diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index b6e316909..f929e9914 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -108,6 +108,11 @@ group :development do
   gem 'pry-rails'
 end
 
+# we are using a custom sprockets repo to work around: https://github.com/rails/rails/issues/8099#issuecomment-16137638
+# REVIEW EVERY RELEASE
+gem "sprockets", :git => "git://github.com/SamSaffron/sprockets.git", :branch => "rails-compat"
+
+
 # this is an optional gem, it provides a high performance replacement
 # to String#blank? a method that is called quite frequently in current
 # ActiveRecord, this may change in the future
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 9977466c1..ff2bf2ea0 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+GIT
+  remote: git://github.com/SamSaffron/sprockets.git
+  revision: bacf2ec4d4d10cd8d1ab25a6360740314c512237
+  branch: rails-compat
+  specs:
+    sprockets (2.2.3)
+      hike (~> 1.2)
+      multi_json (~> 1.0)
+      rack (~> 1.0)
+      tilt (~> 1.1, != 1.3.0)
+
 GIT
   remote: git://github.com/callahad/omniauth-browserid.git
   revision: af62d667626c1622de6fe13b60849c3640765ab1
@@ -209,7 +220,7 @@ GEM
     has_ip_address (0.0.1)
     hashie (1.2.0)
     highline (1.6.15)
-    hike (1.2.1)
+    hike (1.2.2)
     hiredis (0.4.5)
     httpauth (0.2.0)
     i18n (0.6.4)
@@ -434,11 +445,6 @@ GEM
       tilt (~> 1.3.3)
     slop (3.4.3)
     spork (0.9.2)
-    sprockets (2.2.2)
-      hike (~> 1.2)
-      multi_json (~> 1.0)
-      rack (~> 1.0)
-      tilt (~> 1.1, != 1.3.0)
     systemu (2.5.2)
     temple (0.5.5)
     terminal-notifier-guard (1.5.3)
@@ -543,6 +549,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   simplecov
   sinatra
   slim
+  sprockets!
   terminal-notifier-guard
   therubyracer
   thin
diff --git a/config/environments/development.rb b/config/environments/development.rb
index 98f7d9597..e3d58cfef 100644
--- a/config/environments/development.rb
+++ b/config/environments/development.rb
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ Discourse::Application.configure do
   # Do not compress assets
   config.assets.compress = false
 
-  # Concatenate all assets, even in development mode. This appears to be considerably
-  # faster for reloading in development mode.
-  config.assets.debug = ENV['DEBUG_ASSETS'] == "1"
+  # Don't Digest assets, makes debugging uglier
+  config.assets.digest = false
+
+  config.assets.debug = true
 
   config.watchable_dirs['lib'] = [:rb]
 
@@ -39,5 +40,8 @@ Discourse::Application.configure do
   BetterErrors::Middleware.allow_ip! ENV['TRUSTED_IP'] if ENV['TRUSTED_IP']
 
   config.enable_mini_profiler = true
+
+  require 'middleware/turbo_dev'
+  config.middleware.insert 0, Middleware::TurboDev
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/middleware/turbo_dev.rb b/lib/middleware/turbo_dev.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9b72eebb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/middleware/turbo_dev.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+module Middleware
+  # this class cheats and bypasses rails altogether if the client attme
+  class TurboDev
+    def initialize(app, settings={})
+      @app = app
+    end
+    def call(env)
+      # hack to bypass all middleware if serving assets, a lot faster 4.5 seconds -> 1.5 seconds
+      if (etag = env['HTTP_IF_NONE_MATCH']) && env['REQUEST_PATH'] =~ /^\/assets\//
+        name = $'
+        etag = etag.gsub "\"", ""
+        asset = Rails.application.assets.find_asset(name)
+        if asset && asset.digest == etag
+          return [304,{},[]]
+        end
+      end
+
+      @app.call(env)
+    end
+  end
+end