diff --git a/.github/workflows/plugin_test.yaml b/.github/workflows/plugin_test.yaml
index 07c4d69..13274b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/plugin_test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/plugin_test.yaml
@@ -38,13 +38,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Configure plugin's default Python interpreter
         run: |
           echo "PLZ_ARGS=-o plugin.python.defaultinterpreter:${{ steps.python.outputs.python-path }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-      - name: Build please_pex
+      - name: Configure plugin to use please_pex tool built from source
         if: inputs.please_pex_from_repo
-        # This copies the please_pex binary into the runner user's home directory so it persists across steps.
         run: |
-          ./pleasew build //tools/please_pex
-          cp $(./pleasew query outputs //tools/please_pex) $HOME/please_pex
-          echo "PLZ_ARGS="$(grep ^PLZ_ARGS= $GITHUB_ENV | cut -d= -f2-)" -o plugin.python.pextool:$HOME/please_pex" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "PLZ_ARGS="$(grep ^PLZ_ARGS= $GITHUB_ENV | cut -d= -f2-)" -o plugin.python.pextool://tools/please_pex" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Run tests
         run: ./pleasew test --keep_going --log_file plz-out/log/test.log ${{ inputs.test_targets }}
       - name: Archive logs
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 540cc99..612d9ce 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-tools/please_pex_dev
-
 # Entries below this point are managed by Please (DO NOT EDIT)
 plz-out
 .plzconfig.local
diff --git a/.plzconfig.tool_dev b/.plzconfig.tool_dev
deleted file mode 100644
index 07d5a6c..0000000
--- a/.plzconfig.tool_dev
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-; This configuration uses the in-repo versions of the Python tools, rather than the released
-; versions that are downloaded from GitHub Releases in //tools.
-;
-; To use this configuration:
-; 1) Run `plz build //tools/please_pex`
-; 2) Run `cp -f plz-out/bin/tools/please_pex/please_pex tools/please_pex_dev`
-; 3) Run `plz --profile=tool_dev [...]`
-
-[Plugin "python"]
-PexTool = //tools:please_pex_dev
-
-[BuildEnv]
-tool-dev = true
diff --git a/tools/BUILD b/tools/BUILD
index f07fc90..aa24406 100644
--- a/tools/BUILD
+++ b/tools/BUILD
@@ -13,16 +13,3 @@ remote_file(
     binary = True,
     visibility = ["PUBLIC"],
 )
-
-# This target is only intended for use during plugin development. Its only purpose is to break the
-# mutual dependency between please_pex and the python_wheels in the bootstrap pex, which prevents
-# PexTool from being set to //tools/please_pex in order to test changes to please_pex.
-#
-# See .plzconfig.tool_test for more details.
-filegroup(
-    name = "please_pex_dev",
-    srcs = ["please_pex_dev"],
-    binary = True,
-    labels = ["manual"],
-    visibility = ["PUBLIC"],
-)