diff --git a/hydra/_internal/config_repository.py b/hydra/_internal/config_repository.py
index eb0862b28f..c9a4f6667c 100644
--- a/hydra/_internal/config_repository.py
+++ b/hydra/_internal/config_repository.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     read_write,
 )
 
+from hydra import version
 from hydra.core.config_search_path import ConfigSearchPath
 from hydra.core.object_type import ObjectType
 from hydra.plugins.config_source import ConfigResult, ConfigSource
@@ -190,10 +191,11 @@ def issue_deprecated_name_warning() -> None:
         for item in defaults._iter_ex(resolve=False):
             default: InputDefault
             if isinstance(item, DictConfig):
-                old_optional = None
-                if len(item) > 1:
-                    if "optional" in item:
-                        old_optional = item.pop("optional")
+                if not version.base_at_least("1.2"):
+                    old_optional = None
+                    if len(item) > 1:
+                        if "optional" in item:
+                            old_optional = item.pop("optional")
                 keys = list(item.keys())
 
                 if len(keys) > 1:
@@ -209,23 +211,24 @@ def issue_deprecated_name_warning() -> None:
                 keywords = ConfigRepository.Keywords()
                 self._extract_keywords_from_config_group(config_group, keywords)
 
-                if not keywords.optional and old_optional is not None:
-                    keywords.optional = old_optional
+                if not version.base_at_least("1.2"):
+                    if not keywords.optional and old_optional is not None:
+                        keywords.optional = old_optional
 
                 node = item._get_node(key)
                 assert node is not None and isinstance(node, Node)
                 config_value = node._value()
 
-                if old_optional is not None:
-                    # DEPRECATED: remove in 1.2
-                    msg = dedent(
-                        f"""
-                        In {config_path}: 'optional: true' is deprecated.
-                        Use 'optional {key}: {config_value}' instead.
-                        Support for the old style will be removed in Hydra 1.2"""
-                    )
+                if not version.base_at_least("1.2"):
+                    if old_optional is not None:
+                        msg = dedent(
+                            f"""
+                            In {config_path}: 'optional: true' is deprecated.
+                            Use 'optional {key}: {config_value}' instead.
+                            Support for the old style is removed for Hydra version_base >= 1.2"""
+                        )
 
-                    deprecation_warning(msg)
+                        deprecation_warning(msg)
 
                 if config_value is not None and not isinstance(
                     config_value, (str, list)
diff --git a/news/1952.maintenance b/news/1952.maintenance
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d0fd668ffe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/1952.maintenance
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+For version_base >= 1.2, remove deprecated "old optional" defaults list syntax
diff --git a/tests/defaults_list/test_defaults_list.py b/tests/defaults_list/test_defaults_list.py
index 91374a5950..b13dce5a99 100644
--- a/tests/defaults_list/test_defaults_list.py
+++ b/tests/defaults_list/test_defaults_list.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 from pytest import mark, param, raises, warns
 
+from hydra import version
 from hydra._internal.defaults_list import create_defaults_list
 from hydra.core.default_element import (
     ConfigDefault,
@@ -80,23 +81,47 @@ def test_loaded_defaults_list(
         ),
     ],
 )
-def test_deprecated_optional(
-    config_path: str, expected_list: List[InputDefault]
-) -> None:
-    repo = create_repo()
-    warning = dedent(
-        """
-            In optional_deprecated: 'optional: true' is deprecated.
-            Use 'optional group1: file1' instead.
-            Support for the old style will be removed in Hydra 1.2"""
-    )
-    with warns(
-        UserWarning,
-        match=re.escape(warning),
-    ):
-        result = repo.load_config(config_path=config_path)
-    assert result is not None
-    assert result.defaults_list == expected_list
+class TestDeprecatedOptional:
+    def test_version_base_1_1(
+        self,
+        config_path: str,
+        expected_list: List[InputDefault],
+    ) -> None:
+        curr_base = version.getbase()
+        version.setbase("1.1")
+        repo = create_repo()
+        warning = dedent(
+            """
+                In optional_deprecated: 'optional: true' is deprecated.
+                Use 'optional group1: file1' instead.
+                Support for the old style is removed for Hydra version_base >= 1.2"""
+        )
+        with warns(
+            UserWarning,
+            match=re.escape(warning),
+        ):
+            result = repo.load_config(config_path=config_path)
+        assert result is not None
+        assert result.defaults_list == expected_list
+        version.setbase(str(curr_base))
+
+    @mark.parametrize("version_base", ["1.2", None])
+    def test_version_base_1_2(
+        self,
+        config_path: str,
+        expected_list: List[InputDefault],
+        version_base: Optional[str],
+    ) -> None:
+        curr_base = version.getbase()
+        version.setbase(version_base)
+        repo = create_repo()
+        err = "In optional_deprecated: Too many keys in default item {'group1': 'file1', 'optional': True}"
+        with raises(
+            ValueError,
+            match=re.escape(err),
+        ):
+            repo.load_config(config_path=config_path)
+        version.setbase(str(curr_base))
 
 
 def _test_defaults_list_impl(