diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c734361479c0..c44e8246533d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ### Fixes
 
+* `[jest-cli]` Do not support `--watch` inside non-version-controlled environments
+  ([#5060](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/5060))
 * `[jest-config]` Escape Windows path separator in testPathPattern CLI arguments
   ([#5054](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/5054)
 * `[jest-jasmine]` Register sourcemaps as node environment to improve performance with jsdom ([#5045](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/5045))
diff --git a/packages/jest-cli/src/run_jest.js b/packages/jest-cli/src/run_jest.js
index a4a8a2a552d4..0776c82cf845 100644
--- a/packages/jest-cli/src/run_jest.js
+++ b/packages/jest-cli/src/run_jest.js
@@ -38,20 +38,16 @@ const getTestPaths = async (
   changedFilesPromise,
 ) => {
   const source = new SearchSource(context);
-  let data = await source.getTestPaths(globalConfig, changedFilesPromise);
+  const data = await source.getTestPaths(globalConfig, changedFilesPromise);
 
   if (!data.tests.length && globalConfig.onlyChanged && data.noSCM) {
-    if (globalConfig.watch) {
-      data = await source.getTestPaths(globalConfig);
-    } else {
-      new Console(outputStream, outputStream).log(
-        'Jest can only find uncommitted changed files in a git or hg ' +
-          'repository. If you make your project a git or hg ' +
-          'repository (`git init` or `hg init`), Jest will be able ' +
-          'to only run tests related to files changed since the last ' +
-          'commit.',
-      );
-    }
+    new Console(outputStream, outputStream).log(
+      'Jest can only find uncommitted changed files in a git or hg ' +
+        'repository. If you make your project a git or hg ' +
+        'repository (`git init` or `hg init`), Jest will be able ' +
+        'to only run tests related to files changed since the last ' +
+        'commit.',
+    );
   }
   return data;
 };