diff --git a/src/meta/processors/admin/HBProcessor.cpp b/src/meta/processors/admin/HBProcessor.cpp
index 2012e42e251..7e78aba9732 100644
--- a/src/meta/processors/admin/HBProcessor.cpp
+++ b/src/meta/processors/admin/HBProcessor.cpp
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@
 #include "meta/KVBasedClusterIdMan.h"
 #include "meta/MetaVersionMan.h"
 
-DEFINE_bool(hosts_whitelist_enabled, true, "Automatically receive the heartbeat report");
-
 namespace nebula {
 namespace meta {
 
@@ -36,7 +34,7 @@ void HBProcessor::process(const cpp2::HBReq& req) {
             << ", role = " << apache::thrift::util::enumNameSafe(role);
 
   if (role == cpp2::HostRole::STORAGE) {
-    if (!FLAGS_hosts_whitelist_enabled && !ActiveHostsMan::machineRegisted(kvstore_, host)) {
+    if (!ActiveHostsMan::machineRegisted(kvstore_, host)) {
       LOG(ERROR) << "Machine " << host << " is not registed";
       handleErrorCode(nebula::cpp2::ErrorCode::E_MACHINE_NOT_FOUND);
       onFinished();
diff --git a/src/meta/processors/admin/HBProcessor.h b/src/meta/processors/admin/HBProcessor.h
index 4974f781c77..4fde1b03bac 100644
--- a/src/meta/processors/admin/HBProcessor.h
+++ b/src/meta/processors/admin/HBProcessor.h
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
 #include "common/stats/StatsManager.h"
 #include "meta/processors/BaseProcessor.h"
 
-DECLARE_bool(hosts_whitelist_enabled);
-
 namespace nebula {
 namespace meta {
 
diff --git a/src/meta/test/HBProcessorTest.cpp b/src/meta/test/HBProcessorTest.cpp
index 0773294711a..bbd619d579a 100644
--- a/src/meta/test/HBProcessorTest.cpp
+++ b/src/meta/test/HBProcessorTest.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ namespace nebula {
 namespace meta {
 
 TEST(HBProcessorTest, HBTest) {
-  FLAGS_hosts_whitelist_enabled = false;
   fs::TempDir rootPath("/tmp/HBTest.XXXXXX");
   std::unique_ptr<kvstore::KVStore> kv(MockCluster::initMetaKV(rootPath.path()));
 
diff --git a/src/meta/test/ProcessorTest.cpp b/src/meta/test/ProcessorTest.cpp
index 6fd6090c6f2..b942e98afdd 100644
--- a/src/meta/test/ProcessorTest.cpp
+++ b/src/meta/test/ProcessorTest.cpp
@@ -2681,7 +2681,6 @@ TEST(ProcessorTest, TagIdAndEdgeTypeInSpaceRangeTest) {
 }
 
 TEST(ProcessorTest, HostsTest) {
-  FLAGS_hosts_whitelist_enabled = false;
   fs::TempDir rootPath("/tmp/HostsTest.XXXXXX");
   auto kv = MockCluster::initMetaKV(rootPath.path());
   {
@@ -2883,7 +2882,6 @@ TEST(ProcessorTest, HostsTest) {
 }
 
 TEST(ProcessorTest, AddHostsIntoNewZoneTest) {
-  FLAGS_hosts_whitelist_enabled = false;
   fs::TempDir rootPath("/tmp/AddHostsIntoZoneTest.XXXXXX");
   auto kv = MockCluster::initMetaKV(rootPath.path());
   {
@@ -2985,7 +2983,6 @@ TEST(ProcessorTest, AddHostsIntoNewZoneTest) {
 }
 
 TEST(ProcessorTest, AddHostsIntoZoneTest) {
-  FLAGS_hosts_whitelist_enabled = false;
   fs::TempDir rootPath("/tmp/AddHostsIntoZoneTest.XXXXXX");
   auto kv = MockCluster::initMetaKV(rootPath.path());
   {
@@ -3156,7 +3153,6 @@ TEST(ProcessorTest, AddHostsIntoZoneTest) {
 }
 
 TEST(ProcessorTest, DropHostsTest) {
-  FLAGS_hosts_whitelist_enabled = false;
   fs::TempDir rootPath("/tmp/DropHostsTest.XXXXXX");
   auto kv = MockCluster::initMetaKV(rootPath.path());
   {