diff --git a/CHANGES/pulp_file/8141.bugfix b/CHANGES/pulp_file/8141.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8430ee541ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGES/pulp_file/8141.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed `optimize` in file sync to honor the value `False`.
diff --git a/pulp_file/app/settings.py b/pulp_file/app/settings.py
index 93ef8b1b944..8b137891791 100644
--- a/pulp_file/app/settings.py
+++ b/pulp_file/app/settings.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-FILE_SYNC_OPTIMIZATION = True
+
diff --git a/pulp_file/app/tasks/synchronizing.py b/pulp_file/app/tasks/synchronizing.py
index 36cab3aff73..8c89f749a82 100644
--- a/pulp_file/app/tasks/synchronizing.py
+++ b/pulp_file/app/tasks/synchronizing.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from hashlib import sha256
 from urllib.parse import quote, urlparse, urlunparse
 
-from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.files import File
 
 from pulpcore.plugin.exceptions import SyncError
@@ -113,8 +112,6 @@ def synchronize(remote_pk, repository_pk, mirror, optimize=False, url=None, **kw
     remote = Remote.objects.get(pk=remote_pk).cast()
     repository = FileRepository.objects.get(pk=repository_pk)
 
-    optimize = optimize or settings.FILE_SYNC_OPTIMIZATION
-
     if not remote.url:
         raise SyncError(_("A remote must have a url specified to synchronize."))