diff --git a/doc/03-cli.md b/doc/03-cli.md
index bfef27c55..992808100 100644
--- a/doc/03-cli.md
+++ b/doc/03-cli.md
@@ -79,11 +79,8 @@ resolution.
 * **--dry-run:** If you want to run through an installation without actually
   installing a package, you can use `--dry-run`. This will simulate the
   installation and show you what would happen.
-* **--dev:** By default composer will only install required packages. By
-  passing this option you can also make it install packages referenced by
-  `require-dev`.
-* **--no-dev:** Skip installing packages listed in `require-dev` (this is
-  the default for `install`).
+* **--dev:** Install packages listed in `require-dev` (this is the default behavior).
+* **--no-dev:** Skip installing packages listed in `require-dev`.
 * **--no-scripts:** Skips execution of scripts defined in `composer.json`.
 * **--no-custom-installers:** Disables custom installers.
 * **--no-progress:** Removes the progress display that can mess with some
@@ -115,7 +112,7 @@ You can also use wildcards to update a bunch of packages at once:
 * **--prefer-source:** Install packages from `source` when available.
 * **--prefer-dist:** Install packages from `dist` when available.
 * **--dry-run:** Simulate the command without actually doing anything.
-* **--dev:** Install packages listed in `require-dev` (this is the default for `update`).
+* **--dev:** Install packages listed in `require-dev` (this is the default behavior).
 * **--no-dev:** Skip installing packages listed in `require-dev`.
 * **--no-scripts:** Skips execution of scripts defined in `composer.json`.
 * **--no-custom-installers:** Disables custom installers.
diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/CreateProjectCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/CreateProjectCommand.php
index bcea44c7b..fe8ccabcb 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/CreateProjectCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/CreateProjectCommand.php
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ class CreateProjectCommand extends Command
                 new InputOption('prefer-source', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Forces installation from package sources when possible, including VCS information.'),
                 new InputOption('prefer-dist', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Forces installation from package dist even for dev versions.'),
                 new InputOption('repository-url', null, InputOption::VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Pick a different repository url to look for the package.'),
-                new InputOption('dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Whether to install dependencies for development.'),
+                new InputOption('dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Enables installation of require-dev packages (enabled by default, only present for BC).'),
+                new InputOption('no-dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Disables installation of require-dev packages.'),
                 new InputOption('no-custom-installers', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Whether to disable custom installers.'),
                 new InputOption('no-scripts', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Whether to prevent execution of all defined scripts in the root package.'),
                 new InputOption('no-progress', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Do not output download progress.'),
@@ -82,9 +83,7 @@ To install unstable packages, either specify the version you want, or use the
 --stability=dev (where dev can be one of RC, beta, alpha or dev).
 
 To setup a developer workable version you should create the project using the source
-controlled code by appending the <info>'--prefer-source'</info> flag. Also, it is
-advisable to install all dependencies required for development by appending the
-<info>'--dev'</info> flag.
+controlled code by appending the <info>'--prefer-source'</info> flag.
 
 To install a package from another repository than the default one you
 can pass the <info>'--repository-url=http://myrepository.org'</info> flag.
@@ -126,7 +125,7 @@ EOT
             $input->getOption('stability'),
             $preferSource,
             $preferDist,
-            $input->getOption('dev'),
+            !$input->getOption('no-dev'),
             $input->getOption('repository-url'),
             $input->getOption('no-custom-installers'),
             $input->getOption('no-scripts'),
diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php
index 85c21462a..05d3f37d9 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ class InstallCommand extends Command
                 new InputOption('prefer-source', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Forces installation from package sources when possible, including VCS information.'),
                 new InputOption('prefer-dist', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Forces installation from package dist even for dev versions.'),
                 new InputOption('dry-run', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Outputs the operations but will not execute anything (implicitly enables --verbose).'),
-                new InputOption('dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Enables installation of require-dev packages.'),
-                new InputOption('no-dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Disables installation of require-dev packages (enabled by default, only present for sanity).'),
+                new InputOption('dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Enables installation of require-dev packages (enabled by default, only present for BC).'),
+                new InputOption('no-dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Disables installation of require-dev packages.'),
                 new InputOption('no-custom-installers', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Disables all custom installers.'),
                 new InputOption('no-scripts', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Skips the execution of all scripts defined in composer.json file.'),
                 new InputOption('no-progress', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Do not output download progress.'),
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ EOT
             ->setVerbose($input->getOption('verbose'))
             ->setPreferSource($preferSource)
             ->setPreferDist($preferDist)
-            ->setDevMode($input->getOption('dev'))
+            ->setDevMode(!$input->getOption('no-dev'))
             ->setRunScripts(!$input->getOption('no-scripts'))
             ->setOptimizeAutoloader($input->getOption('optimize-autoloader'))
         ;
diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
index 0c5a49e33..dc103cf99 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class UpdateCommand extends Command
                 new InputOption('prefer-source', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Forces installation from package sources when possible, including VCS information.'),
                 new InputOption('prefer-dist', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Forces installation from package dist even for dev versions.'),
                 new InputOption('dry-run', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Outputs the operations but will not execute anything (implicitly enables --verbose).'),
-                new InputOption('dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Enables installation of require-dev packages (enabled by default, only present for sanity).'),
+                new InputOption('dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Enables installation of require-dev packages (enabled by default, only present for BC).'),
                 new InputOption('no-dev', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Disables installation of require-dev packages.'),
                 new InputOption('lock', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Only updates the lock file hash to suppress warning about the lock file being out of date.'),
                 new InputOption('no-custom-installers', null, InputOption::VALUE_NONE, 'Disables all custom installers.'),