diff --git a/validator/src/cli.rs b/validator/src/cli.rs
index d22544d5ec..75c1347131 100644
--- a/validator/src/cli.rs
+++ b/validator/src/cli.rs
@@ -1185,12 +1185,6 @@ pub fn app<'a>(version: &'a str, default_args: &'a DefaultArgs) -> App<'a, 'a> {
                 .help("Debug option to scan all append vecs and verify account index refcounts prior to clean")
                 .hidden(true)
         )
-        .arg(
-            Arg::with_name("accounts_db_skip_shrink")
-                .long("accounts-db-skip-shrink")
-                .help("Enables faster starting of validators by skipping shrink. \
-                      This option is for use during testing."),
-        )
         .arg(
             Arg::with_name("accounts_db_create_ancient_storage_packed")
                 .long("accounts-db-create-ancient-storage-packed")
@@ -1560,6 +1554,10 @@ pub fn app<'a>(version: &'a str, default_args: &'a DefaultArgs) -> App<'a, 'a> {
 // avoid breaking validator startup commands
 fn get_deprecated_arguments() -> Vec<Arg<'static, 'static>> {
     vec![
+        Arg::with_name("accounts_db_skip_shrink")
+            .long("accounts-db-skip-shrink")
+            .help("This is obsolete since it is now enabled by default. Enables faster starting of validators by skipping startup clean and shrink.")
+            .hidden(true),
         Arg::with_name("accounts_db_caching_enabled")
             .long("accounts-db-caching-enabled")
             .hidden(true),
diff --git a/validator/src/main.rs b/validator/src/main.rs
index 31b7001cd2..e195c0ec7f 100644
--- a/validator/src/main.rs
+++ b/validator/src/main.rs
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@ pub fn main() {
         account_indexes,
         accounts_db_test_hash_calculation: matches.is_present("accounts_db_test_hash_calculation"),
         accounts_db_config,
-        accounts_db_skip_shrink: matches.is_present("accounts_db_skip_shrink"),
+        accounts_db_skip_shrink: true,
         tpu_coalesce_ms,
         no_wait_for_vote_to_start_leader: matches.is_present("no_wait_for_vote_to_start_leader"),
         accounts_shrink_ratio,