diff --git a/plugins/wallet_plugin/include/eosio/wallet_plugin/wallet_manager.hpp b/plugins/wallet_plugin/include/eosio/wallet_plugin/wallet_manager.hpp
index 222ed5f8f8b34eaed7ea6039f28e0ef2d0677486..ef7c8bf7a76285e47d242eef879a86863f9be09f 100644
--- a/plugins/wallet_plugin/include/eosio/wallet_plugin/wallet_manager.hpp
+++ b/plugins/wallet_plugin/include/eosio/wallet_plugin/wallet_manager.hpp
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ public:
    /// @param secs The timeout in seconds.
    void set_timeout(int64_t secs) { set_timeout(std::chrono::seconds(secs)); }
       
-   void set_eosio_key(const std::string& key) { eosio_key = key; }
-
    /// Sign transaction with the private keys specified via their public keys.
    /// Use chain_controller::get_required_keys to determine which keys are needed for txn.
    /// @param txn the transaction to sign.
@@ -109,7 +107,7 @@ public:
 
    /// Removes a key from the specified wallet.
    /// Wallet must be opened and unlocked.
-   /// @param name the name of the wallet to import into.
+   /// @param name the name of the wallet to remove the key from.
    /// @param password the plaintext password returned from ::create.
    /// @param key the Public Key to remove, e.g. EOS6MRyAjQq8ud7hVNYcfnVPJqcVpscN5So8BhtHuGYqET5GDW5CV
    /// @throws fc::exception if wallet not found or locked or key is not removed.
@@ -134,7 +132,6 @@ private:
    std::chrono::seconds timeout = std::chrono::seconds::max(); ///< how long to wait before calling lock_all()
    mutable timepoint_t timeout_time = timepoint_t::max(); ///< when to call lock_all()
    boost::filesystem::path dir = ".";
-   std::string eosio_key;
 };
 
 } // namespace wallet
diff --git a/plugins/wallet_plugin/wallet_manager.cpp b/plugins/wallet_plugin/wallet_manager.cpp
index 54f991c67396d540d8f34c94c7538e4e76721d6d..32f4801e05eada92860cc20e392b4c8951da596d 100644
--- a/plugins/wallet_plugin/wallet_manager.cpp
+++ b/plugins/wallet_plugin/wallet_manager.cpp
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ std::string wallet_manager::create(const std::string& name) {
    wallet->set_password(password);
    wallet->set_wallet_filename(wallet_filename.string());
    wallet->unlock(password);
-   if(eosio_key.size())
-      wallet->import_key(eosio_key);
    wallet->lock();
    wallet->unlock(password);
 
diff --git a/plugins/wallet_plugin/wallet_plugin.cpp b/plugins/wallet_plugin/wallet_plugin.cpp
index 6159a2e53eb1a7f85051f9e25e517950c6c441c8..1ca345bb43b6f467355885658f83cc04c6d4d6be 100644
--- a/plugins/wallet_plugin/wallet_plugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/wallet_plugin/wallet_plugin.cpp
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ void wallet_plugin::set_program_options(options_description& cli, options_descri
           "Timeout for unlocked wallet in seconds (default 900 (15 minutes)). "
           "Wallets will automatically lock after specified number of seconds of inactivity. "
           "Activity is defined as any wallet command e.g. list-wallets.")
-         ("eosio-key", bpo::value<std::string>(),
-          "eosio key that will be imported automatically when a wallet is created.")
          ;
 }
 
@@ -52,9 +50,5 @@ void wallet_plugin::plugin_initialize(const variables_map& options) {
       std::chrono::seconds t(timeout);
       wallet_manager_ptr->set_timeout(t);
    }
-   if (options.count("eosio-key")) {
-      std::string eosio_wif_key = options.at("eosio-key").as<std::string>();
-      wallet_manager_ptr->set_eosio_key(eosio_wif_key);
-   }
 }
 } // namespace eosio
diff --git a/tests/wallet_tests.cpp b/tests/wallet_tests.cpp
index cf97d1d2014d21880084a626b4b34ebaebdadb6b..e20be45d03b5c660d8a20f64d3a250f3bcf6a5df 100644
--- a/tests/wallet_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/wallet_tests.cpp
@@ -188,8 +188,6 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(wallet_manager_test)
 
    wm.set_timeout(chrono::seconds(15));
 
-   wm.set_eosio_key("");
-
    wm.create("testgen");
    BOOST_CHECK_THROW(wm.create_key("testgen", "xxx"), chain::wallet_exception);
    wm.lock("testgen");