diff --git a/bin/pyspark b/bin/pyspark
index d6810f4686bf56ae9f9caa1c620c2a2633135f21..a70da5674e1c7f9691035e4377b369573929208c 100755
--- a/bin/pyspark
+++ b/bin/pyspark
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ export PYSPARK_PYTHON
 export PYTHONPATH=$SPARK_HOME/python/:$PYTHONPATH
 
 # Load the PySpark shell.py script when ./pyspark is used interactively:
-export OLD_PYTHONSTARTUP=$PYTHONSTARTUP
 export PYTHONSTARTUP=$FWDIR/python/pyspark/shell.py
 
 if [ -n "$IPYTHON_OPTS" ]; then
@@ -59,12 +58,7 @@ if [ -n "$IPYTHON_OPTS" ]; then
 fi
 
 if [[ "$IPYTHON" = "1" ]] ; then
-  # IPython <1.0.0 doesn't honor PYTHONSTARTUP, while 1.0.0+ does. 
-  # Hence we clear PYTHONSTARTUP and use the -c "%run $IPYTHONSTARTUP" command which works on all versions
-  # We also force interactive mode with "-i"
-  IPYTHONSTARTUP=$PYTHONSTARTUP
-  PYTHONSTARTUP=
-  exec ipython "$IPYTHON_OPTS" -i -c "%run $IPYTHONSTARTUP"
+  exec ipython $IPYTHON_OPTS
 else
   exec "$PYSPARK_PYTHON" "$@"
 fi
diff --git a/docs/python-programming-guide.md b/docs/python-programming-guide.md
index dc187b3efec9b7b7b8f6075275a4faf9da40b6fe..c4236f83124b213a9293e2f1dece69d5edc06dd3 100644
--- a/docs/python-programming-guide.md
+++ b/docs/python-programming-guide.md
@@ -99,8 +99,9 @@ $ MASTER=local[4] ./bin/pyspark
 
 ## IPython
 
-It is also possible to launch PySpark in [IPython](http://ipython.org), the enhanced Python interpreter.
-To do this, set the `IPYTHON` variable to `1` when running `bin/pyspark`:
+It is also possible to launch PySpark in [IPython](http://ipython.org), the 
+enhanced Python interpreter. PySpark works with IPython 1.0.0 and later. To 
+use IPython, set the `IPYTHON` variable to `1` when running `bin/pyspark`:
 
 {% highlight bash %}
 $ IPYTHON=1 ./bin/pyspark