diff --git a/test/distributed/checkpoint/e2e/test_e2e_save_and_load.py b/test/distributed/checkpoint/e2e/test_e2e_save_and_load.py
index 9093419a3075c..534c525d0317e 100644
--- a/test/distributed/checkpoint/e2e/test_e2e_save_and_load.py
+++ b/test/distributed/checkpoint/e2e/test_e2e_save_and_load.py
@@ -278,8 +278,10 @@ def load_state_dict(self, state_dict):
 
     @with_temp_dir
     def test_no_dist(self):
-        DCP.save({}, checkpoint_id=self.temp_dir, no_dist=True)
-        DCP.load({}, checkpoint_id=self.temp_dir, no_dist=True)
+        # since comm's are not initialized in this method, `no_dist`
+        # is assumed False
+        DCP.save({}, checkpoint_id=self.temp_dir)
+        DCP.load({}, checkpoint_id=self.temp_dir)
 
 
 class TestNoCPU(DTensorTestBase):
diff --git a/test/distributed/checkpoint/test_compatibility.py b/test/distributed/checkpoint/test_compatibility.py
index c71c97e49cfef..f5950e5476ec9 100644
--- a/test/distributed/checkpoint/test_compatibility.py
+++ b/test/distributed/checkpoint/test_compatibility.py
@@ -50,13 +50,11 @@ def test_sharded_tensor_dependency(self) -> None:
             dcp.save(
                 {"a": torch.zeros(4, 4)},
                 dcp.FileSystemWriter("/tmp/dcp_testing"),
-                no_dist=True,
             )
 
         dcp.load(
             {"a": torch.zeros(4, 4)},
             dcp.FileSystemReader("/tmp/dcp_testing"),
-            no_dist=True,
         )
 
 
diff --git a/torch/distributed/checkpoint/format_utils.py b/torch/distributed/checkpoint/format_utils.py
index e9e1f541a8c2a..40d6c9b4332bc 100644
--- a/torch/distributed/checkpoint/format_utils.py
+++ b/torch/distributed/checkpoint/format_utils.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 from torch.distributed.checkpoint.planner import LoadItemType, LoadPlan, LoadPlanner
 from torch.distributed.checkpoint.planner_helpers import _create_chunk_list
 from torch.distributed.checkpoint.state_dict_loader import _load_state_dict
+from torch.distributed.checkpoint.state_dict_saver import _save_state_dict
 from torch.distributed.checkpoint.storage import StorageReader
 from torch.futures import Future
 
@@ -265,4 +266,6 @@ def torch_save_to_dcp(
     """
 
     state_dict = torch.load(torch_save_path)
-    dcp.save(state_dict, checkpoint_id=dcp_checkpoint_dir, no_dist=True)
+    # we don't need stateful behavior here because the expectation is anything loaded by
+    # torch.load would not contain stateful objects.
+    _save_state_dict(state_dict, checkpoint_id=dcp_checkpoint_dir, no_dist=True)
diff --git a/torch/distributed/checkpoint/state_dict_loader.py b/torch/distributed/checkpoint/state_dict_loader.py
index a89ae4b7dae3c..1b103e8895403 100644
--- a/torch/distributed/checkpoint/state_dict_loader.py
+++ b/torch/distributed/checkpoint/state_dict_loader.py
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ def load(
     storage_reader: Optional[StorageReader] = None,
     planner: Optional[LoadPlanner] = None,
     process_group: Optional[dist.ProcessGroup] = None,
-    coordinator_rank: int = 0,
-    no_dist: Optional[bool] = None,
 ) -> None:
     """
     Load a distributed ``state_dict`` in SPMD style.
@@ -75,9 +73,13 @@ def load(
         pos-processing and non-tensor data properly propagates.
 
     .. note:
-        This function can be used for local inference and load a checkpoint
-        produced by ``save_state_dict`` without having a process group initialized
-        by passing ``no_dist=True`` and by using Tensors instead of ShardedTensors.
+        If no process group is initialized, this function can assumesbe the intent
+        is to load a checkpoint into the local process. This can be useful in the
+        case of local inference, and when using regular Tensors (as opposed to DTensor
+         or ShardedTensor)
+
+    .. note:
+        Rank 0 is assumed to be the coordinator rank.
 
     Args:
         state_dict (Dict[str, Any]): The state_dict to save.
@@ -97,10 +99,6 @@ def load(
         process_group (Optional[ProcessGroup]):
             ProcessGroup to be used for cross-rank synchronization.
             (Default: ``None``)
-        coordinator_rank (int): Rank to use to coordinate the checkpoint.
-            rank0 is used by default. (Default: ``0``)
-        no_dist (Optional[bool]): If ``True``, distributed checkpoint will not save
-            in SPMD style. (Default: ``False`` when torch.distributed is available and initialized)
 
     Returns:
         None.
@@ -131,13 +129,11 @@ def load(
         rank has an individual GPU, via ``torch.cuda.set_device()``.
     """
 
-    if no_dist is None:
-        no_dist = not (dist.is_available() and dist.is_initialized())
-        if no_dist:
-            warnings.warn(
-                "Loading with `no_dist` set to True because torch.distributed"
-                " is unavailable or uninitialized."
-            )
+    no_dist = not (dist.is_available() and dist.is_initialized())
+    if no_dist:
+        warnings.warn(
+            "torch.distributed is unavailable or uninitialized, assuming the intent is to load in a single process."
+        )
 
     with _profile():
         storage_reader = cast(
@@ -164,12 +160,11 @@ def load(
             )
 
         _load_state_dict(
-            statetful_sd,
-            storage_reader,
-            process_group,
-            coordinator_rank,
-            no_dist,
-            planner,
+            state_dict=statetful_sd,
+            storage_reader=storage_reader,
+            process_group=process_group,
+            no_dist=no_dist,
+            planner=planner
         )
         for key in keys:
             if key not in state_dict:
diff --git a/torch/distributed/checkpoint/state_dict_saver.py b/torch/distributed/checkpoint/state_dict_saver.py
index 59f0db33ccd3b..0a4592c178da7 100644
--- a/torch/distributed/checkpoint/state_dict_saver.py
+++ b/torch/distributed/checkpoint/state_dict_saver.py
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ def save(
     storage_writer: Optional[StorageWriter] = None,
     planner: Optional[SavePlanner] = None,
     process_group: Optional[dist.ProcessGroup] = None,
-    coordinator_rank: int = 0,
-    no_dist: Optional[bool] = None,
 ) -> Metadata:
     """
     Save a distributed model in SPMD style.
@@ -82,9 +80,11 @@ def save(
         group needs to be passed in.
 
     .. note::
-        This function can be used to save a state_dict without having a process group
-        initialized by passing ``no_dist=True``.
-        (Default: ``False`` when torch.distributed is available and initialized)
+        If no process group is available, this function assumes the intention is to save the
+         state_dict in the local process.
+
+    .. note:
+        Rank 0 is assumed to be the coordinator rank.
 
 
     Args:
@@ -105,10 +105,6 @@ def save(
         process_group (Optional[ProcessGroup]):
             ProcessGroup to be used for cross-rank synchronization.
             (Default: ``None``)
-        coordinator_rank (int): Rank to use to coordinate the checkpoint.
-            rank0 is used by default. (Default: ``0``)
-        no_dist (bool): If ``True``, distributed checkpoint will not save
-            in SPMD style. (Default: ``False``)
 
     Returns:
         Metadata: Metadata object for the saved checkpoint.
@@ -135,25 +131,23 @@ def save(
     """
     torch._C._log_api_usage_once("torch.distributed.checkpoint.save")
 
-    if no_dist is None:
-        no_dist = not (dist.is_available() and dist.is_initialized())
-        if no_dist:
-            warnings.warn(
-                "Saving with `no_dist` set to True because torch.distributed"
-                " is unavailable or uninitialized."
-            )
+    no_dist = not (dist.is_available() and dist.is_initialized())
+    if no_dist:
+        warnings.warn(
+            "torch.distributed is unavailable or uninitialized, assuming the intent is to save in a single process."
+        )
 
     with _profile():
         storage_writer = cast(
             StorageWriter, _storage_setup(storage_writer, checkpoint_id, reader=False)
         )
+
         return _save_state_dict(
-            _stateful_to_state_dict(state_dict),
-            storage_writer,
-            process_group,
-            coordinator_rank,
-            no_dist,
-            planner,
+            state_dict=_stateful_to_state_dict(state_dict),
+            storage_writer=storage_writer,
+            process_group=process_group,
+            no_dist=no_dist,
+            planner=planner,
         )
 
 
@@ -164,8 +158,6 @@ def _async_save(
     storage_writer: Optional[StorageWriter] = None,
     planner: Optional[SavePlanner] = None,
     process_group: Optional[dist.ProcessGroup] = None,
-    coordinator_rank: int = 0,
-    no_dist: bool = False,
 ) -> Future:
     """Asynchronous version of ``save_state_dict``. This code first de-stages the state_dict on CPU, and then calls
     `save` in a separate thread.
@@ -191,10 +183,6 @@ def _async_save(
         process_group (Optional[ProcessGroup]):
             ProcessGroup to be used for cross-rank synchronization.
             (Default: ``None``)
-        coordinator_rank (int): Rank to use to coordinate the checkpoint.
-            rank0 is used by default. (Default: ``0``)
-        no_dist (bool): If ``True``, distributed checkpoint will not save
-            in SPMD style. (Default: ``False``)
 
     Returns:
         Future: A future holding the resultant Metadata object from `save`.
@@ -216,9 +204,7 @@ def _async_save(
         checkpoint_id=checkpoint_id,
         storage_writer=storage_writer,
         planner=planner,
-        process_group=process_group,
-        coordinator_rank=coordinator_rank,
-        no_dist=no_dist,
+        process_group=process_group
     )
     f.add_done_callback(lambda f: executor.shutdown(wait=False))