diff --git a/extensions/replication/ReplicationAPI.js b/extensions/replication/ReplicationAPI.js
index 010cc305f..20f33243b 100644
--- a/extensions/replication/ReplicationAPI.js
+++ b/extensions/replication/ReplicationAPI.js
@@ -5,14 +5,9 @@ const ActionQueueEntry = require('../../lib/models/ActionQueueEntry');
 const ReplicationMetrics = require('./ReplicationMetrics');
 
 let { dataMoverTopic } = config.extensions.replication;
-const {
-    coldStorageArchiveTopicPrefix,
-    coldStorageStatusTopicPrefix,
-} = config.extensions.lifecycle;
+const { coldStorageArchiveTopicPrefix } = config.extensions.lifecycle;
 const { LifecycleMetrics } = require('../lifecycle/LifecycleMetrics');
 
-const { emptyObjectArchiveId, emptyObjectArchiveVersion } = require('../../lib/constants');
-
 class ReplicationAPI {
     /**
      * Create an action to copy an object's data to a new location.
@@ -89,39 +84,9 @@ class ReplicationAPI {
             log.error(errorMsg, { method: 'ReplicationAPI.sendDataMoverAction' });
             return cb(new Error(errorMsg));
         }
-
-        const { reqId } = action.getContext();
-
         if (locationConfig.isCold) {
-            // Temp special case: current tape implementation does not allow
-            // zero-byte objects yet. Bypass forwarder and send directly
-            // to status topic.
-            if (contentLength === 0 && locationConfig.type === 'dmf') {
-                topic = `${coldStorageStatusTopicPrefix}${toLocation}`;
-                const message = {
-                    op: 'archive',
-                    requestId: reqId,
-                    date: new Date(),
-
-                    accountId,
-                    bucketName: bucket,
-                    objectKey: key,
-                    objectVersion: version,
-                    eTag,
-
-                    archiveInfo: {
-                        archiveId: emptyObjectArchiveId,
-                        archiveVersion: emptyObjectArchiveVersion,
-                    },
-                };
-                kafkaEntry.message = JSON.stringify(message);
-                return producer.sendToTopic(topic, [kafkaEntry], err => {
-                    LifecycleMetrics.onKafkaPublish(log, 'ColdStorageStatusTopic', 'bucket', err, 1);
-                    return cb();
-                });
-            }
-
             topic = `${coldStorageArchiveTopicPrefix}${toLocation}`;
+            const { reqId } = action.getContext();
             const message = {
                 accountId,
                 bucketName: bucket,
diff --git a/lib/constants.js b/lib/constants.js
index f7efbc5b0..a6e7e2ecb 100644
--- a/lib/constants.js
+++ b/lib/constants.js
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ const constants = {
         replicationStatusProcessor: 'ReplicationStatusProcessor',
     },
     compressionType: 'Zstd',
-    emptyObjectArchiveId: 'EMPTY_OBJECT_NO_ARCHIVE_ID',
-    emptyObjectArchiveVersion: 0,
 };
 
 module.exports = constants;
diff --git a/tests/unit/replication/ReplicationAPI.spec.js b/tests/unit/replication/ReplicationAPI.spec.js
index 4f3ea17b6..c93b3e21a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/replication/ReplicationAPI.spec.js
+++ b/tests/unit/replication/ReplicationAPI.spec.js
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ const ReplicationAPI =
 const assert = require('assert');
 const ActionQueueEntry = require('../../../lib/models/ActionQueueEntry');
 
-const sinon = require('sinon');
-
 const fakeLogger = require('../../utils/fakeLogger');
 const bucketName = 'transition-to-dmf';
 const owner = '4f5a1a4bd769fd6e4ebca87b96c86a621ebb9c8be0c012f291757410c55a36f7';
@@ -31,15 +29,8 @@ describe('ReplicationAPI', () => {
         },
     };
 
-    let clock;
-
     beforeEach(() => {
         messages = [];
-        clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
-    });
-
-    afterEach(() => {
-        clock.restore();
     });
 
     describe('::sendDataMoverAction ', () => {
@@ -82,50 +73,5 @@ describe('ReplicationAPI', () => {
                 return;
             });
         });
-
-        it('should bypass archive topic for empty objects', done => {
-            const action = ActionQueueEntry.create('copyLocation');
-            action
-                .setAttribute('target', {
-                    accountId,
-                    owner,
-                    bucket: bucketName,
-                    key: objectKey,
-                    version: versionId,
-                    eTag,
-                    lastModified,
-                })
-                .setAttribute('toLocation', toLocation)
-                .setAttribute('metrics', {
-                    origin: originLabel,
-                    fromLocation,
-                    contentLength: 0,
-                })
-                .setResultsTopic(resultsTopic);
-            ReplicationAPI.sendDataMoverAction(mockProducer, action, fakeLogger, err => {
-                assert.ifError(err);
-                const expectedMessage = [
-                    {
-                        topic: 'cold-status-location-dmf-v1',
-                        entry: {
-                            op: 'archive',
-                            accountId,
-                            bucketName,
-                            objectKey,
-                            objectVersion: versionId,
-                            eTag,
-                            archiveInfo: {
-                                archiveId: 'EMPTY_OBJECT_NO_ARCHIVE_ID',
-                                archiveVersion: 0,
-                            },
-                            date: new Date().toJSON(),
-                        },
-                    },
-                ];
-                assert.deepStrictEqual(messages, expectedMessage);
-                done();
-                return;
-            });
-        });
     });
 });