diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index d18783a..738bf1b 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@
   print_date_script:
     - date
   install_cocoapods_script:
-    - sudo gem install cocoapods -v 1.7.5 --no-document
+    - sudo gem install cocoapods --no-document
   git_fetch_script:
     - git clean -xfd
     - git fetch origin
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@
   print_date_script:
     - date
   install_cocoapods_script:
-    - sudo gem install cocoapods -v 1.7.5 --no-document
+    - sudo gem install cocoapods --no-document
   git_fetch_script:
     - git clean -xfd
     - git fetch origin
diff --git a/dev/integration_tests/release_smoke_test/ios/Podfile b/dev/integration_tests/release_smoke_test/ios/Podfile
index 1de1efc..64ba749 100644
--- a/dev/integration_tests/release_smoke_test/ios/Podfile
+++ b/dev/integration_tests/release_smoke_test/ios/Podfile
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# Using a CDN with CocoaPods 1.7.2 or later can save a lot of time on pod installation, but it's experimental rather than the default.
-# source 'https://cdn.cocoapods.org/'
-
 # Uncomment this line to define a global platform for your project
 # platform :ios, '9.0'
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/macos/cocoapods.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/macos/cocoapods.dart
index 26018b7..8cfac2a 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/macos/cocoapods.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/macos/cocoapods.dart
@@ -35,12 +35,10 @@
   This can usually be fixed by re-installing CocoaPods. For more info, see https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/14293.''';
 
 const String cocoaPodsInstallInstructions = '''
-  sudo gem install cocoapods
-  pod setup''';
+  sudo gem install cocoapods''';
 
 const String cocoaPodsUpgradeInstructions = '''
-  sudo gem install cocoapods
-  pod setup''';
+  sudo gem install cocoapods''';
 
 CocoaPods get cocoaPods => context.get<CocoaPods>();
 
@@ -105,12 +103,20 @@
   /// Whether CocoaPods ran 'pod setup' once where the costly pods' specs are
   /// cloned.
   ///
+  /// Versions >= 1.8.0 do not require 'pod setup' and default to a CDN instead
+  /// of a locally cloned repository.
+  /// See http://blog.cocoapods.org/CocoaPods-1.8.0-beta/
+  ///
   /// A user can override the default location via the CP_REPOS_DIR environment
   /// variable.
   ///
   /// See https://github.com/CocoaPods/CocoaPods/blob/master/lib/cocoapods/config.rb#L138
   /// for details of this variable.
-  Future<bool> get isCocoaPodsInitialized {
+  Future<bool> get isCocoaPodsInitialized async {
+    final Version installedVersion = Version.parse(await cocoaPodsVersionText);
+    if (installedVersion != null && installedVersion >= Version.parse('1.8.0')) {
+      return true;
+    }
     final String cocoapodsReposDir = platform.environment['CP_REPOS_DIR'] ?? fs.path.join(homeDirPath, '.cocoapods', 'repos');
     return fs.isDirectory(fs.path.join(cocoapodsReposDir, 'master'));
   }
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-ios-objc b/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-ios-objc
index 1de1efc..64ba749 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-ios-objc
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-ios-objc
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# Using a CDN with CocoaPods 1.7.2 or later can save a lot of time on pod installation, but it's experimental rather than the default.
-# source 'https://cdn.cocoapods.org/'
-
 # Uncomment this line to define a global platform for your project
 # platform :ios, '9.0'
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-ios-swift b/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-ios-swift
index e5e1440..e9286cb 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-ios-swift
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-ios-swift
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# Using a CDN with CocoaPods 1.7.2 or later can save a lot of time on pod installation, but it's experimental rather than the default.
-# source 'https://cdn.cocoapods.org/'
-
 # Uncomment this line to define a global platform for your project
 # platform :ios, '9.0'
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-macos b/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-macos
index 129a34e..dc90941 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-macos
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/templates/cocoapods/Podfile-macos
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# Using a CDN with CocoaPods 1.7.2 or later can save a lot of time on pod installation, but it's experimental rather than the default.
-# source 'https://cdn.cocoapods.org/'
-
 platform :osx, '10.11'
 
 # CocoaPods analytics sends network stats synchronously affecting flutter build latency.
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/cocoapods_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/cocoapods_test.dart
index c82c4cf..57ca558 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/cocoapods_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/cocoapods_test.dart
@@ -160,6 +160,16 @@
     }, overrides: <Type, Generator>{
       ProcessManager: () => mockProcessManager,
     });
+
+    testUsingContext('detects initialized over 1.8.0', () async {
+      pretendPodIsInstalled();
+      pretendPodVersionIs('1.8.0');
+      expect(await cocoaPodsUnderTest.isCocoaPodsInitialized, isTrue);
+    }, overrides: <Type, Generator>{
+      ProcessManager: () => mockProcessManager,
+      Platform: () => FakePlatform(),
+      FileSystem: () => fs,
+    });
   });
 
   group('Setup Podfile', () {