diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/OptionsParser.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/OptionsParser.java
index 3b9d13b3b0..ed784265a8 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/OptionsParser.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/OptionsParser.java
@@ -197,9 +197,6 @@ public static DistCpOptions parse(String[] args)
     if (command.hasOption(DistCpOptionSwitch.PRESERVE_STATUS.getSwitch())) {
       builder.preserve(
           getVal(command, DistCpOptionSwitch.PRESERVE_STATUS.getSwitch()));
-    } else {
-      // No "preserve" settings specified. Preserve block-size.
-      builder.preserve(DistCpOptions.FileAttribute.BLOCKSIZE);
     }
 
     if (command.hasOption(DistCpOptionSwitch.FILE_LIMIT.getSwitch())) {
diff --git a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/TestOptionsParser.java b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/TestOptionsParser.java
index b48355af25..85b312a94b 100644
--- a/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/TestOptionsParser.java
+++ b/hadoop-tools/hadoop-distcp/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/tools/TestOptionsParser.java
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ public void testPreserve() {
         "-f",
         "hdfs://localhost:8020/source/first",
         "hdfs://localhost:8020/target/"});
-    Assert.assertTrue(options.shouldPreserve(FileAttribute.BLOCKSIZE));
+    Assert.assertFalse(options.shouldPreserve(FileAttribute.BLOCKSIZE));
     Assert.assertFalse(options.shouldPreserve(FileAttribute.REPLICATION));
     Assert.assertFalse(options.shouldPreserve(FileAttribute.PERMISSION));
     Assert.assertFalse(options.shouldPreserve(FileAttribute.USER));