diff --git a/src/auth/passdb-passwd-file.c b/src/auth/passdb-passwd-file.c
index b12a8c552c..40f083e86f 100644
--- a/src/auth/passdb-passwd-file.c
+++ b/src/auth/passdb-passwd-file.c
@@ -150,14 +150,6 @@ passwd_file_preinit(pool_t pool, const char *args)
 	module->pwf = db_passwd_file_init(args, FALSE,
 					  global_auth_settings->debug);
 	module->username_format = format;
-
-	if (!module->pwf->vars)
-		module->module.default_cache_key = format;
-	else {
-		module->module.default_cache_key = auth_cache_parse_key(pool,
-			t_strconcat(format, module->pwf->path, NULL));
-	}
-
 	module->module.default_pass_scheme = scheme;
 	return &module->module;
 }
diff --git a/src/auth/userdb-passwd-file.c b/src/auth/userdb-passwd-file.c
index 52389209fd..b578d272b6 100644
--- a/src/auth/userdb-passwd-file.c
+++ b/src/auth/userdb-passwd-file.c
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 
-#define PASSWD_FILE_CACHE_KEY "%u"
-
 struct passwd_file_userdb_iterate_context {
 	struct userdb_iterate_context ctx;
 	struct istream *input;
@@ -191,16 +189,6 @@ passwd_file_preinit(pool_t pool, const char *args)
 	module->pwf = db_passwd_file_init(args, TRUE,
 					  global_auth_settings->debug);
 	module->username_format = format;
-
-	if (!module->pwf->vars)
-		module->module.default_cache_key = PASSWD_FILE_CACHE_KEY;
-	else {
-		module->module.default_cache_key =
-			auth_cache_parse_key(pool,
-					     t_strconcat(PASSWD_FILE_CACHE_KEY,
-						         module->pwf->path,
-							 NULL));
-	}
 	return &module->module;
 }