diff --git a/vendor/wp-now/src/wp-now.ts b/vendor/wp-now/src/wp-now.ts
index b3e61cd12..f09c8b8ac 100644
--- a/vendor/wp-now/src/wp-now.ts
+++ b/vendor/wp-now/src/wp-now.ts
@@ -130,9 +130,7 @@ export default async function startWPNow(
 		cwd: requestHandler.documentRoot,
 		recreateRuntime: async () => {
 			output?.log( 'Recreating and rotating PHP runtime' );
-			const { php, runtimeId } = await getPHPInstance( options, true, requestHandler );
-			await prepareDocumentRoot( php, options );
-			await prepareWordPress( php, options );
+			const { runtimeId } = await getPHPInstance( options, true, requestHandler );
 			return runtimeId;
 		},
 		maxRequests: 400,
@@ -166,7 +164,6 @@ async function getPHPInstance(
 async function prepareDocumentRoot( php: PHP, options: WPNowOptions ) {
 	php.mkdir( options.documentRoot );
 	php.chdir( options.documentRoot );
-	php.writeFile( `${ options.documentRoot }/index.php`, `<?php echo 'Hello wp-now!';` );
 	php.writeFile(
 		path.posix.join( PLAYGROUND_INTERNAL_SHARED_FOLDER, 'ca-bundle.crt' ),
 		rootCertificates.join( '\n' )