diff --git a/src/vector/platform/WebPlatform.ts b/src/vector/platform/WebPlatform.ts
index 3f93ad712..0a82b28e3 100644
--- a/src/vector/platform/WebPlatform.ts
+++ b/src/vector/platform/WebPlatform.ts
@@ -38,20 +38,13 @@ export default class WebPlatform extends VectorBasePlatform {
         super();
 
         // load service worker if available on this platform
-        if ('serviceWorker' in navigator) {
-            // clean up old dummy sw.js
-            navigator.serviceWorker.getRegistration('sw.js').then(reg => reg.unregister());
-
-            // Service worker is disabled in webpack-dev-server: https://github.com/GoogleChrome/workbox/issues/1790
-            if (!process.env.WEBPACK_DEV_SERVER) {
-                navigator.serviceWorker.register('service-worker.js');
-            } else {
-                // we no longer run workbox when in webpack-dev-server, clean it up
-                navigator.serviceWorker.getRegistration('service-worker.js').then(reg => reg.unregister());
-            }
+        // Service worker is disabled in development: https://github.com/GoogleChrome/workbox/issues/1790
+        if ('serviceWorker' in navigator && process.env.NODE_ENV === "production") {
+            navigator.serviceWorker.register('service-worker.js');
         }
     }
 
+
     getHumanReadableName(): string {
         return 'Web Platform'; // no translation required: only used for analytics
     }
diff --git a/webpack.config.js b/webpack.config.js
index a3a8af31c..1b59d8740 100644
--- a/webpack.config.js
+++ b/webpack.config.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 const path = require('path');
-const {EnvironmentPlugin} = require('webpack');
 const HtmlWebpackPlugin = require('html-webpack-plugin');
 const MiniCssExtractPlugin = require('mini-css-extract-plugin');
 const TerserPlugin = require('terser-webpack-plugin');
@@ -33,8 +32,6 @@ module.exports = (env, argv) => {
     const jsSdkSrcDir = path.resolve(require.resolve("matrix-js-sdk/package.json"), '..', 'src');
 
     const plugins = [
-        new EnvironmentPlugin(["WEBPACK_DEV_SERVER"]), // pass this as it is used for conditionally loading workbox
-
         // This exports our CSS using the splitChunks and loaders above.
         new MiniCssExtractPlugin({
             filename: 'bundles/[hash]/[name].css',
@@ -95,8 +92,7 @@ module.exports = (env, argv) => {
         }),
     ];
 
-    const isDevServer = process.env.WEBPACK_DEV_SERVER;
-    if (!isDevServer) {
+    if (argv.mode === "production") {
         plugins.push(new WorkboxPlugin.GenerateSW({
             maximumFileSizeToCacheInBytes: 22000000,
             runtimeCaching: [{