diff --git a/functions b/functions
index 262f70f29f..4b8a06e738 100644
--- a/functions
+++ b/functions
@@ -1126,9 +1126,9 @@ function service_check() {
 }
 
 
-# ``pip install`` the dependencies of the package before ``setup.py develop``
-# so pip and not distutils processes the dependency chain
-# Uses globals ``TRACK_DEPENDES``, ``*_proxy`
+# ``pip install -e`` the package, which processes the dependencies
+# using pip before running `setup.py develop`
+# Uses globals ``STACK_USER``, ``TRACK_DEPENDES``, ``*_proxy`
 # setup_develop directory
 function setup_develop() {
     if [[ $TRACK_DEPENDS = True ]]; then
@@ -1136,19 +1136,13 @@ function setup_develop() {
     else
         SUDO_CMD="sudo"
     fi
-    for reqs_file in $1/requirements.txt $1/tools/pip-requires ; do
-        if [ -f $reqs_file ] ; then
-            pip_install -r $reqs_file
-        fi
-    done
-    (cd $1; \
-        python setup.py egg_info; \
-        $SUDO_CMD \
-            HTTP_PROXY=$http_proxy \
-            HTTPS_PROXY=$https_proxy \
-            NO_PROXY=$no_proxy \
-            python setup.py develop \
-    )
+    $SUDO_CMD \
+        HTTP_PROXY=$http_proxy \
+        HTTPS_PROXY=$https_proxy \
+        NO_PROXY=$no_proxy \
+        pip install -e $1
+    # ensure that further actions can do things like setup.py sdist
+    $SUDO_CMD chown -R $STACK_USER $1/*.egg-info
 }