diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c96f35a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# https://docs.github.com/github/administering-a-repository/configuration-options-for-dependency-updates
+version: 2
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
+    directory: "/" # Location of package manifests
+    schedule:
+      interval: "monthly"
+  - package-ecosystem: "julia"
+    directories: # Location of Julia projects
+      - "/"
+      - "/docs"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "weekly"
diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index 03726c3..7f800ee 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name = "MLJModelRegistryTools"
 uuid = "0a96183e-380b-4aa6-be10-c555140810f2"
 authors = ["Anthony D. Blaom <anthony.blaom@gmail.com>"]
-version = "0.1.2"
+version = "0.1.3"
 
 [deps]
 Distributed = "8ba89e20-285c-5b6f-9357-94700520ee1b"
diff --git a/src/GenericRegistry.jl b/src/GenericRegistry.jl
index f054ad4..eff2aaa 100644
--- a/src/GenericRegistry.jl
+++ b/src/GenericRegistry.jl
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ standard library, `Pkg`.
   execute a Julia expression there; results are returned as `Future` objects, to allow
   asynchronous `run` calls. Useful for generating metadata about a package.
 
-- [`GenericRegistry.close(future)`](@ref): Shut down the process intitiated by the `run`
+- [`GenericRegistry.close(future)`](@ref): Shut down the process initiated by the `run`
   call that returned `future` (after calling `fetch(future)` to get the result of
   evaluation).
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ end
 # # METHODS
 
 """
-    GenericRegistry.run([setup,] packages, program; environment=nothing)
+    GenericRegistry.run([setup,] packages, program; environment="")
 
 Assuming a package `environment` path is specified, do the following in a new Julia
 process:
@@ -136,13 +136,13 @@ If `environment` is unspecified, then a fresh temporary environment is activated
 packages listed in `packages` are manually added between Steps 2 and 3 above.
 
 """
-function run(setup, pkgs, program; environment=nothing)
+function run(setup, pkgs, program; environment="")
     pkgs isa Vector || (pkgs = [pkgs,])
     imports =  [:(import $(Symbol(pkg))) for pkg in pkgs]
     ex = quote
         using Pkg
     end
-    if isnothing(environment)
+    if isempty(environment)
         push!(
             ex.args,
             quote
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ function run(setup, pkgs, program; environment=nothing)
         )
     end
     push!(ex.args, quote $setup end)
-    if isnothing(environment)
+    if isempty(environment)
         additions = [:(Pkg.add($pkg)) for pkg in pkgs]
         push!(
             ex.args,
diff --git a/src/MLJModelRegistryTools.jl b/src/MLJModelRegistryTools.jl
index ab5426c..502d962 100644
--- a/src/MLJModelRegistryTools.jl
+++ b/src/MLJModelRegistryTools.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 """
     MLJModelRegistryTools
 
+!!! note
+
+    Issues around packages in the MLJ model registry that use PythonCall necessitate `update` workarounds. See [https://github.com/JuliaAI/MLJModelRegistryTools.jl/issues/10](https://github.com/JuliaAI/MLJModelRegistryTools.jl/issues/10).
+
 Module providing tools for managing the MLJ Model Registry. To modify the registry:
 
 - Make sure the MLJModelRegistryTools.jl `[compat]` entry for MLJModels is up to date. If
@@ -22,11 +26,11 @@ Module providing tools for managing the MLJ Model Registry. To modify the regist
 - Point the `MLJModelRegistryTools` module to the location of the registry itself within
   your MLJModels.jl clone, using `setpath(path_to_registry)`, as in
   `setpath("MyPkgs/MLJModels.jl/src/registry")`. To check this worked, try
-  `MLJRegistryTools.get("MLJBase")`, to see the MLJBase.jl models.
+  `MLJModelRegistryTools.get("MLJBase")`, to see the MLJBase.jl models.
 
 - To add or update the metadata associated with a package, run [`update(pkg)`](@ref), as
-  in `update("MLJTransforms"). Ensure that every model provided by the package appears as a
-  key in the returned value. Omissions may indicate a bad `load_path`.
+  in `update("MLJTransforms")`. Ensure that every model provided by the package appears as
+  a key in the returned value. Omissions may indicate a bad `load_path`.
 
 - Assuming this is successful, update the metadata for *all* packages in the registry
   by running [`update()`](@ref).
diff --git a/src/init.jl b/src/init.jl
index 6b25a1f..4e55713 100644
--- a/src/init.jl
+++ b/src/init.jl
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
 function __init__()
+    dev = parse(Bool, Base.get(ENV, "DEVELOPING_MLJ_MODEL_REGISTRY_TOOLS", "false"))
+    if !dev
+        @info "If you are developing MLJModelRegistryTools.jl, be sure to set "*
+            "`ENV[\"DEVELOPING_MLJ_MODEL_REGISTRY_TOOLS\"] = \"true\"`. Otherwise, "*
+            "the methods from `src/remote_methods.jl` from the *registered* version "*
+            "of MLJModelRegistryTools.jl get applied during update, not the dev "*
+            "versions. "
+    end
     global REGISTRY_PATH=Ref("")
 end
diff --git a/src/methods.jl b/src/methods.jl
index ee78438..6846f19 100644
--- a/src/methods.jl
+++ b/src/methods.jl
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ err_invalid_packages(skip, env) = ArgumentError(
 const INFO_BE_PATIENT1 = "Be patient. This could take a minute or so ... "
 const INFO_BE_PATIENT10 = "Be patient. This could take ten minutes or so ..."
 
+function warn_developing()
+        dev = parse(Bool, Base.get(ENV, "DEVELOPING_MLJ_MODEL_REGISTRY_TOOLS", "false"))
+        dev && @info "Registry tools working in development mode. Set "*
+            "`ENV[\"DEVELOPING_MLJ_MODEL_REGISTRY_TOOLS\"] = \"false\"` "*
+            "to change this. "
+end
+
 
 # # HELPERS
 
@@ -25,7 +32,7 @@ function clean!(dic, pkg)
     return dic
 end
 
-# develop MLJModelRegistryTools into the specifified `registry` project:
+# develop MLJModelRegistryTools into the specified `registry` project:
 function setup(registry)
     ex = quote
         # Pkg.develop(path=$ROOT)
@@ -36,7 +43,7 @@ function setup(registry)
     GenericRegistry.close(future)
 end
 
-# remove MLJModelRegistryTools from the specifified `registry` project:
+# remove MLJModelRegistryTools from the specified `registry` project:
 function cleanup(registry)
     ex = quote
         Pkg.rm("MLJModelRegistryTools")
@@ -64,9 +71,13 @@ function metadata(pkg; registry="", check_traits=true)
             throw(err_missing_package(pkg, registry))
         setup=()
     else
+        dev = parse(Bool, Base.get(ENV, "DEVELOPING_MLJ_MODEL_REGISTRY_TOOLS", "false"))
         setup = quote
-            # Pkg.develop(path=$ROOT)
-            Pkg.add("MLJModelRegistryTools")
+            if $dev
+                Pkg.develop(path=$ROOT)
+            else
+                Pkg.add("MLJModelRegistryTools")
+            end
         end
     end
     program = quote
@@ -103,8 +114,10 @@ strings, and record this in the MLJ model registry (write it to
 
 Assumes `pkg` is already a dependency in the Julia environment defined at `/registry/` and
 uses the version of `pkg` consistent with the current environment manifest, after
-MLJModelRegistryTools.jl has been `develop`ed into that environment (it is removed again after
-the update). See documentation for details on the registration process.
+MLJModelRegistryTools.jl has been `add`ed into that environment (it is removed again after
+the update). (To `dev` the tools instead, you need to set
+`ENV["DEVELOPING_MLJ_MODEL_REGISTRY_TOOLS"] = "true"`.) See documentation for details on
+the registration process.
 
 ```julia-repl
 julia> update("MLJDecisionTreeInterface")
@@ -132,6 +145,7 @@ The metadata dictionary, keyed on models (more precisely, constructors, thereof)
 
 """
 function update(pkg; debug=false, manifest=true, check_traits=true)
+    warn_developing()
     registry = manifest ? registry_path() : ""
     @info INFO_BE_PATIENT1
     update(pkg, debug ? Loud() : Quiet(), registry, check_traits)
@@ -186,6 +200,7 @@ function update(
     manifest=true,
     check_traits=true,
     )
+    warn_developing()
     registry = manifest ? registry_path() : ""
     allpkgs = GenericRegistry.dependencies(registry_path())
     if !isempty(registry)
diff --git a/src/remote_methods.jl b/src/remote_methods.jl
index ea4f949..222cf60 100644
--- a/src/remote_methods.jl
+++ b/src/remote_methods.jl
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Remote methods are methods called on remote processes for the purpose of when extacting
+# Remote methods are methods called on remote processes for the purpose of when extracting
 # model metadata for a package
 
 
diff --git a/test/methods.jl b/test/methods.jl
index 77c42b0..3368866 100644
--- a/test/methods.jl
+++ b/test/methods.jl
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ project = joinpath(registry, "Project.toml")
 manifest = joinpath(registry, "Manifest.toml")
 open(project, "w") do file
     write(file, project_string)
-end
+end;
 
 @testset "metadata" begin
     @suppress begin
@@ -76,12 +76,23 @@ setpath(registry)
 
     @test traits_given_model["Pipeline"][":name"] == "Pipeline"
 
-    packages = @test_logs(
-        (:info, ),
-        (:info, MLJModelRegistryTools.INFO_BE_PATIENT10),
-        MLJModelRegistryTools.update(),
-    )
-    @test "MLJDecisionTreeInterface" in packages
+    dev = parse(Bool, get(ENV, "DEVELOPING_MLJ_MODEL_REGISTRY_TOOLS", "false"))
+    if !dev
+        packages = @test_logs(
+            (:info, ),
+            (:info, MLJModelRegistryTools.INFO_BE_PATIENT10),
+            MLJModelRegistryTools.update(),
+        )
+        @test "MLJDecisionTreeInterface" in packages
+    else
+        packages = @test_logs(
+            (:info, ),
+            (:info, ),
+            (:info, MLJModelRegistryTools.INFO_BE_PATIENT10),
+            MLJModelRegistryTools.update(),
+        )
+        @test "MLJDecisionTreeInterface" in packages
+    end
 end
 
 @testset "get" begin