diff --git a/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53.go b/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53.go
index 2fa3dd2c5..a999f2d95 100644
--- a/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53.go
+++ b/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ package route53
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
-	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -52,34 +51,6 @@ func (d customRetryer) RetryRules(r *request.Request) time.Duration {
 	return time.Duration(delay) * time.Millisecond
 }
 
-// NewDNSProvider returns a DNSProvider instance configured for the AWS
-// Route 53 service.
-//
-// AWS Credentials are automatically detected in the following locations
-// and prioritized in the following order:
-// 1. Environment variables: AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY,
-//    AWS_REGION, [AWS_SESSION_TOKEN]
-// 2. Shared credentials file (defaults to ~/.aws/credentials)
-// 3. Amazon EC2 IAM role
-//
-// If AWS_HOSTED_ZONE_ID is not set, Lego tries to determine the correct
-// public hosted zone via the FQDN.
-//
-// See also: https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/wiki/configuring-sdk
-func NewDNSProvider() (*DNSProvider, error) {
-	hostedZoneID := os.Getenv("AWS_HOSTED_ZONE_ID")
-
-	r := customRetryer{}
-	r.NumMaxRetries = maxRetries
-	config := request.WithRetryer(aws.NewConfig(), r)
-	client := route53.New(session.New(config))
-
-	return &DNSProvider{
-		client:       client,
-		hostedZoneID: hostedZoneID,
-	}, nil
-}
-
 // NewDNSProviderAccessKey returns a DNSProvider instance configured for the AWS
 // Route 53 service using static credentials from its parameters
 func NewDNSProviderAccessKey(accessKeyID, secretAccessKey, hostedZoneID, region string) (*DNSProvider, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53_integration_test.go b/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53_integration_test.go
index 17ba4a08a..0861b0f7c 100644
--- a/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53_integration_test.go
+++ b/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53_integration_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ func TestRoute53TTL(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skip(err.Error())
 	}
 
-	provider, err := NewDNSProvider()
+	provider, err := NewDNSProviderAccessKey("", "", "", "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Fatal: %s", err.Error())
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53_test.go b/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53_test.go
index de4e28f3d..3f76f7252 100644
--- a/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53_test.go
+++ b/pkg/issuer/acme/dns/route53/route53_test.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func TestHostedZoneIDFromEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	defer restoreRoute53Env()
 	os.Setenv("AWS_HOSTED_ZONE_ID", testZoneID)
 
-	provider, err := NewDNSProvider()
+	provider, err := NewDNSProviderAccessKey("", "", "", "")
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "Expected no error constructing DNSProvider")
 
 	fqdn, err := provider.getHostedZoneID("whatever")