ENV.delete("HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER")
       ENV["HOMEBREW_NO_ANALYTICS_THIS_RUN"] = "1"
-      ENV["HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER"] = "1"
       ENV["HOMEBREW_NO_COMPAT"] = "1" if args.no_compat?
       ENV["HOMEBREW_TEST_GENERIC_OS"] = "1" if args.generic?
       ENV["HOMEBREW_TEST_ONLINE"] = "1" if args.online?
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/uninstall_spec.rb b/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/uninstall_spec.rb
index b944062109..95b51e8202 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/uninstall_spec.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/test/cmd/uninstall_spec.rb
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ describe Homebrew do
 
   describe "::handle_unsatisfied_dependents" do
     specify "when developer" do
+      ENV["HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER"] = "1"
+
       expect {
         described_class.handle_unsatisfied_dependents(opts)
       }.to output(/Warning/).to_stderr
@@ -50,25 +52,21 @@ describe Homebrew do
     end
 
     specify "when not developer" do
-      run_as_not_developer do
-        expect {
-          described_class.handle_unsatisfied_dependents(opts)
-        }.to output(/Error/).to_stderr
+      expect {
+        described_class.handle_unsatisfied_dependents(opts)
+      }.to output(/Error/).to_stderr
 
-        expect(described_class).to have_failed
-      end
+      expect(described_class).to have_failed
     end
 
     specify "when not developer and --ignore-dependencies is specified" do
       ARGV << "--ignore-dependencies"
 
-      run_as_not_developer do
-        expect {
-          described_class.handle_unsatisfied_dependents(opts)
-        }.not_to output.to_stderr
+      expect {
+        described_class.handle_unsatisfied_dependents(opts)
+      }.not_to output.to_stderr
 
-        expect(described_class).not_to have_failed
-      end
+      expect(described_class).not_to have_failed
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/test/utils_spec.rb b/Library/Homebrew/test/utils_spec.rb
index 63a6833a3c..99965e8dec 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/test/utils_spec.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/test/utils_spec.rb
@@ -118,18 +118,6 @@ describe "globally-scoped helper methods" do
     end
   end
 
-  describe "#run_as_not_developer" do
-    it "temporarily unsets HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER" do
-      ENV["HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER"] = "foo"
-
-      run_as_not_developer do
-        expect(ENV["HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER"]).to be nil
-      end
-
-      expect(ENV["HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER"]).to eq("foo")
-    end
-  end
-
   describe "#which" do
     let(:cmd) { dir/"foo" }
 
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/utils.rb b/Library/Homebrew/utils.rb
index 678c25b150..cf1d45ec1d 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/utils.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/utils.rb
@@ -296,12 +296,6 @@ def with_custom_locale(locale)
   end
 end
 
-def run_as_not_developer
-  with_env(HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER: nil) do
-    yield
-  end
-end
-
 # Kernel.system but with exceptions
 def safe_system(cmd, *args, **options)
   return if Homebrew.system(cmd, *args, **options)