diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d7b25481ffb..9d5ea37b196 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 1. [19856](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/pull/19856): make tagKeys and tagValues work for edge cases involving _field
 1. [19853](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/pull/19853): Use updated HTTP client for authorization service
 1. [19886](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/pull/19886): Add Logger to constructor function to ensure log field is initialized
+1. [19885](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/pull/19885): Remove extra multiplication of retention policies in onboarding
 
 ## v2.0.0-rc.3 [2020-10-29]
 
diff --git a/cmd/influxd/upgrade/database_test.go b/cmd/influxd/upgrade/database_test.go
index 949d4791f42..8238d6aba28 100644
--- a/cmd/influxd/upgrade/database_test.go
+++ b/cmd/influxd/upgrade/database_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package upgrade
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"github.com/dustin/go-humanize"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ func TestUpgradeRealDB(t *testing.T) {
 	options.target = *v2opts
 	req, err := nonInteractive()
 	require.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, req.RetentionPeriod, humanize.Week, "Retention policy should pass through")
 
 	resp, err := setupAdmin(ctx, v2, req)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
diff --git a/cmd/influxd/upgrade/setup.go b/cmd/influxd/upgrade/setup.go
index 2343ea0df20..5c9c9d426c7 100644
--- a/cmd/influxd/upgrade/setup.go
+++ b/cmd/influxd/upgrade/setup.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func nonInteractive() (*influxdb.OnboardingRequest, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	if dur > 0 {
-		req.RetentionPeriod = dur / time.Hour
+		req.RetentionPeriod = dur
 	}
 	return req, nil
 }
diff --git a/kv/onboarding.go b/kv/onboarding.go
index e2ddebe7c40..80647cd5fb9 100644
--- a/kv/onboarding.go
+++ b/kv/onboarding.go
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"time"
-
 	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/v2"
 )
 
@@ -112,7 +110,7 @@ func (s *Service) OnboardInitialUser(ctx context.Context, req *influxdb.Onboardi
 	o := &influxdb.Organization{Name: req.Org}
 	bucket := &influxdb.Bucket{
 		Name:            req.Bucket,
-		RetentionPeriod: time.Duration(req.RetentionPeriod) * time.Hour,
+		RetentionPeriod: req.RetentionPeriod,
 	}
 	mapping := &influxdb.UserResourceMapping{
 		ResourceType: influxdb.OrgsResourceType,
diff --git a/tenant/service_onboarding.go b/tenant/service_onboarding.go
index 2ad92d76ec6..59fdfa5e58a 100644
--- a/tenant/service_onboarding.go
+++ b/tenant/service_onboarding.go
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ package tenant
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"time"
-
 	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/v2"
 	icontext "github.com/influxdata/influxdb/v2/context"
 	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/v2/kv"
@@ -122,7 +120,7 @@ func (s *OnboardService) onboardUser(ctx context.Context, req *influxdb.Onboardi
 		OrgID:           org.ID,
 		Name:            req.Bucket,
 		Type:            influxdb.BucketTypeUser,
-		RetentionPeriod: time.Duration(req.RetentionPeriod) * time.Hour,
+		RetentionPeriod: req.RetentionPeriod,
 	}
 
 	if err := s.service.CreateBucket(ctx, ub); err != nil {
diff --git a/tenant/service_onboarding_test.go b/tenant/service_onboarding_test.go
index 569a6b226b4..cfbdb1b7562 100644
--- a/tenant/service_onboarding_test.go
+++ b/tenant/service_onboarding_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package tenant_test
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/v2/pkg/testing/assert"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 
@@ -154,3 +156,30 @@ func TestOnboardAuth(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 }
+
+func TestOnboardService_RetentionPolicy(t *testing.T) {
+	s, _, _ := NewTestInmemStore(t)
+	storage := tenant.NewStore(s)
+	ten := tenant.NewService(storage)
+
+	// we will need an auth service as well
+	svc := tenant.NewOnboardService(ten, kv.NewService(zaptest.NewLogger(t), s))
+
+	ctx := icontext.SetAuthorizer(context.Background(), &influxdb.Authorization{
+		UserID: 123,
+	})
+
+	retention := 72 * time.Hour
+	onboard, err := svc.OnboardInitialUser(ctx, &influxdb.OnboardingRequest{
+		User:   "name",
+		Org:    "name",
+		Bucket: "name",
+		RetentionPeriod: retention,
+	})
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(t, onboard.Bucket.RetentionPeriod, retention, "Retention policy should pass through")
+}
diff --git a/testing/onboarding.go b/testing/onboarding.go
index d60800dcc0c..214745a5d33 100644
--- a/testing/onboarding.go
+++ b/testing/onboarding.go
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func OnboardInitialUser(
 					Org:             "org1",
 					Bucket:          "bucket1",
 					Password:        "password1",
-					RetentionPeriod: 24 * 7, // 1 week
+					RetentionPeriod: time.Hour * 24 * 7, // 1 week
 				},
 			},
 			wants: wants{