diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/.rubocop.yml b/Library/Homebrew/.rubocop.yml
index 93171a34df..3e5a81360f 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/.rubocop.yml
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/.rubocop.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Metrics/PerceivedComplexity:
 Metrics/MethodLength:
   Max: 232
 Metrics/ModuleLength:
-  Max: 463
+  Max: 466
   Exclude:
     # TODO: extract more of the bottling logic
     - "dev-cmd/bottle.rb"
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb b/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb
index a279381289..20f54ac932 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ rescue MethodDeprecatedError => e
   exit 1
 rescue Exception => e # rubocop:disable Lint/RescueException
   onoe e
-  if internal_cmd && defined?(OS::ISSUES_URL)
+  if internal_cmd && !OS.unsupported_configuration?
     if Homebrew::EnvConfig.no_auto_update?
       $stderr.puts "#{Tty.bold}Do not report this issue until you've run `brew update` and tried again.#{Tty.reset}"
     else
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/brew.sh b/Library/Homebrew/brew.sh
index 4e9188be37..a290600c56 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/brew.sh
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/brew.sh
@@ -771,13 +771,21 @@ To turn developer mode off, run $(bold "brew developer off")
 fi
 
 # Test HOMEBREW_INSTALL_FROM_API on HOMEBREW_DEV_CMD_RUN and HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER
-# folks who haven't run a HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER_COMMAND.
+# folks who haven't run a HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER_COMMAND if they are in a default
+# prefix and on a supported macOS version.
 if [[ -z "${HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALL_FROM_API}" &&
       -z "${HOMEBREW_INSTALL_FROM_API}" &&
       -z "${HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER_COMMAND}" ]] &&
+   [[ -z "${HOMEBREW_MACOS_VERSION_NUMERIC}" ||
+   "${HOMEBREW_MACOS_VERSION_NUMERIC}" -ge "110000" ]] &&
+   [[ "${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}" == "/usr/local" ||
+      "${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}" == "/opt/homebrew" ||
+      "${HOMEBREW_PREFIX}" == "/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew" ]] &&
    [[ -n "${HOMEBREW_DEV_CMD_RUN}" || -n "${HOMEBREW_DEVELOPER}" ]]
 then
   export HOMEBREW_INSTALL_FROM_API=1
+else
+  unset HOMEBREW_INSTALL_FROM_API
 fi
 
 if [[ -f "${HOMEBREW_LIBRARY}/Homebrew/cmd/${HOMEBREW_COMMAND}.sh" ]]
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/env_config.rb b/Library/Homebrew/env_config.rb
index 36cae77865..0324f6facf 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/env_config.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/env_config.rb
@@ -226,7 +226,9 @@ module Homebrew
       },
       HOMEBREW_INSTALL_FROM_API:                 {
         description: "If set, install formulae and casks in homebrew/core and homebrew/cask taps using Homebrew's " \
-                     "API instead of needing (large, slow) local checkouts of these repositories.",
+                     "API instead of needing (large, slow) local checkouts of these repositories. Note, this will " \
+                     "only take effect in supported configurations (i.e. using the default Homebrew prefix and, " \
+                     "if on macOS, on a supported version).",
         boolean:     true,
       },
       HOMEBREW_LIVECHECK_WATCHLIST:              {
@@ -484,6 +486,9 @@ module Homebrew
 
     sig { returns(T::Boolean) }
     def install_from_api?
+      return false if OS.unsupported_configuration?
+      return false unless Homebrew.default_prefix?
+
       ENV["HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALL_FROM_API"].blank? && ENV["HOMEBREW_INSTALL_FROM_API"].present?
     end
   end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/exceptions.rb b/Library/Homebrew/exceptions.rb
index 4641684b08..c8690e3f1d 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/exceptions.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/exceptions.rb
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ class BuildError < RuntimeError
       end
     end
 
-    if formula.tap && defined?(OS::ISSUES_URL)
+    if formula.tap && !OS.unsupported_configuration?
       if formula.tap.official?
         puts Formatter.error(Formatter.url(OS::ISSUES_URL), label: "READ THIS")
       elsif (issues_url = formula.tap.issues_url)
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/os.rb b/Library/Homebrew/os.rb
index 13ee649519..c0e7fbbec0 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/os.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/os.rb
@@ -69,4 +69,9 @@ module OS
     ISSUES_URL = "https://docs.brew.sh/Troubleshooting"
     PATH_OPEN = "xdg-open"
   end
+
+  sig { returns(T::Boolean) }
+  def self.unsupported_configuration?
+    !defined?(OS::ISSUES_URL)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/docs/Installation.md b/docs/Installation.md
index b4dc435a68..bb905abc5d 100644
--- a/docs/Installation.md
+++ b/docs/Installation.md
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ export HOMEBREW_INSTALL_FROM_API=1
 
 This will make Homebrew install formulae and casks from the `homebrew/core` and `homebrew/cask` taps using Homebrew’s API instead of local checkouts of these repositories.
 
+Note, this will take effect in supported configurations (i.e. using the default Homebrew prefix and, if on macOS, on a supported version).
+
 ## Unattended installation
 
 If you want a non-interactive run of the Homebrew installer that doesn't prompt for passwords (e.g. in automation scripts), prepend [`NONINTERACTIVE=1`](https://github.com/Homebrew/install/#install-homebrew-on-macos-or-linux) to the installation command.
diff --git a/docs/Manpage.md b/docs/Manpage.md
index b83b6d7423..479aeefeae 100644
--- a/docs/Manpage.md
+++ b/docs/Manpage.md
@@ -2149,7 +2149,7 @@ example, run `export HOMEBREW_NO_INSECURE_REDIRECT=1` rather than just
   *Default:* The "Beer Mug" emoji.
 
 - `HOMEBREW_INSTALL_FROM_API`
-  <br>If set, install formulae and casks in homebrew/core and homebrew/cask taps using Homebrew's API instead of needing (large, slow) local checkouts of these repositories.
+  <br>If set, install formulae and casks in homebrew/core and homebrew/cask taps using Homebrew's API instead of needing (large, slow) local checkouts of these repositories. Note, this will only take effect in supported configurations (i.e. using the default Homebrew prefix and, if on macOS, on a supported version).
 
 - `HOMEBREW_LIVECHECK_WATCHLIST`
   <br>Consult this file for the list of formulae to check by default when no formula argument is passed to `brew livecheck`.
diff --git a/manpages/brew.1 b/manpages/brew.1
index 2956d11f3b..2cd136a037 100644
--- a/manpages/brew.1
+++ b/manpages/brew.1
@@ -3140,7 +3140,7 @@ Print this text before the installation summary of each successful build\.
 \fBHOMEBREW_INSTALL_FROM_API\fR
 .
 .br
-If set, install formulae and casks in homebrew/core and homebrew/cask taps using Homebrew\'s API instead of needing (large, slow) local checkouts of these repositories\.
+If set, install formulae and casks in homebrew/core and homebrew/cask taps using Homebrew\'s API instead of needing (large, slow) local checkouts of these repositories\. Note, this will only take effect in supported configurations (i\.e\. using the default Homebrew prefix and, if on macOS, on a supported version)\.
 .
 .TP
 \fBHOMEBREW_LIVECHECK_WATCHLIST\fR