diff --git a/tez-api/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/dag/api/TezConfiguration.java b/tez-api/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/dag/api/TezConfiguration.java
index a864dba72f..5842067ff8 100644
--- a/tez-api/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/dag/api/TezConfiguration.java
+++ b/tez-api/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/dag/api/TezConfiguration.java
@@ -288,7 +288,6 @@ public TezConfiguration(boolean loadDefaults) {
   @ConfigurationScope(Scope.AM)
   @ConfigurationProperty
   public static final String TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS = TEZ_PREFIX + "mdc.custom.keys";
-  public static final String TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS_DEFAULT = "";
 
   /**
    * Comma separated list of Configuration keys. Tez will try to fill MDC with key value pairs in a
@@ -305,7 +304,6 @@ public TezConfiguration(boolean loadDefaults) {
   @ConfigurationScope(Scope.AM)
   @ConfigurationProperty
   public static final String TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS_CONF_PROPS = TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS + ".conf.props";
-  public static final String TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS_CONF_PROPS_DEFAULT = "";
 
   /**
    * double value. Represents ratio of unique failed outputs / number of consumer
diff --git a/tez-common/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/util/LoggingUtils.java b/tez-common/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/util/LoggingUtils.java
index e09b6b0964..42058fa6f0 100644
--- a/tez-common/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/util/LoggingUtils.java
+++ b/tez-common/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/util/LoggingUtils.java
@@ -46,15 +46,13 @@ public static void initLoggingContext(ThreadLocalMap threadLocalMap, Configurati
     data.put("dagId", dagId == null ? "" : dagId);
     data.put("taskAttemptId", taskAttemptId == null ? "" : taskAttemptId);
 
-    String[] mdcKeys = conf.getStrings(TezConfiguration.TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS,
-        TezConfiguration.TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS_DEFAULT);
+    String[] mdcKeys = conf.getStrings(TezConfiguration.TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS);
 
     if (mdcKeys == null || mdcKeys.length == 0) {
       return;
     }
 
-    String[] mdcKeysValuesFrom = conf.getStrings(TezConfiguration.TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS_CONF_PROPS,
-        TezConfiguration.TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS_CONF_PROPS_DEFAULT);
+    String[] mdcKeysValuesFrom = conf.getStrings(TezConfiguration.TEZ_MDC_CUSTOM_KEYS_CONF_PROPS);
     LOG.info("MDC_LOGGING: setting up MDC keys: keys: {} / conf: {}", Arrays.asList(mdcKeys),
         Arrays.asList(mdcKeysValuesFrom));