diff --git a/include/bitcoin/node/chasers/chaser_validate.hpp b/include/bitcoin/node/chasers/chaser_validate.hpp
index 6119e10f..01f5925b 100644
--- a/include/bitcoin/node/chasers/chaser_validate.hpp
+++ b/include/bitcoin/node/chasers/chaser_validate.hpp
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ class BCN_API chaser_validate
         const system::chain::block& block) NOEXCEPT;
 
     // These are thread safe.
-    const bool prepopulate_;
     const bool concurrent_;
     const size_t maximum_backlog_;
     const uint64_t initial_subsidy_;
diff --git a/include/bitcoin/node/settings.hpp b/include/bitcoin/node/settings.hpp
index 993d30fa..3377bd12 100644
--- a/include/bitcoin/node/settings.hpp
+++ b/include/bitcoin/node/settings.hpp
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ class BCN_API settings
     uint16_t sample_period_seconds;
     uint32_t currency_window_minutes;
     uint32_t threads;
-    bool prepopulate;
 
     /// Helpers.
     virtual size_t maximum_height_() const NOEXCEPT;
diff --git a/src/chasers/chaser_validate.cpp b/src/chasers/chaser_validate.cpp
index 12b8231f..8e72a1c3 100644
--- a/src/chasers/chaser_validate.cpp
+++ b/src/chasers/chaser_validate.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ BC_PUSH_WARNING(NO_THROW_IN_NOEXCEPT)
 // Higher priority than downloader (net) ensures locality to downloader writes.
 chaser_validate::chaser_validate(full_node& node) NOEXCEPT
   : chaser(node),
-    prepopulate_(node.config().node.prepopulate),
     concurrent_(node.config().node.concurrent_validation),
     maximum_backlog_(node.config().node.maximum_concurrency_()),
     initial_subsidy_(node.config().bitcoin.initial_subsidy()),
@@ -239,10 +238,7 @@ void chaser_validate::validate_block(const header_link& link) NOEXCEPT
         return;
     }
 
-    // TODO: hardwire after performance evaluation with and without.
-    if (prepopulate_)
-        block->populate();
-
+    block->populate();
     if (!query.populate(*block))
     {
         // This could instead be a case of invalid milestone.
diff --git a/src/parser.cpp b/src/parser.cpp
index fecd9afa..7381a3ee 100644
--- a/src/parser.cpp
+++ b/src/parser.cpp
@@ -891,11 +891,6 @@ options_metadata parser::load_settings() THROWS
         value<uint32_t>(&configured.node.threads),
         "The number of threads in the validation threadpool, defaults to 16."
     )
-    (
-        "node.prepopulate",
-        value<bool>(&configured.node.prepopulate),
-        "Populate block prevous from self before query [testing], defaults to true."
-    )
     (
         "node.priority_validation",
         value<bool>(&configured.node.priority_validation),
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index eb600543..509f6625 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -88,8 +88,7 @@ settings::settings() NOEXCEPT
     maximum_concurrency{ 50'000 },
     sample_period_seconds{ 10 },
     currency_window_minutes{ 60 },
-    threads{ 1 },
-    prepopulate{ true }
+    threads{ 1 }
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/test/settings.cpp b/test/settings.cpp
index d89339b2..be4973c6 100644
--- a/test/settings.cpp
+++ b/test/settings.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(settings__node__default_context__expected)
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.maximum_concurrency_(), 50000_size);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.sample_period_seconds, 10_u16);
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.threads, 1_u32);
-    BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.prepopulate, true);
     BOOST_REQUIRE(node.sample_period() == steady_clock::duration(seconds(10)));
     BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(node.currency_window_minutes, 60_u32);
     BOOST_REQUIRE(node.currency_window() == steady_clock::duration(minutes(60)));