diff --git a/crates/hotshot/src/traits/networking/libp2p_network.rs b/crates/hotshot/src/traits/networking/libp2p_network.rs
index ebb68e7d01..52ed2b73bc 100644
--- a/crates/hotshot/src/traits/networking/libp2p_network.rs
+++ b/crates/hotshot/src/traits/networking/libp2p_network.rs
@@ -198,8 +198,6 @@ where
                         // setting to sane defaults
                         .ttl(None)
                         .republication_interval(None)
-                        // this removes the cache for tests
-                        .dht_cache_location(None)
                         .build()
                         .unwrap()
                 } else {
@@ -220,8 +218,6 @@ where
                         // setting to sane defaults
                         .ttl(None)
                         .republication_interval(None)
-                        // this removes the cache for tests
-                        .dht_cache_location(None)
                         .build()
                         .unwrap()
                 };
diff --git a/crates/libp2p-networking/src/network/node/config.rs b/crates/libp2p-networking/src/network/node/config.rs
index 82897c0de5..d97097e8e1 100644
--- a/crates/libp2p-networking/src/network/node/config.rs
+++ b/crates/libp2p-networking/src/network/node/config.rs
@@ -24,9 +24,8 @@ pub struct NetworkNodeConfig {
     #[builder(setter(into, strip_option), default = "DEFAULT_REPLICATION_FACTOR")]
     pub replication_factor: Option<NonZeroUsize>,
 
-    /// location of the dht cache
-    /// default is "dht.cache" in the current directory
-    #[builder(default = "Some(\"dht.cache\".to_string())")]
+    /// location of the dht cache, default is None
+    #[builder(default = "None")]
     pub dht_cache_location: Option<String>,
 
     #[builder(default)]