diff --git a/packages/insomnia-app/app/main/updates.js b/packages/insomnia-app/app/main/updates.js
index 998d279090..9e118dce4c 100644
--- a/packages/insomnia-app/app/main/updates.js
+++ b/packages/insomnia-app/app/main/updates.js
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ async function getUpdateUrl (force: boolean): Promise<string | null> {
   const fullUrl = joinUrlAndQueryString(updateUrl, qs);
   console.log(`[updater] Using url ${fullUrl}`);
 
+  if (process.env.INSOMNIA_DISABLE_AUTOMATIC_UPDATES) {
+    console.log(`[updater] Disabled by INSOMNIA_DISABLE_AUTOMATIC_UPDATES environment variable`);
+    return null;
+  }
+
   if (isDevelopment()) {
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/packages/insomnia-app/package.json b/packages/insomnia-app/package.json
index 1e0c1a8d1a..c905bd4f8e 100644
--- a/packages/insomnia-app/package.json
+++ b/packages/insomnia-app/package.json
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     "test": "flow check && npm run lint && cross-env NODE_ENV=test jest --silent",
     "test-appveyor": "npm run test -- --maxWorkers 1",
     "bootstrap": "npm install && electron-rebuild -f -w node-libcurl",
-    "start:electron": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development webpack --config ./webpack/webpack.config.electron.babel.js && INSOMNIA_ENV=development electron .",
+    "start:electron": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development webpack --config ./webpack/webpack.config.electron.babel.js && electron .",
     "start:dev-server": "webpack-dev-server --config ./webpack/webpack.config.development.babel.js",
     "start": "concurrently --kill-others \"npm run start:dev-server\" \"npm run start:electron\"",
     "build": "node ./scripts/build.js",