diff --git a/test/core/bitswap.spec.js b/test/core/bitswap.spec.js
index 756acdbb69..9809393bb0 100644
--- a/test/core/bitswap.spec.js
+++ b/test/core/bitswap.spec.js
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ function addNode (fDaemon, inProcNode, callback) {
       },
       Bootstrap: []
     },
-    args: ['--enable-preload=false'],
     preload: { enabled: false }
   }, (err, ipfsd) => {
     expect(err).to.not.exist()
diff --git a/test/core/files-sharding.spec.js b/test/core/files-sharding.spec.js
index 7f5c38c900..c34213b465 100644
--- a/test/core/files-sharding.spec.js
+++ b/test/core/files-sharding.spec.js
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ describe('files directory (sharding tests)', () => {
       df.spawn({
         exec: IPFS,
         initOptions: { bits: 512 },
-        args: ['--enable-sharding-experiment', '--enable-preload=false'],
+        args: ['--enable-sharding-experiment'],
         config: {
           Addresses: {
             Swarm: []
diff --git a/test/core/ping.spec.js b/test/core/ping.spec.js
index 35aac5fd57..009d7ec595 100644
--- a/test/core/ping.spec.js
+++ b/test/core/ping.spec.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ const config = {
 }
 
 function spawnNode ({ dht = false, type = 'js' }, cb) {
-  const args = dht ? ['--enable-preload=false'] : ['--offline', '--enable-preload=false']
+  const args = dht ? [] : ['--offline']
   const factory = type === 'js' ? df : dfProc
   factory.spawn({
     args,
diff --git a/test/http-api/block.js b/test/http-api/block.js
index 5d3f724f49..a0e2c5363a 100644
--- a/test/http-api/block.js
+++ b/test/http-api/block.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ describe('block endpoint', () => {
     df.spawn({
       initOptions: { bits: 512 },
       config: { Bootstrap: [] },
-      args: ['--enable-preload=false']
+      args: []
     }, (err, _ipfsd) => {
       expect(err).to.not.exist()
       ipfsd = _ipfsd
diff --git a/test/http-api/bootstrap.js b/test/http-api/bootstrap.js
index c21f4ae326..b53ba29fdf 100644
--- a/test/http-api/bootstrap.js
+++ b/test/http-api/bootstrap.js
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ describe('bootstrap endpoint', () => {
             Enabled: false
           }
         }
-      },
-      args: ['--enable-preload=false']
+      }
     }, (err, _ipfsd) => {
       expect(err).to.not.exist()
       ipfsd = _ipfsd
diff --git a/test/http-api/config.js b/test/http-api/config.js
index 109ac6e603..51eb3e6e01 100644
--- a/test/http-api/config.js
+++ b/test/http-api/config.js
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@ skipOnWindows('config endpoint', () => {
           initOptions: { bits: 512 },
           config: { Bootstrap: [] },
           disposable: false,
-          start: true,
-          args: ['--enable-preload=false']
+          start: true
         }, cb),
         (_ipfsd, cb) => {
           ipfsd = _ipfsd
diff --git a/test/http-api/dns.js b/test/http-api/dns.js
index fbd759f6fb..f27e5ee217 100644
--- a/test/http-api/dns.js
+++ b/test/http-api/dns.js
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ describe('dns endpoint', () => {
     this.timeout(20 * 1000)
     df.spawn({
       initOptions: { bits: 512 },
-      config: { Bootstrap: [] },
-      args: ['--enable-preload=false']
+      config: { Bootstrap: [] }
     }, (err, _ipfsd) => {
       expect(err).to.not.exist()
       ipfsd = _ipfsd
diff --git a/test/http-api/files.js b/test/http-api/files.js
index 38288545c7..66a508c34e 100644
--- a/test/http-api/files.js
+++ b/test/http-api/files.js
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ describe('.files', () => {
     this.timeout(20 * 1000)
     df.spawn({
       initOptions: { bits: 512 },
-      config: { Bootstrap: [] },
-      args: ['--enable-preload=false']
+      config: { Bootstrap: [] }
     }, (err, _ipfsd) => {
       expect(err).to.not.exist()
       ipfsd = _ipfsd
diff --git a/test/http-api/id.js b/test/http-api/id.js
index a6bdf7b469..05052d83fe 100644
--- a/test/http-api/id.js
+++ b/test/http-api/id.js
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ skipOnWindows('id endpoint', () => {
           initOptions: { bits: 512 },
           config: { Bootstrap: [] },
           disposable: false,
-          start: true,
-          args: ['--enable-preload=false']
+          start: true
         }, cb),
         (_ipfsd, cb) => {
           ipfsd = _ipfsd
diff --git a/test/http-api/object.js b/test/http-api/object.js
index 734c0f534a..eba7cdce6a 100644
--- a/test/http-api/object.js
+++ b/test/http-api/object.js
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ describe('object endpoint', () => {
             Enabled: false
           }
         }
-      },
-      args: ['--enable-preload=false']
+      }
     }, (err, _ipfsd) => {
       expect(err).to.not.exist()
       ipfsd = _ipfsd
diff --git a/test/http-api/version.js b/test/http-api/version.js
index 1ddce7d765..3b92a30b6c 100644
--- a/test/http-api/version.js
+++ b/test/http-api/version.js
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ describe('version endpoint', () => {
             Enabled: false
           }
         }
-      },
-      args: ['--enable-preload=false']
+      }
     }, (err, _ipfsd) => {
       expect(err).to.not.exist()
       ipfsd = _ipfsd
diff --git a/test/utils/interface-common-factory.js b/test/utils/interface-common-factory.js
index 077cfdc0c2..8df86419a7 100644
--- a/test/utils/interface-common-factory.js
+++ b/test/utils/interface-common-factory.js
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ function createFactory (options) {
         }
       }
     },
-    args: ['--enable-preload=false'],
     preload: { enabled: false }
   }
 
diff --git a/test/utils/on-and-off.js b/test/utils/on-and-off.js
index 41adfa433b..c9a0b03019 100644
--- a/test/utils/on-and-off.js
+++ b/test/utils/on-and-off.js
@@ -56,8 +56,7 @@ function on (tests) {
         type: 'js',
         exec: path.resolve(`${__dirname}/../../src/cli/bin.js`),
         initOptions: { bits: 512 },
-        config: { Bootstrap: [] },
-        args: ['--enable-preload=false']
+        config: { Bootstrap: [] }
       }, (err, node) => {
         expect(err).to.not.exist()
         ipfsd = node