Two weeks ago, Derby were booed off by their own fans, but the only jeers that echoed around Pride Park this time were aimed at Chelsea's England players.
But the mindless booing did not distract the Londoners, who wrapped up the points with a goal in each half from Salomon Kalou and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The only dark cloud for Chelsea arrived in the form of a deserved red card for substitute Michael Essien, who was sent on his way in stoppage time for a cynical elbow in the face of Scotland striker Kenny Miller.
By then, the game was well and truly up for the home side, but they will take some encouragement from a spirited second-half display that at times knocked Chelsea out of their measured groove.
That was certainly not the case in a one-sided opening 45 minutes in which John Obi Mikel ran the show.
Derby managed to keep Chelsea out until the 17th minute when a quick-fire exchange of passes released Kalou who coolly dispatched a low drive from 12 yards inside Stephen Bywater's left-hand post.
The Derby keeper kept his side in it by palming out a swerving shot from Wright-Phillips, but Kalou should have scored a second after a dreadful error from Claude Davis, but he blazed over the bar from five yards.
Derby finally forced Carlo Cudicini into action in the 52nd minute when Craig Fagan had a low shot blocked by the Italian, but the game was over in the 73rd minute when the visitors struck again.
Andriy Shevchenko robbed Giles Barnes and broke forward and, after Frank Lampard had struck a post, Wright-Phillips hit the rebound into an empty net.
Derby should have scored in the 83rd minute, but substitute Steve Howard headed wide from six yards and the match appeared to be drifting towards the final whistle when Essien had a moment of madness that will rule him out for three matches.