diff --git a/lib/internal/crypto/sig.js b/lib/internal/crypto/sig.js
index 71e8fbadaa84d7..9b3895646c7929 100644
--- a/lib/internal/crypto/sig.js
+++ b/lib/internal/crypto/sig.js
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ const {
 
 const {
   getArrayBufferOrView,
-  getDefaultEncoding,
   kHandle,
 } = require('internal/crypto/util');
 
@@ -70,8 +69,6 @@ Sign.prototype._write = function _write(chunk, encoding, callback) {
 };
 
 Sign.prototype.update = function update(data, encoding) {
-  encoding = encoding || getDefaultEncoding();
-
   if (typeof data === 'string') {
     validateEncoding(data, encoding);
   } else if (!isArrayBufferView(data)) {
@@ -131,7 +128,6 @@ Sign.prototype.sign = function sign(options, encoding) {
   const ret = this[kHandle].sign(data, format, type, passphrase, rsaPadding,
                                  pssSaltLength, dsaSigEnc);
 
-  encoding = encoding || getDefaultEncoding();
   if (encoding && encoding !== 'buffer')
     return ret.toString(encoding);
 
@@ -216,8 +212,6 @@ Verify.prototype.verify = function verify(options, signature, sigEncoding) {
     passphrase,
   } = preparePublicOrPrivateKey(options, true);
 
-  sigEncoding = sigEncoding || getDefaultEncoding();
-
   // Options specific to RSA
   const rsaPadding = getPadding(options);
   const pssSaltLength = getSaltLength(options);