diff --git a/install/static/index.xhtml b/install/static/index.xhtml
index 489f192b6..8e231f455 100644
--- a/install/static/index.xhtml
+++ b/install/static/index.xhtml
@@ -7,17 +7,8 @@
 
     <script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.cookie.js"></script>
-
-    <script type="text/javascript">
-        /* the develop.js file that follows will set this to true.
-           that file should only exist in the source file system
-           and should not get deployed to the web server */
-        var useSampleData = false;
-    </script>
-
     <script type="text/javascript" src="ipa.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="navigation.js"></script>
-    <script type="text/javascript" src="sampledata/develop.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="search.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="details.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript" src="add.js"></script>
diff --git a/install/static/ipa.js b/install/static/ipa.js
index fd93c1a30..63101a710 100644
--- a/install/static/ipa.js
+++ b/install/static/ipa.js
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ var _ipa_init_on_win_callback = null;
 var qs;
 
 
+var useSampleData = (window.location.protocol == "file:");
+
 
 function ipa_init(url, on_win)
 {
diff --git a/install/static/sampledata/develop.js b/install/static/sampledata/develop.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 5c5275b5b..000000000
--- a/install/static/sampledata/develop.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-//This should not be packaged up, and so we should only get a true value when working inside the file system
-useSampleData = true;
-