diff --git a/bin/steps/pip-install b/bin/steps/pip-install
index 6159a07..643344d 100755
--- a/bin/steps/pip-install
+++ b/bin/steps/pip-install
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ if [ ! "$SKIP_PIP_INSTALL" ]; then
     # Cache pip packages ourselves
     ## TODO: Update to cache pip's built-in cache
 
-    # Update cached version of requirements.txt
-    cp -R $BUILD_DIR/requirements.txt "$CACHE_DIR/.heroku/requirements.txt"
+    # # Update cached version of requirements.txt
+    # cp -R $BUILD_DIR/requirements.txt "$CACHE_DIR/.heroku/requirements.txt"
 
     cp requirements.txt .heroku/python/requirements-declared.txt
     /app/.heroku/python/bin/pip freeze --disable-pip-version-check > .heroku/python/requirements-installed.txt
diff --git a/bin/steps/python b/bin/steps/python
index eef658f..92cf400 100755
--- a/bin/steps/python
+++ b/bin/steps/python
@@ -95,14 +95,26 @@ if [ -f .heroku/python-version ]; then
   fi
 fi
 
-
-
-echo "$(diff "$BUILD_DIR/requirements.txt" "$CACHE_DIR/.heroku/requirements.txt")"
-
-# Remove python dependencies
-if [[ ! -f "$CACHE_DIR/.heroku/requirements.txt" ]] || ! diff "$BUILD_DIR/requirements.txt" "$CACHE_DIR/.heroku/requirements.txt" ; then
+# Check if we should reinstall python dependencies
+if [[ ! -f "$CACHE_DIR/.heroku/requirements.txt" ]]; then
+  # IF there's no cached dependencies, update cached version of requirements.txt
+  # This should only run for new apps and first deploys after this update
+  cp -R $BUILD_DIR/requirements.txt "$CACHE_DIR/.heroku/requirements.txt"
+  # If we don't already have a python version, this is a new app
+  if [ -f .heroku/python-version ]; then
     puts-step "Clearing cached dependencies"
+    # if there are any differences, clear the Python cache
+    # Installing Python over again does not take noticably more time
     rm -rf .heroku/python
+  fi
+else
+  # IF there IS a cached directory, check for differences with the new one
+  if ! diff "$BUILD_DIR/requirements.txt" "$CACHE_DIR/.heroku/requirements.txt"; then
+    puts-step "Clearing cached dependencies"
+    # if there are any differences, clear the Python cache
+    # Installing Python over again does not take noticably more time
+    rm -rf .heroku/python
+  fi
 fi
 
 if [ ! "$SKIP_INSTALL" ]; then