diff --git a/packages/core/src/nuxt.js b/packages/core/src/nuxt.js
index ac8201c2bd..1d7c791d4e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/nuxt.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/nuxt.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export default class Nuxt extends Hookable {
   }
 
   static get version () {
-    return (global.__NUXT && global.__NUXT.version) || `v${version}`
+    return `v${version}` + (global.__NUXT_DEV__ ? '-development' : '')
   }
 
   ready () {
diff --git a/packages/core/test/nuxt.test.js b/packages/core/test/nuxt.test.js
index 5d458d12d8..d73525c97b 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/nuxt.test.js
+++ b/packages/core/test/nuxt.test.js
@@ -80,16 +80,6 @@ describe('core: nuxt', () => {
     expect(Nuxt.version).toEqual(`v${version}`)
   })
 
-  test('should return nuxt version from global.__NUXT', () => {
-    global.__NUXT = {
-      version: 'latest'
-    }
-
-    expect(Nuxt.version).toEqual('latest')
-
-    delete global.__NUXT
-  })
-
   test('should call module/server ready in nuxt.ready', async () => {
     const nuxt = new Nuxt()
 
diff --git a/scripts/dev.js b/scripts/dev.js
index 8715e654e0..6a823e5a40 100755
--- a/scripts/dev.js
+++ b/scripts/dev.js
@@ -12,38 +12,8 @@ const useCjs = [
 const stub = {
   es: 'export * from \'../src/index\'',
   cjs: `const _require = typeof jest === 'undefined' ? require('esm')(module) : require
-
-const execa = require('execa')
-
-global.__NUXT = {}
-Object.defineProperty(global.__NUXT, 'version', {
-  enumerable: true,
-  get() {
-    try {
-      const { stdout } = execa.sync('git', ['status', '-s', '-b', '--porcelain=2'])
-
-      const status = { dirty: false }
-      for (const line of stdout.split('\\n')) {
-        if (line[0] === '#') {
-          const match = line.match(/branch\\.([^\\s]+) (.*)$/)
-          if (match && match.length) {
-            status[match[1]] = match[2]
-          }
-        } else {
-          status.dirty = true
-          break
-        }
-      }
-
-      return \`git<\${status.head}\${status.dirty ? '~' : '-'}\${(status.oid && status.oid.substr(0, 7)) || ''}>\` +
-        (status.ab ? \` (\${status.ab})\` : '')
-    } catch (err) {
-      return 'source'
-    }
-  }
-})
-
-module.exports = _require('../src/index')
+  global.__NUXT_DEV__ = true
+  module.exports = _require('../src/index')
 `
 }