diff --git a/doc/api/modules.markdown b/doc/api/modules.markdown
index 5008f5041c..13e7949b8d 100644
--- a/doc/api/modules.markdown
+++ b/doc/api/modules.markdown
@@ -68,8 +68,7 @@ parent directory of the current module, and adds `/node_modules`, and
 attempts to load the module from that location.
 
 If it is not found there, then it moves to the parent directory, and so
-on, until either the module is found, or the root of the tree is
-reached.
+on, until the root of the tree is reached.
 
 For example, if the file at `'/home/ry/projects/foo.js'` called
 `require('bar.js')`, then node would look in the following locations, in
@@ -83,28 +82,6 @@ this order:
 This allows programs to localize their dependencies, so that they do not
 clash.
 
-#### Optimizations to the `node_modules` Lookup Process
-
-When there are many levels of nested dependencies, it is possible for
-these file trees to get fairly long.  The following optimizations are thus
-made to the process.
-
-First, `/node_modules` is never appended to a folder already ending in
-`/node_modules`.
-
-Second, if the file calling `require()` is already inside a `node_modules`
-hierarchy, then the top-most `node_modules` folder is treated as the
-root of the search tree.
-
-For example, if the file at
-`'/home/ry/projects/foo/node_modules/bar/node_modules/baz/quux.js'`
-called `require('asdf.js')`, then node would search the following
-locations:
-
-* `/home/ry/projects/foo/node_modules/bar/node_modules/baz/node_modules/asdf.js`
-* `/home/ry/projects/foo/node_modules/bar/node_modules/asdf.js`
-* `/home/ry/projects/foo/node_modules/asdf.js`
-
 ### Folders as Modules
 
 It is convenient to organize programs and libraries into self-contained
diff --git a/lib/module.js b/lib/module.js
index fa147d62e8..11c5189223 100644
--- a/lib/module.js
+++ b/lib/module.js
@@ -199,12 +199,7 @@ Module._nodeModulePaths = function(from) {
   var paths = [];
   var parts = from.split(splitRe);
 
-  var root = parts.indexOf('node_modules') - 1;
-  if (root < 0) root = 0;
-
-  var tip = parts.length - 1;
-
-  for (var tip = parts.length - 1; tip >= root; tip --) {
+  for (var tip = parts.length - 1; tip >= 0; tip --) {
     // don't search in .../node_modules/node_modules
     if (parts[tip] === 'node_modules') continue;
     var dir = parts.slice(0, tip + 1).concat('node_modules').join(joiner);
diff --git a/test/fixtures/node_modules/baz/index.js b/test/fixtures/node_modules/baz/index.js
index 44acc13da6..84f587f2a1 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/node_modules/baz/index.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/node_modules/baz/index.js
@@ -25,11 +25,5 @@ console.error(module.paths.join('\n')+'\n');
 var assert = require('assert');
 assert.equal(require('bar'), require('../bar.js'));
 
-// since this is inside a node_modules folder,
-// it should be impossible to ever see /node_modules in the
-// lookup paths, since it's rooted on the uppermost node_modules
-// directory.
-assert.equal(-1, module.paths.indexOf('/node_modules'));
-
 // this should work, and get the one in ./node_modules/asdf.js
 assert.equal(require('asdf'), require('./node_modules/asdf.js'));