diff --git a/bootstrap/archlinux.sh b/bootstrap/archlinux.sh
index fbe0987fe..6de7c23d4 100755
--- a/bootstrap/archlinux.sh
+++ b/bootstrap/archlinux.sh
@@ -1,2 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-pacman -S git python2 python2-virtualenv gcc dialog augeas openssl libffi ca-certificates
\ No newline at end of file
+
+# "python-virtualenv" is Python3, but "python2-virtualenv" provides
+# only "virtualenv2" binary, not "virtualenv" necessary in
+# ./bootstrap/dev/_common_venv.sh
+pacman -S \
+  git \
+  python2 \
+  python-virtualenv \
+  gcc \
+  dialog \
+  augeas \
+  openssl \
+  libffi \
+  ca-certificates \
diff --git a/bootstrap/dev/README b/bootstrap/dev/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..759496187
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bootstrap/dev/README
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This directory contains developer setup.
diff --git a/bootstrap/dev/_venv_common.sh b/bootstrap/dev/_venv_common.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..2d84dc39b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bootstrap/dev/_venv_common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/bin/sh -xe
+
+VENV_NAME=${VENV_NAME:-venv}
+
+# .egg-info directories tend to cause bizzaire problems (e.g. `pip -e
+# .` might unexpectedly install letshelp-letsencrypt only, in case
+# `python letshelp-letsencrypt/setup.py build` has been called
+# earlier)
+rm -rf *.egg-info
+
+# virtualenv setup is NOT idempotent: shutil.Error:
+# `/home/jakub/dev/letsencrypt/letsencrypt/venv/bin/python2` and
+# `venv/bin/python2` are the same file
+mv $VENV_NAME "$VENV_NAME.$(date +%s).bak" || true
+virtualenv --no-site-packages $VENV_NAME $VENV_ARGS
+. ./$VENV_NAME/bin/activate
+
+# Separately install setuptools and pip to make sure following
+# invocations use latest
+pip install -U setuptools
+pip install -U pip
+pip install "$@"
+
+echo "Please run the following command to activate developer environment:"
+echo "source $VENV_NAME/bin/activate"
diff --git a/bootstrap/dev/venv.sh b/bootstrap/dev/venv.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..90088ac9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bootstrap/dev/venv.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/sh -xe
+# Developer virtualenv setup for Let's Encrypt client
+
+./bootstrap/dev/_venv_common.sh \
+  -r requirements.txt \
+  -e acme[testing] \
+  -e .[dev,docs,testing] \
+  -e letsencrypt-apache \
+  -e letsencrypt-nginx \
+  -e letshelp-letsencrypt \
+  -e letsencrypt-compatibility-test
diff --git a/bootstrap/dev/venv3.sh b/bootstrap/dev/venv3.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..ccffffb83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bootstrap/dev/venv3.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/bin/sh -xe
+# Developer Python3 virtualenv setup for Let's Encrypt
+
+export VENV_NAME="${VENV_NAME:-venv3}"
+export VENV_ARGS="--python python3"
+
+./bootstrap/dev/_venv_common.sh \
+  -e acme[testing] \
diff --git a/docs/contributing.rst b/docs/contributing.rst
index c746c6ae7..3959ccee1 100644
--- a/docs/contributing.rst
+++ b/docs/contributing.rst
@@ -7,39 +7,38 @@ Contributing
 Hacking
 =======
 
-Start by :doc:`installing dependencies and setting up Let's Encrypt
-<using>`.
-
-When you're done activate the virtualenv:
-
-.. code-block:: shell
-
-   source ./venv/bin/activate
-
-This step should prepend you prompt with ``(venv)`` and save you from
-typing ``./venv/bin/...``. It is also required to run some of the
-`testing`_ tools. Virtualenv can be disabled at any time by typing
-``deactivate``. More information can be found in `virtualenv
-documentation`_.
-
-Install the development packages:
-
-.. code-block:: shell
-
-   pip install -r requirements.txt -e acme -e .[dev,docs,testing] -e letsencrypt-apache -e letsencrypt-nginx -e letshelp-letsencrypt
-
-.. note:: `-e` (short for `--editable`) turns on *editable mode* in
-          which any source code changes in the current working
-          directory are "live" and no further `pip install ...`
-          invocations are necessary while developing.
-
-          This is roughly equivalent to `python setup.py develop`. For
-          more info see `man pip`.
-
 The code base, including your pull requests, **must** have 100% unit
 test coverage, pass our `integration`_ tests **and** be compliant with
 the :ref:`coding style <coding-style>`.
 
+
+Bootstrap
+---------
+
+Start by :ref:`installing Let's Encrypt prerequisites
+<prerequisites>`. Then run:
+
+.. code-block:: shell
+
+   ./bootstrap/dev/venv.sh
+
+Activate the virtualenv:
+
+.. code-block:: shell
+
+   source ./$VENV_NAME/bin/activate
+
+This step should prepend you prompt with ``($VENV_NAME)`` and save you
+from typing ``./$VENV_NAME/bin/...``. It is also required to run some
+of the `testing`_ tools. Virtualenv can be disabled at any time by
+typing ``deactivate``. More information can be found in `virtualenv
+documentation`_.
+
+Note that packages are installed in so called *editable mode*, in
+which any source code changes in the current working directory are
+"live" and no further ``./bootstrap/dev/venv.sh`` or ``pip install
+...`` invocations are necessary while developing.
+
 .. _`virtualenv documentation`: https://virtualenv.pypa.io
 
 
diff --git a/docs/using.rst b/docs/using.rst
index cfce29bae..53ecd72b5 100644
--- a/docs/using.rst
+++ b/docs/using.rst
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ above method instead.
    https://github.com/letsencrypt/letsencrypt/archive/master.zip
 
 
+.. _prerequisites:
+
 Prerequisites
 =============