diff --git a/awx/api/views/root.py b/awx/api/views/root.py
index 6a64ea8a77..a933da7582 100644
--- a/awx/api/views/root.py
+++ b/awx/api/views/root.py
@@ -358,8 +358,6 @@ class ApiV2ConfigView(APIView):
                 return Response({"error": 'Invalid license submitted.'}, status=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
 
             try:
-                # Validate entitlement cert and get subscription metadata
-                # validate() will clear the entitlement cert if not valid
                 license_data_validated = get_licenser().license_from_manifest(license_data)
             except Exception:
                 logger.warning(smart_text(u"Invalid license submitted."),
@@ -379,11 +377,9 @@ class ApiV2ConfigView(APIView):
         return Response({"error": _("Invalid license")}, status=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
 
     def delete(self, request):
-        # Clear license and entitlement certificate
         try:
             settings.LICENSE = {}
             return Response(status=status.HTTP_204_NO_CONTENT)
         except Exception:
             # FIX: Log
             return Response({"error": _("Failed to remove license.")}, status=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
-        
diff --git a/awx/conf/migrations/_subscriptions.py b/awx/conf/migrations/_subscriptions.py
index b28c8dd195..1ec1aa1052 100644
--- a/awx/conf/migrations/_subscriptions.py
+++ b/awx/conf/migrations/_subscriptions.py
@@ -2,16 +2,11 @@
 import logging
 from django.conf import settings
 
-from awx.main.utils.licensing import Licenser
-
 logger = logging.getLogger('awx.conf.settings')
 
 __all__ = ['clear_old_license']    
     
 
 def clear_old_license(apps, schema_editor):
-    # Setting = apps.get_model('conf', 'Organization')
-    # setting.objects.filter(key=LICENSE)
-    licenser = Licenser()
-    if licenser._check_product_cert():
-        settings.LICENSE = licenser.UNLICENSED_DATA.copy()
+    Setting = apps.get_model('conf', 'Setting')
+    Setting.objects.filter(key='LICENSE').delete()
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/core/test_licenses.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/core/test_licenses.py
deleted file mode 100644
index ba8b1ff9af..0000000000
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/core/test_licenses.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright (c) 2015 Ansible, Inc.
-# All Rights Reserved.
-
-# from awx.main.utils.common import StubLicense
-# 
-# 
-# def test_stub_license():
-#     license_actual = StubLicense().validate()
-#     assert license_actual['license_key'] == 'OPEN'
-#     assert license_actual['valid_key']
-#     assert license_actual['compliant']
-#     assert license_actual['license_type'] == 'open'
-
-
-
-# Test license_date is always seconds
diff --git a/awx/main/utils/common.py b/awx/main/utils/common.py
index f628d8f831..cc2c78976d 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/common.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/common.py
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ def get_awx_http_client_headers():
     return headers
 
 
-# Update all references of this function in the codebase to just import `from awx.main.utils.licensing import Licenser` directly
 def get_licenser(*args, **kwargs):
     try:
         # Get License Config from db?
diff --git a/awx/main/utils/licensing.py b/awx/main/utils/licensing.py
index 87641d7bbb..08bddcf02d 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/licensing.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/licensing.py
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class Licenser(object):
         if 'company_name' in kwargs:
             kwargs.pop('company_name')
         self._attrs.update(kwargs)
-        if self._check_product_cert():
+        if os.path.exists('/var/lib/awx/.tower_version'):
             if 'license_key' in self._attrs:
                 self._unset_attrs()
             if 'valid_key' in self._attrs:
@@ -109,14 +109,6 @@ class Licenser(object):
             self._generate_open_config()
 
 
-    def _check_product_cert(self):
-        # Product Cert Name: ansible-tower-3.7-rhel-7.x86_64.pem
-        # Maybe check validity of Product Cert somehow?
-        if os.path.exists('/etc/tower/certs') and os.path.exists('/var/lib/awx/.tower_version'):
-            return True
-        return False
-
-
     def _generate_open_config(self):
         self._attrs.update(dict(license_type='open',
                                 valid_key=True,
@@ -130,11 +122,6 @@ class Licenser(object):
         self._attrs = self.UNLICENSED_DATA.copy()
 
 
-    def _clear_license_setting(self):
-        self.unset_attrs()
-        settings.LICENSE = {}
-
-
     def license_from_manifest(self, manifest):
         # Parse output for subscription metadata to build config
         license = dict()