diff --git a/RecoBTag/SecondaryVertex/plugins/TemplatedSecondaryVertexProducer.cc b/RecoBTag/SecondaryVertex/plugins/TemplatedSecondaryVertexProducer.cc
index ffbd02cbfe6ba..83d297f69d521 100644
--- a/RecoBTag/SecondaryVertex/plugins/TemplatedSecondaryVertexProducer.cc
+++ b/RecoBTag/SecondaryVertex/plugins/TemplatedSecondaryVertexProducer.cc
@@ -259,9 +259,7 @@ TemplatedSecondaryVertexProducer<IPTI, VTX>::TemplatedSecondaryVertexProducer(co
   if (constraint == CONSTRAINT_PV_BEAMSPOT_SIZE || constraint == CONSTRAINT_PV_BS_Z_ERRORS_SCALED ||
       constraint == CONSTRAINT_BEAMSPOT || constraint == CONSTRAINT_PV_PRIMARIES_IN_FIT)
     token_BeamSpot = consumes<reco::BeamSpot>(params.getParameter<edm::InputTag>("beamSpotTag"));
-  useExternalSV = false;
-  if (params.existsAs<bool>("useExternalSV"))
-    useExternalSV = params.getParameter<bool>("useExternalSV");
+  useExternalSV = params.getParameter<bool>("useExternalSV");
   if (useExternalSV) {
     token_extSVCollection = consumes<edm::View<VTX> >(params.getParameter<edm::InputTag>("extSVCollection"));
     extSVDeltaRToJet = params.getParameter<double>("extSVDeltaRToJet");