diff --git a/cms/envs/aws.py b/cms/envs/aws.py
index f7dc2fec54..0aa0e59951 100644
--- a/cms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/cms/envs/aws.py
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ CELERY_ROUTES = "{}celery.Router".format(QUEUE_VARIANT)
 with open(CONFIG_ROOT / CONFIG_PREFIX + "env.json") as env_file:
     ENV_TOKENS = json.load(env_file)
 
+# Do NOT calculate this dynamically at startup with git because it's *slow*.
+EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = ENV_TOKENS.get('EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION', EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION)
+
 # STATIC_URL_BASE specifies the base url to use for static files
 STATIC_URL_BASE = ENV_TOKENS.get('STATIC_URL_BASE', None)
 if STATIC_URL_BASE:
diff --git a/cms/envs/common.py b/cms/envs/common.py
index 0f5160985a..cd035a3104 100644
--- a/cms/envs/common.py
+++ b/cms/envs/common.py
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ from warnings import simplefilter
 
 from lms.djangoapps.lms_xblock.mixin import LmsBlockMixin
 from cms.lib.xblock.authoring_mixin import AuthoringMixin
-import dealer.git
 from xmodule.modulestore.edit_info import EditInfoMixin
 from openedx.core.djangoapps.theming.helpers_dirs import (
     get_themes_unchecked,
@@ -333,7 +332,6 @@ CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
     'django.template.context_processors.i18n',
     'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',  # this is required for admin
     'django.template.context_processors.csrf',
-    'dealer.contrib.django.staff.context_processor',  # access git revision
     'help_tokens.context_processor',
 )
 
@@ -611,15 +609,8 @@ SERVER_EMAIL = 'devops@example.com'
 ADMINS = []
 MANAGERS = ADMINS
 
-EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = os.environ.get('EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION')
-
-if not EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION:
-    try:
-        # Get git revision of the current file
-        EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = dealer.git.Backend(path=REPO_ROOT).revision
-    except TypeError:
-        # Not a git repository
-        EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = 'unknown'
+# Initialize to 'unknown', but read from JSON in aws.py
+EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = 'unknown'
 
 # Static content
 STATIC_URL = '/static/studio/'
diff --git a/lms/envs/aws.py b/lms/envs/aws.py
index 94d54fb0df..fb3dbf666d 100644
--- a/lms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/lms/envs/aws.py
@@ -1080,6 +1080,9 @@ ACE_CHANNEL_SAILTHRU_API_KEY = AUTH_TOKENS.get('ACE_CHANNEL_SAILTHRU_API_KEY', A
 ACE_CHANNEL_SAILTHRU_API_SECRET = AUTH_TOKENS.get('ACE_CHANNEL_SAILTHRU_API_SECRET', ACE_CHANNEL_SAILTHRU_API_SECRET)
 ACE_ROUTING_KEY = ENV_TOKENS.get('ACE_ROUTING_KEY', ACE_ROUTING_KEY)
 
+# Do NOT calculate this dynamically at startup with git because it's *slow*.
+EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = ENV_TOKENS.get('EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION', EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION)
+
 ########################## Extra middleware classes  #######################
 
 # Allow extra middleware classes to be added to the app through configuration.
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 5c5906e238..66e26dcb28 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import imp
 import sys
 import os
 
-import dealer.git
 import django
 from path import Path as path
 from warnings import simplefilter
@@ -3452,11 +3451,5 @@ ACE_CHANNEL_SAILTHRU_API_SECRET = None
 
 ACE_ROUTING_KEY = LOW_PRIORITY_QUEUE
 
-EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = os.environ.get('EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION')
-if not EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION:
-    try:
-        # Get git revision of the current file
-        EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = dealer.git.Backend(path=REPO_ROOT).revision
-    except TypeError:
-        # Not a git repository
-        EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = 'unknown'
+# Initialize to 'unknown', but read from JSON in aws.py
+EDX_PLATFORM_REVISION = 'unknown'
diff --git a/requirements/edx/base.txt b/requirements/edx/base.txt
index 470f515478..397309d9ce 100644
--- a/requirements/edx/base.txt
+++ b/requirements/edx/base.txt
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ boto==2.39.0
 celery==3.1.18
 cryptography==1.9
 cssselect==0.9.1
-dealer==2.0.4
 defusedxml==0.4.1
 django-babel-underscore==0.5.2
 markey==0.8  # From django-babel-underscore