diff --git a/test/test-clusters/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/cluster/FeatureFlag.java b/test/test-clusters/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/cluster/FeatureFlag.java
index f996db92e57f4..ee671651b8cff 100644
--- a/test/test-clusters/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/cluster/FeatureFlag.java
+++ b/test/test-clusters/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/cluster/FeatureFlag.java
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ public enum FeatureFlag {
     TIME_SERIES_MODE("es.index_mode_feature_flag_registered=true", Version.fromString("8.0.0"), null),
     FAILURE_STORE_ENABLED("es.failure_store_feature_flag_enabled=true", Version.fromString("8.12.0"), null),
     SUB_OBJECTS_AUTO_ENABLED("es.sub_objects_auto_feature_flag_enabled=true", Version.fromString("8.16.0"), null),
-    INFERENCE_DEFAULT_ELSER("es.inference_default_elser_feature_flag_enabled=true", Version.fromString("8.16.0"), null),
-    ML_SCALE_FROM_ZERO("es.ml_scale_from_zero_feature_flag_enabled=true", Version.fromString("8.16.0"), null);
+    INFERENCE_DEFAULT_ELSER("es.inference_default_elser_feature_flag_enabled=true", Version.fromString("8.16.0"), null);
 
     public final String systemProperty;
     public final Version from;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportInternalInferModelAction.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportInternalInferModelAction.java
index ba4483493da1d..e0405b1749536 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportInternalInferModelAction.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportInternalInferModelAction.java
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.MachineLearning;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.inference.InferenceWaitForAllocation;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.inference.adaptiveallocations.AdaptiveAllocationsScalerService;
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.inference.adaptiveallocations.ScaleFromZeroFeatureFlag;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.inference.assignment.TrainedModelAssignmentService;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.inference.loadingservice.LocalModel;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.inference.loadingservice.ModelLoadingService;
@@ -277,13 +276,11 @@ private void inferAgainstAllocatedModel(
             boolean starting = adaptiveAllocationsScalerService.maybeStartAllocation(assignment);
             if (starting) {
                 message += "; starting deployment of one allocation";
-
-                if (ScaleFromZeroFeatureFlag.isEnabled()) {
-                    waitForAllocation.waitForAssignment(
-                        new InferenceWaitForAllocation.WaitingRequest(request, responseBuilder, parentTaskId, listener)
-                    );
-                    return;
-                }
+                logger.debug(message);
+                waitForAllocation.waitForAssignment(
+                    new InferenceWaitForAllocation.WaitingRequest(request, responseBuilder, parentTaskId, listener)
+                );
+                return;
             }
 
             logger.debug(message);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/inference/adaptiveallocations/ScaleFromZeroFeatureFlag.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/inference/adaptiveallocations/ScaleFromZeroFeatureFlag.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 4c446b65db9dd..0000000000000
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/inference/adaptiveallocations/ScaleFromZeroFeatureFlag.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
- * 2.0; you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License
- * 2.0.
- */
-
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.inference.adaptiveallocations;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.common.util.FeatureFlag;
-
-public class ScaleFromZeroFeatureFlag {
-    private ScaleFromZeroFeatureFlag() {}
-
-    private static final FeatureFlag FEATURE_FLAG = new FeatureFlag("ml_scale_from_zero");
-
-    public static boolean isEnabled() {
-        return FEATURE_FLAG.isEnabled();
-    }
-}