diff --git a/src/main-process/main.js b/src/main-process/main.js
index ea4dac79f..11703bf3f 100644
--- a/src/main-process/main.js
+++ b/src/main-process/main.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const args =
   yargs(process.argv)
     .alias('d', 'dev')
     .alias('t', 'test')
+    .alias('r', 'resource-path')
     .argv
 
 function isAtomRepoPath (repoPath) {
@@ -27,27 +28,31 @@ function isAtomRepoPath (repoPath) {
 }
 
 let resourcePath
+let devResourcePath
 
 if (args.resourcePath) {
   resourcePath = args.resourcePath
+  devResourcePath = resourcePath
 } else {
   const stableResourcePath = path.dirname(path.dirname(__dirname))
   const defaultRepositoryPath = path.join(electron.app.getPath('home'), 'github', 'atom')
 
+  if (process.env.ATOM_DEV_RESOURCE_PATH) {
+    devResourcePath = process.env.ATOM_DEV_RESOURCE_PATH
+  } else if (isAtomRepoPath(process.cwd())) {
+    devResourcePath = process.cwd()
+  } else if (fs.statSyncNoException(defaultRepositoryPath)) {
+    devResourcePath = defaultRepositoryPath
+  } else {
+    devResourcePath = stableResourcePath
+  }
+
   if (args.dev || args.test || args.benchmark || args.benchmarkTest) {
-    if (process.env.ATOM_DEV_RESOURCE_PATH) {
-      resourcePath = process.env.ATOM_DEV_RESOURCE_PATH
-    } else if (isAtomRepoPath(process.cwd())) {
-      resourcePath = process.cwd()
-    } else if (fs.statSyncNoException(defaultRepositoryPath)) {
-      resourcePath = defaultRepositoryPath
-    } else {
-      resourcePath = stableResourcePath
-    }
+    resourcePath = devResourcePath
   } else {
     resourcePath = stableResourcePath
   }
 }
 
 const start = require(path.join(resourcePath, 'src', 'main-process', 'start'))
-start(resourcePath, startTime)
+start(resourcePath, devResourcePath, startTime)
diff --git a/src/main-process/parse-command-line.js b/src/main-process/parse-command-line.js
index 55aa7c900..5d7849eac 100644
--- a/src/main-process/parse-command-line.js
+++ b/src/main-process/parse-command-line.js
@@ -3,10 +3,8 @@
 const dedent = require('dedent')
 const yargs = require('yargs')
 const {app} = require('electron')
-const path = require('path')
-const fs = require('fs-plus')
 
-module.exports = function parseCommandLine (processArgs, initialResourcePath) {
+module.exports = function parseCommandLine (processArgs) {
   const options = yargs(processArgs).wrap(yargs.terminalWidth())
   const version = app.getVersion()
   options.usage(
@@ -119,8 +117,6 @@ module.exports = function parseCommandLine (processArgs, initialResourcePath) {
   let pathsToOpen = []
   let urlsToOpen = []
   let devMode = args['dev']
-  let devResourcePath = initialResourcePath
-  let resourcePath = null
 
   for (const path of args._) {
     if (path.startsWith('atom://')) {
@@ -130,21 +126,8 @@ module.exports = function parseCommandLine (processArgs, initialResourcePath) {
     }
   }
 
-  if (args['resource-path']) {
+  if (args.resourcePath || test) {
     devMode = true
-    devResourcePath = args['resource-path']
-  }
-
-  if (test) {
-    devMode = true
-  }
-
-  if (devMode) {
-    resourcePath = devResourcePath
-  }
-
-  if (!fs.statSyncNoException(resourcePath)) {
-    resourcePath = path.dirname(path.dirname(__dirname))
   }
 
   if (args['path-environment']) {
@@ -153,12 +136,7 @@ module.exports = function parseCommandLine (processArgs, initialResourcePath) {
     process.env.PATH = args['path-environment']
   }
 
-  resourcePath = normalizeDriveLetterName(resourcePath)
-  devResourcePath = normalizeDriveLetterName(devResourcePath)
-
   return {
-    resourcePath,
-    devResourcePath,
     pathsToOpen,
     urlsToOpen,
     executedFrom,
@@ -181,11 +159,3 @@ module.exports = function parseCommandLine (processArgs, initialResourcePath) {
     env: process.env
   }
 }
-
-function normalizeDriveLetterName (filePath) {
-  if (process.platform === 'win32' && filePath) {
-    return filePath.replace(/^([a-z]):/, ([driveLetter]) => driveLetter.toUpperCase() + ':')
-  } else {
-    return filePath
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/main-process/start.js b/src/main-process/start.js
index 460b58e6e..10713fa4b 100644
--- a/src/main-process/start.js
+++ b/src/main-process/start.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const fs = require('fs')
 const CSON = require('season')
 const Config = require('../config')
 
-module.exports = function start (initialResourcePath, startTime) {
+module.exports = function start (resourcePath, devResourcePath, startTime) {
   global.shellStartTime = startTime
 
   process.on('uncaughtException', function (error = {}) {
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ module.exports = function start (initialResourcePath, startTime) {
 
   app.commandLine.appendSwitch('enable-experimental-web-platform-features')
 
-  const args = parseCommandLine(process.argv.slice(1), initialResourcePath)
+  const args = parseCommandLine(process.argv.slice(1))
+  args.resourcePath = normalizeDriveLetterName(resourcePath)
+  args.devResourcePath = normalizeDriveLetterName(devResourcePath)
+
   atomPaths.setAtomHome(app.getPath('home'))
   atomPaths.setUserData(app)
   setupCompileCache()
@@ -124,3 +127,11 @@ function getConfig () {
 
   return config
 }
+
+function normalizeDriveLetterName (filePath) {
+  if (process.platform === 'win32' && filePath) {
+    return filePath.replace(/^([a-z]):/, ([driveLetter]) => driveLetter.toUpperCase() + ':')
+  } else {
+    return filePath
+  }
+}