diff --git a/awx/conf/__init__.py b/awx/conf/__init__.py
index 661295a685..3580b7a45a 100644
--- a/awx/conf/__init__.py
+++ b/awx/conf/__init__.py
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ from django.utils.module_loading import autodiscover_modules
 # AWX
 from .registry import settings_registry
 
-default_app_config = 'awx.conf.apps.ConfConfig'
-
 
 def register(setting, **kwargs):
     settings_registry.register(setting, **kwargs)
diff --git a/awx/main/__init__.py b/awx/main/__init__.py
index f500f439b6..e484e62be1 100644
--- a/awx/main/__init__.py
+++ b/awx/main/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2015 Ansible, Inc.
 # All Rights Reserved.
-
-default_app_config = 'awx.main.apps.MainConfig'
diff --git a/awx/settings/defaults.py b/awx/settings/defaults.py
index cab598cd81..b11710495e 100644
--- a/awx/settings/defaults.py
+++ b/awx/settings/defaults.py
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ else:
 DEBUG = True
 SQL_DEBUG = DEBUG
 
+# FIXME: it would be nice to cycle back around and allow this to be
+# BigAutoField going forward, but we'd have to be explicit about our
+# existing models.
+DEFAULT_AUTO_FIELD = 'django.db.models.AutoField'
+
 DATABASES = {
     'default': {
         'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
diff --git a/awx/sso/__init__.py b/awx/sso/__init__.py
index bb4e958844..e484e62be1 100644
--- a/awx/sso/__init__.py
+++ b/awx/sso/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2015 Ansible, Inc.
 # All Rights Reserved.
-
-default_app_config = 'awx.sso.apps.SSOConfig'
diff --git a/awx/ui/__init__.py b/awx/ui/__init__.py
index ac6a554356..e484e62be1 100644
--- a/awx/ui/__init__.py
+++ b/awx/ui/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2015 Ansible, Inc.
 # All Rights Reserved.
-
-default_app_config = 'awx.ui.apps.UIConfig'