diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 3b4bdd3938d..e4b4238d8bb 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+next
+----
+
+- Fix `$ jbuilder --dev` (#1104, fixes #1103, @rgrinberg)
+
+
 1.1.0 (06/08/2018)
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/bin/main.ml b/bin/main.ml
index 6f9e6009e75..d9a8f494807 100644
--- a/bin/main.ml
+++ b/bin/main.ml
@@ -399,9 +399,10 @@ let common =
                & info ["dev"] ~docs
                    ~doc:{|Same as $(b,--profile dev)|})
         in
-        match dev with
-        | false -> `Ok false
-        | true ->
+        match dev, Which_program.t with
+        | false, (Dune | Jbuilder) -> `Ok false
+        | true, Jbuilder -> `Ok true
+        | true, Dune ->
           `Error
             (true, "--dev is no longer accepted as it is now the default.")
       and profile =
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/dune.inc b/test/blackbox-tests/dune.inc
index c41db9a7dd7..af7c5ab8e32 100644
--- a/test/blackbox-tests/dune.inc
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/dune.inc
@@ -95,6 +95,14 @@
    test-cases/depend-on-the-universe
    (progn (run %{exe:cram.exe} -test run.t) (diff? run.t run.t.corrected)))))
 
+(alias
+ (name dev-flag-1103)
+ (deps (package dune) (source_tree test-cases/dev-flag-1103))
+ (action
+  (chdir
+   test-cases/dev-flag-1103
+   (progn (run %{exe:cram.exe} -test run.t) (diff? run.t run.t.corrected)))))
+
 (alias
  (name dune-jbuild-var-case)
  (deps (package dune) (source_tree test-cases/dune-jbuild-var-case))
@@ -755,6 +763,7 @@
   (alias custom-build-dir)
   (alias dep-vars)
   (alias depend-on-the-universe)
+  (alias dev-flag-1103)
   (alias dune-jbuild-var-case)
   (alias dune-ppx-driver-system)
   (alias dune-project-edition)
@@ -848,6 +857,7 @@
   (alias custom-build-dir)
   (alias dep-vars)
   (alias depend-on-the-universe)
+  (alias dev-flag-1103)
   (alias dune-jbuild-var-case)
   (alias dune-ppx-driver-system)
   (alias dune-project-edition)
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/dev-flag-1103/run.t b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/dev-flag-1103/run.t
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..42eb527e8f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/dev-flag-1103/run.t
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+jbuilder --dev flag is accepted
+
+  $ jbuilder build --dev
+
+dune --dev flag is rejected
+
+  $ dune build --dev
+  dune: --dev is no longer accepted as it is now the default.
+  Usage: dune build [OPTION]... [TARGET]...
+  Try `dune build --help' or `dune --help' for more information.
+  [1]