diff --git a/R/install-dev.R b/R/install-dev.R
index 18b2adc0..c0106a11 100644
--- a/R/install-dev.R
+++ b/R/install-dev.R
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 #' Install the development version of a package
 #'
+#' @description
 #' `install_dev()` retrieves the package DESCRIPTION from the CRAN mirror and
 #' looks in the 'URL' and 'BugReports' fields for GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket
 #' URLs. It then calls the appropriate `install_()` function to install the
 #' development package.
 #'
+#' `can_install_dev()` checks if the development version can be installed.
+#'
 #' @param package The package name to install.
 #' @param cran_url The URL of the CRAN mirror to use, by default based on the
 #'   'repos' option. If unset uses 'https://cloud.r-project.org'.
@@ -12,6 +15,7 @@
 #'   [install_gitlab()], or [install_bitbucket()] functions.
 #' @family package installation
 #' @export
+#' @name install_dev
 #' @examples
 #' \dontrun{
 #' # From GitHub
@@ -23,7 +27,7 @@
 #' # From Bitbucket
 #' install_dev("argparser")
 #' }
-install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]], ...) {
+install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]]) {
   if (is.null(cran_url) || identical(cran_url, "@CRAN@")) {
     cran_url <- "https://cloud.r-project.org"
   }
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]], ...) {
   url_fields <- c(desc$URL, desc$BugReports)
 
   if (length(url_fields) == 0) {
-    stop("Could not determine development repository", call. = FALSE)
+    return(FALSE)
   }
 
   pkg_urls <- unlist(strsplit(url_fields, "[[:space:]]*,[[:space:]]*"))
@@ -64,7 +68,13 @@ install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]], ...) {
 
   parts <- unique(stats::na.omit(parts))
 
-  if (nrow(parts) != 1) {
+  # Can install if we have exactly one valid part
+  nrow(parts) == 1
+}
+
+#' @export
+install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]], ...) {
+  if (!can_install_dev(package, cran_url)) {
     stop("Could not determine development repository", call. = FALSE)
   }
 
diff --git a/inst/install-github.R b/inst/install-github.R
index ee08f07a..09ee7881 100644
--- a/inst/install-github.R
+++ b/inst/install-github.R
@@ -2497,11 +2497,14 @@ function(...) {
   # Contents of R/install-dev.R
   #' Install the development version of a package
   #'
+  #' @description
   #' `install_dev()` retrieves the package DESCRIPTION from the CRAN mirror and
   #' looks in the 'URL' and 'BugReports' fields for GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket
   #' URLs. It then calls the appropriate `install_()` function to install the
   #' development package.
   #'
+  #' `can_install_dev()` checks if the development version can be installed.
+  #'
   #' @param package The package name to install.
   #' @param cran_url The URL of the CRAN mirror to use, by default based on the
   #'   'repos' option. If unset uses 'https://cloud.r-project.org'.
@@ -2509,6 +2512,7 @@ function(...) {
   #'   [install_gitlab()], or [install_bitbucket()] functions.
   #' @family package installation
   #' @export
+  #' @name install_dev
   #' @examples
   #' \dontrun{
   #' # From GitHub
@@ -2520,7 +2524,7 @@ function(...) {
   #' # From Bitbucket
   #' install_dev("argparser")
   #' }
-  install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]], ...) {
+  install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]]) {
     if (is.null(cran_url) || identical(cran_url, "@CRAN@")) {
       cran_url <- "https://cloud.r-project.org"
     }
@@ -2537,7 +2541,7 @@ function(...) {
     url_fields <- c(desc$URL, desc$BugReports)
   
     if (length(url_fields) == 0) {
-      stop("Could not determine development repository", call. = FALSE)
+      return(FALSE)
     }
   
     pkg_urls <- unlist(strsplit(url_fields, "[[:space:]]*,[[:space:]]*"))
@@ -2561,7 +2565,13 @@ function(...) {
   
     parts <- unique(stats::na.omit(parts))
   
-    if (nrow(parts) != 1) {
+    # Can install if we have exactly one valid part
+    nrow(parts) == 1
+  }
+  
+  #' @export
+  install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]], ...) {
+    if (!can_install_dev(package, cran_url)) {
       stop("Could not determine development repository", call. = FALSE)
     }
   
diff --git a/install-github.R b/install-github.R
index ee08f07a..09ee7881 100644
--- a/install-github.R
+++ b/install-github.R
@@ -2497,11 +2497,14 @@ function(...) {
   # Contents of R/install-dev.R
   #' Install the development version of a package
   #'
+  #' @description
   #' `install_dev()` retrieves the package DESCRIPTION from the CRAN mirror and
   #' looks in the 'URL' and 'BugReports' fields for GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket
   #' URLs. It then calls the appropriate `install_()` function to install the
   #' development package.
   #'
+  #' `can_install_dev()` checks if the development version can be installed.
+  #'
   #' @param package The package name to install.
   #' @param cran_url The URL of the CRAN mirror to use, by default based on the
   #'   'repos' option. If unset uses 'https://cloud.r-project.org'.
@@ -2509,6 +2512,7 @@ function(...) {
   #'   [install_gitlab()], or [install_bitbucket()] functions.
   #' @family package installation
   #' @export
+  #' @name install_dev
   #' @examples
   #' \dontrun{
   #' # From GitHub
@@ -2520,7 +2524,7 @@ function(...) {
   #' # From Bitbucket
   #' install_dev("argparser")
   #' }
-  install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]], ...) {
+  install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]]) {
     if (is.null(cran_url) || identical(cran_url, "@CRAN@")) {
       cran_url <- "https://cloud.r-project.org"
     }
@@ -2537,7 +2541,7 @@ function(...) {
     url_fields <- c(desc$URL, desc$BugReports)
   
     if (length(url_fields) == 0) {
-      stop("Could not determine development repository", call. = FALSE)
+      return(FALSE)
     }
   
     pkg_urls <- unlist(strsplit(url_fields, "[[:space:]]*,[[:space:]]*"))
@@ -2561,7 +2565,13 @@ function(...) {
   
     parts <- unique(stats::na.omit(parts))
   
-    if (nrow(parts) != 1) {
+    # Can install if we have exactly one valid part
+    nrow(parts) == 1
+  }
+  
+  #' @export
+  install_dev <- function(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]], ...) {
+    if (!can_install_dev(package, cran_url)) {
       stop("Could not determine development repository", call. = FALSE)
     }
   
diff --git a/man/install_dev.Rd b/man/install_dev.Rd
index bd7ccbe3..80f12e04 100644
--- a/man/install_dev.Rd
+++ b/man/install_dev.Rd
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ install_dev(package, cran_url = getOption("repos")[["CRAN"]], ...)
 looks in the 'URL' and 'BugReports' fields for GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket
 URLs. It then calls the appropriate \code{install_()} function to install the
 development package.
+
+\code{can_install_dev()} checks if the development version can be installed.
 }
 \examples{
 \dontrun{