diff --git a/physical/dynamodb/dynamodb.go b/physical/dynamodb/dynamodb.go
index c0b3f3e8c2..15ae8da581 100644
--- a/physical/dynamodb/dynamodb.go
+++ b/physical/dynamodb/dynamodb.go
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ const (
 type DynamoDBBackend struct {
 	table      string
 	client     *dynamodb.DynamoDB
-	recovery   bool
 	logger     log.Logger
 	haEnabled  bool
 	permitPool *physical.PermitPool
@@ -96,7 +95,6 @@ type DynamoDBLock struct {
 	identity   string
 	held       bool
 	lock       sync.Mutex
-	recovery   bool
 	// Allow modifying the Lock durations for ease of unit testing.
 	renewInterval      time.Duration
 	ttl                time.Duration
@@ -211,12 +209,6 @@ func NewDynamoDBBackend(conf map[string]string, logger log.Logger) (physical.Bac
 	}
 	haEnabledBool, _ := strconv.ParseBool(haEnabled)
 
-	recoveryMode := os.Getenv("RECOVERY_MODE")
-	if recoveryMode == "" {
-		recoveryMode = conf["recovery_mode"]
-	}
-	recoveryModeBool, _ := strconv.ParseBool(recoveryMode)
-
 	maxParStr, ok := conf["max_parallel"]
 	var maxParInt int
 	if ok {
@@ -233,7 +225,6 @@ func NewDynamoDBBackend(conf map[string]string, logger log.Logger) (physical.Bac
 		table:      table,
 		client:     client,
 		permitPool: physical.NewPermitPool(maxParInt),
-		recovery:   recoveryModeBool,
 		haEnabled:  haEnabledBool,
 		logger:     logger,
 	}, nil
@@ -433,7 +424,6 @@ func (d *DynamoDBBackend) LockWith(key, value string) (physical.Lock, error) {
 		key:                pkgPath.Join(pkgPath.Dir(key), DynamoDBLockPrefix+pkgPath.Base(key)),
 		value:              value,
 		identity:           identity,
-		recovery:           d.recovery,
 		renewInterval:      DynamoDBLockRenewInterval,
 		ttl:                DynamoDBLockTTL,
 		watchRetryInterval: DynamoDBWatchRetryInterval,