diff --git a/config/tendermint/config.go b/config/tendermint/config.go
index 74bf7b2ff..6378607fe 100644
--- a/config/tendermint/config.go
+++ b/config/tendermint/config.go
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ func GetConfig(rootDir string) cfg.Config {
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("timeout_commit", 1000)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_recheck", true)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_broadcast", true)
-	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_reap", true)
 
 	return mapConfig
 }
diff --git a/config/tendermint_test/config.go b/config/tendermint_test/config.go
index 1263dc135..bb886a2b7 100644
--- a/config/tendermint_test/config.go
+++ b/config/tendermint_test/config.go
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ func GetConfig(rootDir string) cfg.Config {
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("timeout_commit", 1)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_recheck", true)
 	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_broadcast", true)
-	mapConfig.SetDefault("mempool_reap", true)
 
 	return mapConfig
 }
diff --git a/consensus/state.go b/consensus/state.go
index 22bc8c52a..386b53a00 100644
--- a/consensus/state.go
+++ b/consensus/state.go
@@ -877,11 +877,16 @@ func (cs *ConsensusState) createProposalBlock() (block *types.Block, blockParts
 		return
 	}
 
+	maxBlockSize := config.GetInt("block_size")
+
 	// Mempool validated transactions
-	txs := cs.mempool.Reap()
+	// if block_size < 0, no txs will be included
+	var txs []types.Tx
+	if maxBlockSize >= 0 {
+		txs = cs.mempool.Reap()
+	}
 
 	// Cap the number of txs in a block
-	maxBlockSize := config.GetInt("block_size")
 	if maxBlockSize > 0 && maxBlockSize < len(txs) {
 		txs = txs[:maxBlockSize]
 	}
diff --git a/mempool/mempool.go b/mempool/mempool.go
index a511c2e46..1d0a375d6 100644
--- a/mempool/mempool.go
+++ b/mempool/mempool.go
@@ -184,10 +184,6 @@ func (mem *Mempool) resCbRecheck(req *tmsp.Request, res *tmsp.Response) {
 
 // Get the valid transactions remaining
 func (mem *Mempool) Reap() []types.Tx {
-	if !config.GetBool("mempool_reap") {
-		return []types.Tx{}
-	}
-
 	mem.proxyMtx.Lock()
 	defer mem.proxyMtx.Unlock()