diff --git a/src/main-process/get-dev-resource-path.js b/src/main-process/get-dev-resource-path.js
deleted file mode 100644
index fe89e58fb..000000000
--- a/src/main-process/get-dev-resource-path.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-'use strict'
-
-const path = require('path')
-const fs = require('fs-plus')
-const CSON = require('season')
-const electron = require('electron')
-
-module.exports = function () {
-  const appResourcePath = path.dirname(path.dirname(__dirname))
-  const defaultRepositoryPath = path.join(electron.app.getPath('home'), 'github', 'atom')
-
-  if (process.env.ATOM_DEV_RESOURCE_PATH) {
-    return process.env.ATOM_DEV_RESOURCE_PATH
-  } else if (isAtomRepoPath(process.cwd())) {
-    return process.cwd()
-  } else if (fs.statSyncNoException(defaultRepositoryPath)) {
-    return defaultRepositoryPath
-  }
-
-  return appResourcePath
-}
-
-function isAtomRepoPath (repoPath) {
-  let packageJsonPath = path.join(repoPath, 'package.json')
-  if (fs.statSyncNoException(packageJsonPath)) {
-    let packageJson = CSON.readFileSync(packageJsonPath)
-    return packageJson.name === 'atom'
-  }
-
-  return false
-}
diff --git a/src/main-process/main.js b/src/main-process/main.js
index 77dacd792..ea4dac79f 100644
--- a/src/main-process/main.js
+++ b/src/main-process/main.js
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ if (typeof snapshotResult !== 'undefined') {
 const startTime = Date.now()
 
 const path = require('path')
+const fs = require('fs-plus')
+const CSON = require('season')
 const yargs = require('yargs')
-const getDevResourcePath = require('./get-dev-resource-path')
+const electron = require('electron')
 
 const args =
   yargs(process.argv)
@@ -14,14 +16,34 @@ const args =
     .alias('t', 'test')
     .argv
 
+function isAtomRepoPath (repoPath) {
+  let packageJsonPath = path.join(repoPath, 'package.json')
+  if (fs.statSyncNoException(packageJsonPath)) {
+    let packageJson = CSON.readFileSync(packageJsonPath)
+    return packageJson.name === 'atom'
+  }
+
+  return false
+}
+
 let resourcePath
 
 if (args.resourcePath) {
   resourcePath = args.resourcePath
 } else {
   const stableResourcePath = path.dirname(path.dirname(__dirname))
+  const defaultRepositoryPath = path.join(electron.app.getPath('home'), 'github', 'atom')
+
   if (args.dev || args.test || args.benchmark || args.benchmarkTest) {
-    resourcePath = getDevResourcePath() || stableResourcePath
+    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
+    }
   } else {
     resourcePath = stableResourcePath
   }
diff --git a/src/main-process/parse-command-line.js b/src/main-process/parse-command-line.js
index 1d25fe70c..809971e85 100644
--- a/src/main-process/parse-command-line.js
+++ b/src/main-process/parse-command-line.js
@@ -5,9 +5,8 @@ const yargs = require('yargs')
 const {app} = require('electron')
 const path = require('path')
 const fs = require('fs-plus')
-const getDevResourcePath = require('./get-dev-resource-path')
 
-module.exports = function parseCommandLine (processArgs) {
+module.exports = function parseCommandLine (processArgs, initialResourcePath) {
   const options = yargs(processArgs).wrap(yargs.terminalWidth())
   const version = app.getVersion()
   options.usage(
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ module.exports = function parseCommandLine (processArgs) {
   let pathsToOpen = []
   let urlsToOpen = []
   let devMode = args['dev']
-  let devResourcePath = getDevResourcePath()
+  let devResourcePath = initialResourcePath
   let resourcePath = null
 
   for (const path of args._) {
diff --git a/src/main-process/start.js b/src/main-process/start.js
index 25bc9c00d..460b58e6e 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 (resourcePath, startTime) {
+module.exports = function start (initialResourcePath, startTime) {
   global.shellStartTime = startTime
 
   process.on('uncaughtException', function (error = {}) {
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ module.exports = function start (resourcePath, startTime) {
 
   app.commandLine.appendSwitch('enable-experimental-web-platform-features')
 
-  const args = parseCommandLine(process.argv.slice(1))
+  const args = parseCommandLine(process.argv.slice(1), initialResourcePath)
   atomPaths.setAtomHome(app.getPath('home'))
   atomPaths.setUserData(app)
   setupCompileCache()