diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index cf10969126..14db798c38 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ jobs:
 
     env:
       RUST_BACKTRACE: full
-      DENO_BUILD_MODE: release
       RUSTC_WRAPPER: sccache
       V8_BINARY: true
 
@@ -157,9 +156,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build debug
         if: matrix.kind == 'test_debug'
-        run: |
-          echo ::set-env name=DENO_BUILD_MODE::debug
-          cargo build --locked --all-targets
+        run: cargo build --locked --all-targets
 
       - name: Test release
         if: matrix.kind == 'test_release'
@@ -167,13 +164,11 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Test debug
         if: matrix.kind == 'test_debug'
-        run: |
-          echo ::set-env name=DENO_BUILD_MODE::debug
-          cargo test --locked --all-targets
+        run: cargo test --locked --all-targets
 
       - name: Run Benchmarks
         if: matrix.kind == 'bench'
-        run: python ./tools/benchmark.py target/release
+        run: python ./tools/benchmark.py --release
 
       - name: Post Benchmarks
         if: matrix.kind == 'bench' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/master' && github.repository == 'denoland/deno'
@@ -181,7 +176,7 @@ jobs:
           DENOBOT_PAT: ${{ secrets.DENOBOT_PAT }}
         run: |
           git clone --depth 1 -b gh-pages https://${DENOBOT_PAT}@github.com/denoland/benchmark_data.git gh-pages
-          python ./tools/build_benchmark_jsons.py
+          python ./tools/build_benchmark_jsons.py --release
           cd gh-pages
           git config user.email "propelml@gmail.com"
           git config user.name "denobot"
diff --git a/cli/tests/integration_tests.rs b/cli/tests/integration_tests.rs
index b35ab1a7d6..ba1880b803 100644
--- a/cli/tests/integration_tests.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/integration_tests.rs
@@ -1996,8 +1996,8 @@ mod util {
       .env("DENO_DIR", DENO_DIR.path())
       .current_dir(root_path())
       .arg(script)
+      .arg(format!("--build-dir={}", target_dir().display()))
       .arg(format!("--executable={}", deno_exe_path().display()))
-      .env("DENO_BUILD_PATH", target_dir())
       .output()
       .expect("failed to spawn script");
     if !output.status.success() {
diff --git a/core/examples/http_bench.rs b/core/examples/http_bench.rs
index 9b1edd9bf8..159f23fb5e 100644
--- a/core/examples/http_bench.rs
+++ b/core/examples/http_bench.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
-/// To run this benchmark:
-///
-/// > DENO_BUILD_MODE=release ./tools/build.py && \
-///   ./target/release/deno_core_http_bench --multi-thread
-
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate derive_deref;
 #[macro_use]
diff --git a/std/manual.md b/std/manual.md
index c7c9cef804..3d74259ef0 100644
--- a/std/manual.md
+++ b/std/manual.md
@@ -1603,40 +1603,6 @@ Format the code:
 ./tools/format.py
 ```
 
-#### Other Useful Commands
-
-```bash
-# Call ninja manually.
-ninja -C target/debug
-
-# Build a release binary.
-cargo build --release
-
-# List executable targets.
-gn --root=core/libdeno ls target/debug "//:*" --as=output --type=executable
-
-# List build configuration.
-gn --root=core/libdeno args target/debug/ --list
-
-# Edit build configuration.
-gn --root=core/libdeno args target/debug/
-
-# Describe a target.
-gn --root=core/libdeno desc target/debug/ :deno
-gn help
-
-# Update third_party modules
-git submodule update
-
-# Skip downloading binary build tools and point the build
-# to the system provided ones (for packagers of deno ...).
-export DENO_BUILD_ARGS="clang_base_path=/usr clang_use_chrome_plugins=false"
-DENO_NO_BINARY_DOWNLOAD=1 DENO_GN_PATH=/usr/bin/gn cargo build
-```
-
-Environment variables: `DENO_BUILD_MODE`, `DENO_BUILD_PATH`, `DENO_BUILD_ARGS`,
-`DENO_DIR`, `DENO_GN_PATH`, `DENO_NO_BINARY_DOWNLOAD`.
-
 ### Submitting a Pull Request
 
 Before submitting, please make sure the following is done:
diff --git a/tools/benchmark.py b/tools/benchmark.py
index c29ca3e8ca..031da263b9 100755
--- a/tools/benchmark.py
+++ b/tools/benchmark.py
@@ -223,15 +223,8 @@ def bundle_benchmark(deno_exe):
     return sizes
 
 
-def main(argv):
-    if len(argv) == 2:
-        build_dir = sys.argv[1]
-    elif len(argv) == 1:
-        build_dir = build_path()
-    else:
-        print "Usage: tools/benchmark.py [build_dir]"
-        sys.exit(1)
-
+def main():
+    build_dir = build_path()
     sha1 = run_output(["git", "rev-parse", "HEAD"],
                       exit_on_fail=True).out.strip()
     http_server.spawn()
@@ -271,4 +264,4 @@ def main(argv):
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    main(sys.argv)
+    main()
diff --git a/tools/target_test.py b/tools/target_test.py
index 2df09f9eba..192f4183a0 100644
--- a/tools/target_test.py
+++ b/tools/target_test.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import os
 import sys
 
 from test_util import DenoTestCase, run_tests
-from util import build_mode, executable_suffix, tests_path, run, run_output
+from util import executable_suffix, tests_path, run, run_output
 
 
 class TestTarget(DenoTestCase):
diff --git a/tools/util.py b/tools/util.py
index d49af71ce9..c4aaa1e5b4 100644
--- a/tools/util.py
+++ b/tools/util.py
@@ -204,21 +204,16 @@ def rmtree(directory):
     shutil.rmtree(directory, onerror=rm_readonly)
 
 
-def build_mode(default="debug"):
-    if "DENO_BUILD_MODE" in os.environ:
-        return os.environ["DENO_BUILD_MODE"]
-    elif "--release" in sys.argv:
+def build_mode():
+    if "--release" in sys.argv:
         return "release"
     else:
-        return default
+        return "debug"
 
 
 # E.G. "target/debug"
 def build_path():
-    if "DENO_BUILD_PATH" in os.environ:
-        return os.environ["DENO_BUILD_PATH"]
-    else:
-        return os.path.join(root_path, "target", build_mode())
+    return os.path.join(root_path, "target", build_mode())
 
 
 def parse_exit_code(s):