diff --git a/plotly/graph_reference.py b/plotly/graph_reference.py
index 7e5d0cd6e82..9fb10a03eac 100644
--- a/plotly/graph_reference.py
+++ b/plotly/graph_reference.py
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@
 
 from plotly import files, utils
 
-GRAPH_REFERENCE_PATH = '/v2/plot-schema'
-GRAPH_REFERENCE_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT = 5  # seconds
-
 
 # For backwards compat, we keep this list of previously known objects.
 # Moving forward, we only add new trace names.
@@ -65,46 +62,16 @@
 
 def get_graph_reference():
     """
-    Attempts to load local copy of graph reference or makes GET request if DNE.
+    Load graph reference JSON (aka plot-schema)
 
     :return: (dict) The graph reference.
     :raises: (PlotlyError) When graph reference DNE and GET request fails.
 
     """
-    default_config = files.FILE_CONTENT[files.CONFIG_FILE]
-    if files.check_file_permissions():
-        graph_reference = utils.load_json_dict(files.GRAPH_REFERENCE_FILE)
-        config = utils.load_json_dict(files.CONFIG_FILE)
-
-        # TODO: https://github.com/plotly/python-api/issues/293
-        plotly_api_domain = config.get('plotly_api_domain',
-                                       default_config['plotly_api_domain'])
-    else:
-        graph_reference = {}
-        plotly_api_domain = default_config['plotly_api_domain']
-
-    sha1 = hashlib.sha1(six.b(str(graph_reference))).hexdigest()
-
-    graph_reference_url = '{}{}?sha1={}'.format(plotly_api_domain,
-                                                GRAPH_REFERENCE_PATH, sha1)
-
-    try:
-        response = requests.get(graph_reference_url,
-                                timeout=GRAPH_REFERENCE_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT)
-        response.raise_for_status()
-    except requests.exceptions.RequestException:
-        if not graph_reference:
-            path = os.path.join('graph_reference', 'default-schema.json')
-            s = resource_string('plotly', path).decode('utf-8')
-            graph_reference = json.loads(s)
-    else:
-        if six.PY3:
-            content = str(response.content, encoding='utf-8')
-        else:
-            content = response.content
-        data = json.loads(content)
-        if data['modified']:
-            graph_reference = data['schema']
+
+    path = os.path.join('graph_reference', 'default-schema.json')
+    s = resource_string('plotly', path).decode('utf-8')
+    graph_reference = json.loads(s)
 
     return utils.decode_unicode(graph_reference)
 
diff --git a/plotly/tests/test_core/test_graph_reference/test_graph_reference.py b/plotly/tests/test_core/test_graph_reference/test_graph_reference.py
index 38ac0b872b7..5beab1afc2e 100644
--- a/plotly/tests/test_core/test_graph_reference/test_graph_reference.py
+++ b/plotly/tests/test_core/test_graph_reference/test_graph_reference.py
@@ -24,29 +24,7 @@ def set_graph_reference(self, graph_reference):
         if files.check_file_permissions():
             utils.save_json_dict(files.GRAPH_REFERENCE_FILE, graph_reference)
 
-    @attr('slow')
-    def test_get_graph_reference_outdated(self):
-
-        # if the hash of the current graph reference doesn't match the hash of
-        # the graph reference a Plotly server has, we should update!
-
-        outdated_graph_reference = {'real': 'old'}
-        self.set_graph_reference(outdated_graph_reference)
-        graph_reference = gr.get_graph_reference()
-        self.assertNotEqual(graph_reference, outdated_graph_reference)
-
-    def test_get_graph_reference_bad_request_local_copy(self):
-
-        # if the request fails (mocked by using a bad url here) and a local
-        # copy of the graph reference exists, we can just use that.
-
-        tools.set_config_file(plotly_api_domain='api.am.not.here.ly')
-        local_graph_reference = {'real': 'local'}
-        self.set_graph_reference(local_graph_reference)
-        graph_reference = gr.get_graph_reference()
-        self.assertEqual(graph_reference, local_graph_reference)
-
-    def test_get_graph_reference_bad_request_no_copy(self):
+    def test_get_graph_reference(self):
 
         # if we don't have a graph reference we load an outdated default
 
@@ -59,29 +37,6 @@ def test_get_graph_reference_bad_request_no_copy(self):
         graph_reference = gr.get_graph_reference()
         self.assertEqual(graph_reference, default_graph_reference)
 
-    @attr('slow')
-    def test_default_schema_is_up_to_date(self):
-        api_domain = files.FILE_CONTENT[files.CONFIG_FILE]['plotly_api_domain']
-        graph_reference_url = '{}{}?sha1'.format(api_domain,
-                                                 gr.GRAPH_REFERENCE_PATH)
-        response = requests.get(graph_reference_url)
-        if six.PY3:
-            content = str(response.content, encoding='utf-8')
-        else:
-            content = response.content
-        schema = json.loads(content)['schema']
-
-        path = os.path.join('graph_reference', 'default-schema.json')
-        s = resource_string('plotly', path).decode('utf-8')
-        default_schema = json.loads(s)
-
-        msg = (
-            'The default, hard-coded plot schema we ship with pip is out of '
-            'sync with the prod plot schema!\n'
-            'Run `make update_default_schema` to fix it!'
-        )
-        self.assertEqual(schema, default_schema, msg=msg)
-
 
 class TestStringToClass(PlotlyTestCase):