diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2176a6a90..1ccabf4b0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ RabbitMQ Environment Variables in rabbitmq_env.config
 ####`erlang_cookie`
 
 The erlang cookie to use for clustering - must be the same between all nodes.
+This value has no default and must be set explicitly if using clustering.
 
 ###`key_content`
 
diff --git a/lib/puppet/type/rabbitmq_erlang_cookie.rb b/lib/puppet/type/rabbitmq_erlang_cookie.rb
index fc56575a9..564af5253 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/type/rabbitmq_erlang_cookie.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/type/rabbitmq_erlang_cookie.rb
@@ -3,20 +3,6 @@
 
   newparam(:path, :namevar => true)
 
-  validate do
-    # This does pre-validation on the content property and force parameter.
-    # The intent is to simulate the prior behavior to the invention of this
-    # type (see https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppetlabs-rabbitmq/blob/4.1.0/manifests/config.pp#L87-L117)
-    # where validation occurs before the catalog starts being applied.
-    # This prevents other resources from failing after attempting to apply
-    # this resource and having it fail due to the force parameter being
-    # set to false.
-    is = (File.read(self[:path]) if File.exists?(self[:path])) || ''
-    should = self[:content]
-    failstring = 'The current erlang cookie needs to change. In order to do this the RabbitMQ database needs to be wiped. Please set force => true to allow this tohappen automatically.'
-    fail(failstring) if (is != should && self[:force] != :true)
-  end
-
   newproperty(:content) do
     desc 'Content of cookie'
     newvalues(/^\S+$/)
diff --git a/manifests/config.pp b/manifests/config.pp
index 3f65bb5f7..95b7ab213 100644
--- a/manifests/config.pp
+++ b/manifests/config.pp
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@
     require => File['/etc/rabbitmq'],
   }
 
-
   if $config_cluster {
 
     if $erlang_cookie == undef {
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index 40d50c9e6..219a41e93 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
   $delete_guest_user          = false
   $env_config                 = 'rabbitmq/rabbitmq-env.conf.erb'
   $env_config_path            = '/etc/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-env.conf'
-  $erlang_cookie              = 'EOKOWXQREETZSHFNTPEY'
+  $erlang_cookie              = undef
   $node_ip_address            = 'UNSET'
   $plugin_dir                 = "/usr/lib/rabbitmq/lib/rabbitmq_server-${version}/plugins"
   $port                       = '5672'
diff --git a/spec/unit/puppet/type/rabbitmq_erlang_cookie_spec.rb b/spec/unit/puppet/type/rabbitmq_erlang_cookie_spec.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index c35548351..000000000
--- a/spec/unit/puppet/type/rabbitmq_erlang_cookie_spec.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,45 +0,0 @@
-require 'mocha'
-require 'puppet'
-require 'puppet/type/rabbitmq_exchange'
-RSpec.configure do |config|
-  config.mock_with :mocha
-end
-describe Puppet::Type.type(:rabbitmq_erlang_cookie) do
-  context 'when content needs to change and force is unset' do
-    it 'fails' do
-      File.expects(:read).with('/var/lib/rabbitmq/.erlang.cookie').returns('OLDCOOKIE')
-      File.expects(:exists?).returns(true)
-      expect {
-        Puppet::Type.type(:rabbitmq_erlang_cookie).new(
-          :name    => '/var/lib/rabbitmq/.erlang.cookie',
-          :content => 'NEWCOOKIE',
-        )
-      }.to raise_error(Puppet::Error, /The current erlang cookie needs to change/)
-    end
-  end
-
-  context 'when content needs to change and force is true' do
-    it 'sets the cookie' do
-      File.expects(:read).with('/var/lib/rabbitmq/.erlang.cookie').returns('OLDCOOKIE')
-      File.expects(:exists?).returns(true)
-      cookie = Puppet::Type.type(:rabbitmq_erlang_cookie).new(
-        :name    => '/var/lib/rabbitmq/.erlang.cookie',
-        :content => 'NEWCOOKIE',
-        :force   => true,
-      )
-      expect(cookie[:content]).to eq('NEWCOOKIE')
-    end
-  end
-
-  context 'when content does not need to change' do
-    it 'still sets the cookie' do
-      File.expects(:read).with('/var/lib/rabbitmq/.erlang.cookie').returns('NEWCOOKIE')
-      File.expects(:exists?).returns(true)
-      cookie = Puppet::Type.type(:rabbitmq_erlang_cookie).new(
-        :name    => '/var/lib/rabbitmq/.erlang.cookie',
-        :content => 'NEWCOOKIE',
-      )
-      expect(cookie[:content]).to eq('NEWCOOKIE')
-    end
-  end
-end