diff --git a/tools/builder.js b/tools/builder.js
index 7a97ce2427..6a2ff1b510 100644
--- a/tools/builder.js
+++ b/tools/builder.js
@@ -289,9 +289,7 @@ _.extend(Builder.prototype, {
   // bundle. But if the symlink option was passed to the Builder
   // constructor, then make a symlink instead, if possible.
   //
-  // Adds dependencies both on the files that were copied, and on the
-  // contents of the directory tree (respecting 'ignore'.) Disable
-  // this with depend: false.
+  // This does NOT add any dependencies.
   //
   // Options:
   // - from: source path on local disk to copy from
@@ -300,14 +298,10 @@ _.extend(Builder.prototype, {
   // - ignore: array of regexps of filenames (that is, basenames) to
   //   ignore (they may still be visible in the output bundle if
   //   symlinks are being used)
-  // - depend: Should dependencies be added? Defaults to true.
   copyDirectory: function (options) {
     var self = this;
     options = options || {};
 
-    var createDependencies =
-      ('depend' in options) ? options.depend : true;
-
     var normOptionsTo = options.to;
     if (normOptionsTo.slice(-1) === path.sep)
       normOptionsTo = normOptionsTo.slice(0, -1);
@@ -343,12 +337,6 @@ _.extend(Builder.prototype, {
     }
 
     var ignore = options.ignore || [];
-    if (createDependencies) {
-      self.dependencyInfo.directories[absPathTo] = {
-        include: [/.?/],
-        exclude: ignore
-      };
-    }
 
     var walk = function (absFrom, relTo) {
       self._ensureDirectory(relTo);
@@ -368,9 +356,6 @@ _.extend(Builder.prototype, {
         // XXX avoid reading whole file into memory
         var data = fs.readFileSync(thisAbsFrom);
 
-        if (createDependencies)
-          self.dependencyInfo.files[thisAbsFrom] = sha1(data);
-
         fs.writeFileSync(path.resolve(self.buildPath, thisRelTo), data);
         self.usedAsFile[thisRelTo] = true;
       });
diff --git a/tools/bundler.js b/tools/bundler.js
index 6c03b1c2ed..9daeb67133 100644
--- a/tools/bundler.js
+++ b/tools/bundler.js
@@ -1105,8 +1105,7 @@ _.extend(JsImage.prototype, {
     _.each(nodeModulesDirectories, function (nmd) {
       builder.copyDirectory({
         from: nmd.sourcePath,
-        to: nmd.preferredBundlePath,
-        depend: false
+        to: nmd.preferredBundlePath
       });
     });
 
@@ -1321,8 +1320,7 @@ _.extend(ServerTarget.prototype, {
       builder.copyDirectory({
         from: path.join(files.get_dev_bundle(), 'lib', 'node_modules'),
         to: 'node_modules',
-        ignore: ignoreFiles,
-        depend: false
+        ignore: ignoreFiles
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/tools/packages.js b/tools/packages.js
index 9acb349047..db5434f9cf 100644
--- a/tools/packages.js
+++ b/tools/packages.js
@@ -2355,8 +2355,7 @@ _.extend(Package.prototype, {
         if (slice.nodeModulesPath) {
           builder.copyDirectory({
             from: slice.nodeModulesPath,
-            to: 'npm/node_modules',
-            depend: false
+            to: 'npm/node_modules'
           });
         }