diff --git a/debezium-core/src/main/java/io/debezium/relational/history/KafkaDatabaseHistory.java b/debezium-core/src/main/java/io/debezium/relational/history/KafkaDatabaseHistory.java
index 8c7f35a1f..ccb8c0009 100644
--- a/debezium-core/src/main/java/io/debezium/relational/history/KafkaDatabaseHistory.java
+++ b/debezium-core/src/main/java/io/debezium/relational/history/KafkaDatabaseHistory.java
@@ -490,11 +490,8 @@ public void initializeStorage() {
 
         try (AdminClient admin = AdminClient.create(this.producerConfig.asProperties())) {
 
-            // Find default replication factor
-            final short replicationFactor = getDefaultTopicReplicationFactor(admin);
-
             // Create topic
-            final NewTopic topic = new NewTopic(topicName, PARTITION_COUNT, replicationFactor);
+            final NewTopic topic = new NewTopic(topicName, PARTITION_COUNT);
             topic.configs(Collect.hashMapOf(CLEANUP_POLICY_NAME, CLEANUP_POLICY_VALUE, RETENTION_MS_NAME, Long.toString(RETENTION_MS_MAX), RETENTION_BYTES_NAME,
                     Long.toString(UNLIMITED_VALUE)));
             admin.createTopics(Collections.singleton(topic));
@@ -506,50 +503,6 @@ public void initializeStorage() {
         }
     }
 
-    private short getDefaultTopicReplicationFactor(AdminClient admin) throws Exception {
-        try {
-            Config brokerConfig = getKafkaBrokerConfig(admin);
-            String defaultReplicationFactorValue = brokerConfig.get(DEFAULT_TOPIC_REPLICATION_FACTOR_PROP_NAME).value();
-
-            // Ensure that the default replication factor property was returned by the Admin Client
-            if (defaultReplicationFactorValue != null) {
-                return Short.parseShort(defaultReplicationFactorValue);
-            }
-        }
-        catch (ExecutionException ex) {
-            // ignore UnsupportedVersionException, e.g. due to older broker version
-            if (!(ex.getCause() instanceof UnsupportedVersionException)) {
-                throw ex;
-            }
-        }
-
-        // Otherwise warn that no property was obtained and default it to 1 - users can increase this later if desired
-        LOGGER.warn(
-                "Unable to obtain the default replication factor from the brokers at {}. Setting value to {} instead.",
-                producerConfig.getString(BOOTSTRAP_SERVERS),
-                DEFAULT_TOPIC_REPLICATION_FACTOR);
-
-        return DEFAULT_TOPIC_REPLICATION_FACTOR;
-    }
-
-    private Config getKafkaBrokerConfig(AdminClient admin) throws Exception {
-        final Collection<Node> nodes = admin.describeCluster().nodes().get(KAFKA_QUERY_TIMEOUT.toMillis(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
-        if (nodes.isEmpty()) {
-            throw new ConnectException("No brokers available to obtain default settings");
-        }
-
-        String nodeId = nodes.iterator().next().idString();
-        Set<ConfigResource> resources = Collections.singleton(new ConfigResource(ConfigResource.Type.BROKER, nodeId));
-        final Map<ConfigResource, Config> configs = admin.describeConfigs(resources).all().get(
-                KAFKA_QUERY_TIMEOUT.toMillis(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
-
-        if (configs.isEmpty()) {
-            throw new ConnectException("No configs have been received");
-        }
-
-        return configs.values().iterator().next();
-    }
-
     private static Validator forKafka(final Validator validator) {
         return (config, field, problems) -> {
             final String history = config.getString(HistorizedRelationalDatabaseConnectorConfig.DATABASE_HISTORY);