diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c b/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c
index 336295ed80c9..d8f8173fcccc 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/kvs.c
@@ -1068,20 +1068,6 @@ static void kvstxn_apply (kvstxn_t *kt)
         assert (wait_get_usecount (wait) > 0);
         goto stall;
     }
-    else if (ret == KVSTXN_PROCESS_SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH) {
-        /* N.B. futre is managed by kvstxn, should not call
-         * flux_future_destroy() on it */
-        flux_future_t *f = kvstxn_sync_content_flush (kt);
-        if (!f) {
-            errnum = errno;
-            goto done;
-        }
-        if (flux_future_then (f, -1., kvstxn_apply_cb, kt) < 0) {
-            errnum = errno;
-            goto done;
-        }
-        goto stall;
-    }
     else if (ret == KVSTXN_PROCESS_SYNC_CHECKPOINT) {
         /* N.B. futre is managed by kvstxn, should not call
          * flux_future_destroy() on it */
@@ -3142,22 +3128,15 @@ static int checkpoint_get (flux_t *h, char *buf, size_t len, int *seq)
  */
 static int checkpoint_put (flux_t *h, const char *rootref, int rootseq)
 {
-    flux_future_t *f1 = NULL;
-    flux_future_t *f2 = NULL;
+    flux_future_t *f = NULL;
     int rv = -1;
 
-    /* first must ensure all content is flushed */
-    if (!(f1 = flux_rpc (h, "content.flush", NULL, 0, 0))
-        || flux_rpc_get (f1, NULL) < 0)
-        goto error;
-
-    if (!(f2 = kvs_checkpoint_commit (h, NULL, rootref, rootseq, 0, 0))
-        || flux_rpc_get (f2, NULL) < 0)
+    if (!(f = kvs_checkpoint_commit (h, NULL, rootref, rootseq, 0, 0))
+        || flux_rpc_get (f, NULL) < 0)
         goto error;
     rv = 0;
 error:
-    flux_future_destroy (f1);
-    flux_future_destroy (f2);
+    flux_future_destroy (f);
     return rv;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/kvstxn.c b/src/modules/kvs/kvstxn.c
index 1a7e1eea99c4..83fd8bb4b90d 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/kvstxn.c
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/kvstxn.c
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ struct kvstxn {
     char newroot[BLOBREF_MAX_STRING_SIZE];
     zlist_t *missing_refs_list;
     zlist_t *dirty_cache_entries_list;
-    flux_future_t *f_sync_content_flush;
     flux_future_t *f_sync_checkpoint;
     bool processing;            /* kvstxn is being processed */
     bool merged;                /* kvstxn is a merger of transactions */
@@ -77,7 +76,6 @@ struct kvstxn {
      * STORE - generate dirty entries for caller to store
      * GENERATE_KEYS - stall until stores complete
      *               - generate keys modified in txn
-     * SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH - call content.flush (for FLUX_KVS_SYNC)
      * SYNC_CHECKPOINT - call kvs_checkpoint_commit (for FLUX_KVS_SYNC)
      * FINISHED - end state
      *
@@ -87,8 +85,7 @@ struct kvstxn {
      * APPLY_OPS -> STORE
      * STORE -> GENERATE_KEYS
      * GENERATE_KEYS -> FINISHED
-     * GENERATE_KEYS -> SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH
-     * SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH -> SYNC_CHECKPOINT
+     * GENERATE_KEYS -> SYNC_CHECKPOINT
      * SYNC_CHECKPOINT -> FINISHED
      */
     enum {
@@ -97,9 +94,8 @@ struct kvstxn {
         KVSTXN_STATE_APPLY_OPS = 3,
         KVSTXN_STATE_STORE = 4,
         KVSTXN_STATE_GENERATE_KEYS = 5,
-        KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH = 6,
-        KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CHECKPOINT = 7,
-        KVSTXN_STATE_FINISHED = 8,
+        KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CHECKPOINT = 6,
+        KVSTXN_STATE_FINISHED = 7,
     } state;
 };
 
@@ -116,7 +112,6 @@ static void kvstxn_destroy (kvstxn_t *kt)
             zlist_destroy (&kt->missing_refs_list);
         if (kt->dirty_cache_entries_list)
             zlist_destroy (&kt->dirty_cache_entries_list);
-        flux_future_destroy (kt->f_sync_content_flush);
         flux_future_destroy (kt->f_sync_checkpoint);
         free (kt);
     }
@@ -1085,38 +1080,10 @@ kvstxn_process_t kvstxn_process (kvstxn_t *kt,
             }
 
             if (kt->flags & FLUX_KVS_SYNC)
-                kt->state = KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH;
+                kt->state = KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CHECKPOINT;
             else
                 kt->state = KVSTXN_STATE_FINISHED;
         }
-        else if (kt->state == KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH) {
-            if (!(kt->f_sync_content_flush)) {
-                kt->f_sync_content_flush = flux_rpc (kt->ktm->h,
-                                                     "content.flush",
-                                                     NULL,
-                                                     0,
-                                                     0);
-                if (!kt->f_sync_content_flush) {
-                    kt->errnum = errno;
-                    return KVSTXN_PROCESS_ERROR;
-                }
-                kt->blocked = 1;
-                return KVSTXN_PROCESS_SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH;
-            }
-
-            /* user did not wait for future to complex */
-            if (!flux_future_is_ready (kt->f_sync_content_flush)) {
-                kt->blocked = 1;
-                return KVSTXN_PROCESS_SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH;
-            }
-
-            if (flux_rpc_get (kt->f_sync_content_flush, NULL) < 0) {
-                kt->errnum = errno;
-                return KVSTXN_PROCESS_ERROR;
-            }
-
-            kt->state = KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CHECKPOINT;
-        }
         else if (kt->state == KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CHECKPOINT) {
 
             if (!(kt->f_sync_checkpoint)) {
@@ -1223,16 +1190,6 @@ int kvstxn_iter_dirty_cache_entries (kvstxn_t *kt,
     return 0;
 }
 
-flux_future_t *kvstxn_sync_content_flush (kvstxn_t *kt)
-{
-    if (kt->state != KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH) {
-        errno = EINVAL;
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    return kt->f_sync_content_flush;
-}
-
 flux_future_t *kvstxn_sync_checkpoint (kvstxn_t *kt)
 {
     if (kt->state != KVSTXN_STATE_SYNC_CHECKPOINT) {
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/kvstxn.h b/src/modules/kvs/kvstxn.h
index 1e715cf35b12..8de66dd172fb 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/kvstxn.h
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/kvstxn.h
@@ -22,9 +22,8 @@ typedef enum {
     KVSTXN_PROCESS_ERROR = 1,
     KVSTXN_PROCESS_LOAD_MISSING_REFS = 2,
     KVSTXN_PROCESS_DIRTY_CACHE_ENTRIES = 3,
-    KVSTXN_PROCESS_SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH = 4,
-    KVSTXN_PROCESS_SYNC_CHECKPOINT = 5,
-    KVSTXN_PROCESS_FINISHED = 6,
+    KVSTXN_PROCESS_SYNC_CHECKPOINT = 4,
+    KVSTXN_PROCESS_FINISHED = 5,
 } kvstxn_process_t;
 
 /* api flags, to be used with kvstxn_mgr_add_transaction()
@@ -95,7 +94,6 @@ json_t *kvstxn_get_keys (kvstxn_t *kt);
  * KVSTXN_PROCESS_LOAD_MISSING_REFS stall & load,
  * KVSTXN_PROCESS_DIRTY_CACHE_ENTRIES stall & process dirty cache
  * entries,
- * KVSTXN_PROCESS_SYNC_CONTENT_FLUSH stall & wait for future to fulfill
  * KVSTXN_PROCESS_SYNC_CHECKPOINT stall & wait for future to fulfill
  * KVSTXN_PROCESS_FINISHED all done
  *
@@ -106,8 +104,6 @@ json_t *kvstxn_get_keys (kvstxn_t *kt);
  * on stall & process dirty cache entries, call
  * kvstxn_iter_dirty_cache_entries() to process entries.
  *
- * on stall & content-flush, call kvstxn_sync_content_flush() to get future.
- *
  * on stall & checkpoint, call kvstxn_sync_checkpoint() to get future.
  *
  * on completion, call kvstxn_get_newroot_ref() to get reference to
@@ -140,9 +136,6 @@ int kvstxn_iter_dirty_cache_entries (kvstxn_t *kt,
  */
 void kvstxn_cleanup_dirty_cache_entry (kvstxn_t *kt, struct cache_entry *entry);
 
-/* on stall, get confent.flush future to wait for fulfillment on */
-flux_future_t *kvstxn_sync_content_flush (kvstxn_t *kt);
-
 /* on stall, get checkpoint future to wait for fulfillment on */
 flux_future_t *kvstxn_sync_checkpoint (kvstxn_t *kt);
 
diff --git a/src/modules/kvs/test/kvstxn.c b/src/modules/kvs/test/kvstxn.c
index 301925aaa337..77f1cda17e93 100644
--- a/src/modules/kvs/test/kvstxn.c
+++ b/src/modules/kvs/test/kvstxn.c
@@ -700,9 +700,6 @@ void kvstxn_basic_tests (void)
     ok (kvstxn_iter_dirty_cache_entries (kt, cache_noop_cb, NULL) < 0,
         "kvstxn_iter_dirty_cache_entries returns < 0 for call on invalid state");
 
-    ok (kvstxn_sync_content_flush (kt) == NULL,
-        "kvstxn_sync_content_flush returns NULL for call on invalid state");
-
     ok (kvstxn_sync_checkpoint (kt) == NULL,
         "kvstxn_sync_checkpoint returns NULL for call on invalid state");