diff --git a/src/assign.h b/src/assign.h
index 2a1afcb3c4669..eafaf8fc517eb 100644
--- a/src/assign.h
+++ b/src/assign.h
@@ -579,8 +579,7 @@ inline bool assign( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &name, units::energy
     return true;
 }
 
-inline bool assign( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &name, nc_color &val,
-                    const bool strict = false )
+inline bool assign( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &name, nc_color &val )
 {
     if( !jo.has_member( name ) ) {
         return false;
@@ -589,10 +588,6 @@ inline bool assign( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &name, nc_color &val
     if( out == c_unset ) {
         jo.throw_error( "invalid color name", name );
     }
-    if( strict && out == val ) {
-        report_strict_violation( jo, "cannot assign explicit value the same as default or inherited value",
-                                 name );
-    }
     val = out;
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/move_mode.cpp b/src/move_mode.cpp
index 8b21985341715..961fafca7fc21 100644
--- a/src/move_mode.cpp
+++ b/src/move_mode.cpp
@@ -47,16 +47,14 @@ void move_mode::load_move_mode( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &src )
     move_mode_factory.load( jo, src );
 }
 
-void move_mode::load( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &src )
+void move_mode::load( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &/*src*/ )
 {
-    bool strict = src == "dda";
-
     mandatory( jo, was_loaded, "character", _letter, unicode_codepoint_from_symbol_reader );
     mandatory( jo, was_loaded, "name",  _name );
 
     mandatory( jo, was_loaded, "panel_char", _panel_letter, unicode_codepoint_from_symbol_reader );
-    assign( jo, "panel_color", _panel_color, strict );
-    assign( jo, "symbol_color", _symbol_color, strict );
+    assign( jo, "panel_color", _panel_color );
+    assign( jo, "symbol_color", _symbol_color );
 
     std::string exert = jo.get_string( "exertion_level" );
     if( !activity_levels_map.count( exert ) ) {
diff --git a/src/overmap.cpp b/src/overmap.cpp
index 3a9440c078dcc..9d4f49aff6dfc 100644
--- a/src/overmap.cpp
+++ b/src/overmap.cpp
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ void overmap_land_use_code::load( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &src )
                                     << id.c_str() << " (" << name << ")";
     }
 
-    assign( jo, "color", color, strict );
+    assign( jo, "color", color );
 
 }
 
@@ -740,7 +740,7 @@ void oter_type_t::load( const JsonObject &jo, const std::string &src )
     assign( jo, "extras", extras, strict );
     assign( jo, "mondensity", mondensity, strict );
     assign( jo, "spawns", static_spawns, strict );
-    assign( jo, "color", color, strict );
+    assign( jo, "color", color );
     assign( jo, "land_use_code", land_use_code, strict );
 
     if( jo.has_member( "looks_like" ) ) {