diff --git a/awx/main/conf.py b/awx/main/conf.py
index 7c61a39f84..ad677b7c0e 100644
--- a/awx/main/conf.py
+++ b/awx/main/conf.py
@@ -93,22 +93,10 @@ register(
 )
 
 
-def _load_default_license_from_file():
-    try:
-        license_file = os.environ.get('AWX_LICENSE_FILE', '/etc/tower/license')
-        if os.path.exists(license_file):
-            license_data = json.load(open(license_file))
-            logger.debug('Read license data from "%s".', license_file)
-            return license_data
-    except Exception:
-        logger.warning('Could not read license from "%s".', license_file, exc_info=True)
-    return {}
-
-
 register(
     'LICENSE',
     field_class=fields.DictField,
-    default=_load_default_license_from_file,
+    default=lambda: {},
     label=_('License'),
     help_text=_('The license controls which features and functionality are '
                 'enabled. Use /api/v2/config/ to update or change '
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_settings.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_settings.py
index 67c9868649..69d8b85db3 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_settings.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/api/test_settings.py
@@ -19,15 +19,6 @@ TEST_PNG_LOGO = 'data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACEAAAAjCAYAAAAaL
 TEST_JPEG_LOGO = 'data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAASABIAAD/4QBkRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgAAwEGAAMAAAABAAIAAAESAAMAAAABAAEAAIdpAAQAAAABAAAAMgAAAAAAA6ABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAABAAAAIaADAAQAAAABAAAAIwAAAAD/4QkhaHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENlaGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4OnhtcHRrPSJYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjQuMCI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiLz4gPC9yZGY6UkRGPiA8L3g6eG1wbWV0YT4gICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA8P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5kPSJ3Ij8+AP/tADhQaG90b3Nob3AgMy4wADhCSU0EBAAAAAAAADhCSU0EJQAAAAAAENQdjNmPALIE6YAJmOz4Qn7/wAARCAAjACEDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAHwAAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQFBgcICQoL/8QAtRAAAgEDAwIEAwUFBAQAAAF9AQIDAAQRBRIhMUEGE1FhByJxFDKBkaEII0KxwRVS0fAkM2JyggkKFhcYGRolJicoKSo0NTY3ODk6Q0RFRkdISUpTVFVWV1hZWmNkZWZnaGlqc3R1dnd4eXqDhIWGh4iJipKTlJWWl5iZmqKjpKWmp6ipqrKztLW2t7i5usLDxMXGx8jJytLT1NXW19jZ2uHi4+Tl5ufo6erx8vP09fb3+Pn6/8QAHwEAAwEBAQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAECAwQFBgcICQoL/8QAtREAAgECBAQDBAcFBAQAAQJ3AAECAxEEBSExBhJBUQdhcRMiMoEIFEKRobHBCSMzUvAVYnLRChYkNOEl8RcYGRomJygpKjU2Nzg5OkNERUZHSElKU1RVVldYWVpjZGVmZ2hpanN0dXZ3eHl6goOEhYaHiImKkpOUlZaXmJmaoqOkpaanqKmqsrO0tba3uLm6wsPExcbHyMnK0tPU1dbX2Nna4uPk5ebn6Onq8vP09fb3+Pn6/9sAQwAGBgYGBgYKBgYKDgoKCg4SDg4ODhIXEhISEhIXHBcXFxcXFxwcHBwcHBwcIiIiIiIiJycnJycsLCwsLCwsLCws/9sAQwEHBwcLCgsTCgoTLh8aHy4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4uLi4u/90ABAAD/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwD6poormvFfivSvB2lHVtWLGMtsRE2hnYKzlVLsi52oxALDdjauWKqQCXQfFXh7xP8Aaf7AvYrz7HL5U3lk/K3YjIGVODtcZVsHBODXQV806bcT+E9L03XbCOS2udMsLQanbB4po72xYMfOQpKYyV2zPEwcNwVK7WAr6WriwWMWIUvdcZRdmnuu33rVFSjYKKKK7ST/0PqmuF8Vv4X8S+HNZ0+e/gIsYJvtEsL+bJZsI3UuyxNvBA3gpxvXchyCRXdV8ta3bW667DoloW1y10tLLTJxZWP2hoLSGYzNHclGZpJC0ESk8IAZcRB8is61T2cHK1/1DrY526h8YXHh691vxCz6dafY5Q0U7yGSeQxSxohNzJLcbUeQ4VnVNxBRCWL19b2eraVqE9xa2F3BcS2jbJ0ikV2ibJG1wpJU5UjBx0PpXzrrniy4k17TrrWrGex022ufMijvd9m11PGH8naXKqsUcgR3MhB5U7MA16x4L8F3vhq2sY9Ru4rg6day2tusEAhCrcOkknmEMRI2Y1AcLGT8xYMzZHjZFGu6cquKjaUnt2XS76vv/SN8RVjOdoKyXY9Cooor3TA//9H6pr4gfxRrMvxJ0/whLJE+maVrcVnZRtBCzwQQ3SIipMU80fKignflgPmJr7fr4A/5rf8A9zJ/7eUAdX8SfGviPwl8TtaPh6eK1eTyN0n2eCSUg28OV8ySNn2/KDtztzzjNfZVhY2umWMGm2KeXb2sSQxJknakYCqMkknAHUnNfBXxt/5Kdq//AG7/APpPFX3/AEAFFFFAH//Z' # NOQA
 
 
-@pytest.fixture
-def mock_no_license_file(mocker):
-    '''
-    Ensures that tests don't pick up dev container license file
-    '''
-    os.environ['AWX_LICENSE_FILE'] = '/does_not_exist'
-    return None
-
-
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 def test_url_base_defaults_to_request(options, admin):
     # If TOWER_URL_BASE is not set, default to the Tower request hostname