diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking/src/org/eclipse/elk/alg/rectpacking/RectPackingLayoutProvider.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking/src/org/eclipse/elk/alg/rectpacking/RectPackingLayoutProvider.java
index 6382d74a03..8298a1c132 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking/src/org/eclipse/elk/alg/rectpacking/RectPackingLayoutProvider.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking/src/org/eclipse/elk/alg/rectpacking/RectPackingLayoutProvider.java
@@ -11,9 +11,7 @@
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking.firstiteration.AreaApproximation;
 import org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking.options.RectPackingOptions;
@@ -24,7 +22,6 @@
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.AbstractLayoutProvider;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.math.ElkPadding;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.math.KVector;
-import org.eclipse.elk.core.options.ContentAlignment;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.util.ElkUtil;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.util.IElkProgressMonitor;
 import org.eclipse.elk.graph.ElkNode;
@@ -42,9 +39,6 @@
  * </p>
  */
 public class RectPackingLayoutProvider extends AbstractLayoutProvider {
-    
-    public static final Set<ContentAlignment> DEFAULT_ALIGNMENT =
-            EnumSet.of(ContentAlignment.H_CENTER, ContentAlignment.V_TOP);
     /**
      * Calculating and applying layout to the model.
      */
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking/src/org/eclipse/elk/alg/rectpacking/util/BlockRow.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking/src/org/eclipse/elk/alg/rectpacking/util/BlockRow.java
index 582fad7d7f..5cc2d69b50 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking/src/org/eclipse/elk/alg/rectpacking/util/BlockRow.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking/src/org/eclipse/elk/alg/rectpacking/util/BlockRow.java
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 
-import org.eclipse.elk.alg.rectpacking.RectPackingLayoutProvider;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.math.KVector;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.util.ElkUtil;
 import org.eclipse.elk.graph.ElkNode;
@@ -135,8 +134,7 @@ public void expand(final double widthForRow, final double additionalHeightForRow
             i++;
             double newWidth = rect.getWidth();
             double newHeight = rect.getHeight();
-            ElkUtil.translate(rect, new KVector(newWidth, newHeight), new KVector(oldWidth, oldHeight),
-                    RectPackingLayoutProvider.DEFAULT_ALIGNMENT);
+            ElkUtil.translate(rect, new KVector(newWidth, newHeight), new KVector(oldWidth, oldHeight));
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/Core.melk b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/Core.melk
index 66fc63750b..057ad67834 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/Core.melk
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/Core.melk
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ programmatic option bendPoints: KVectorChain {
 advanced option contentAlignment: EnumSet<ContentAlignment> {
     label "Content Alignment"
     description "Specifies how the content of compound nodes is to be aligned, e.g. top-left."
-    default = EnumSet.noneOf(ContentAlignment)
+    default = EnumSet.of(ContentAlignment.H_CENTER, ContentAlignment.V_TOP)
     targets parents
     legacyIds de.cau.cs.kieler.klay.layered.contentAlignment
 }
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/util/BoxLayoutProvider.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/util/BoxLayoutProvider.java
index 9ec2026de9..6170bade68 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/util/BoxLayoutProvider.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/util/BoxLayoutProvider.java
@@ -13,19 +13,16 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Comparator;
-import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.ListIterator;
 import java.util.PriorityQueue;
 import java.util.Queue;
-import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.AbstractLayoutProvider;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.math.ElkPadding;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.math.KVector;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.options.BoxLayouterOptions;
-import org.eclipse.elk.core.options.ContentAlignment;
 import org.eclipse.elk.core.options.CoreOptions;
 import org.eclipse.elk.graph.ElkNode;
 
@@ -55,9 +52,6 @@
  */
 public class BoxLayoutProvider extends AbstractLayoutProvider {
     
-    public static final Set<ContentAlignment> DEFAULT_ALIGNMENT =
-            EnumSet.of(ContentAlignment.H_CENTER, ContentAlignment.V_TOP);
-    
     /** default value for aspect ratio. */
     public static final double DEF_ASPECT_RATIO = 1.3;
 
@@ -70,8 +64,6 @@ public void layout(final ElkNode layoutNode, final IElkProgressMonitor progressM
         boolean expandNodes = layoutNode.getProperty(BoxLayouterOptions.EXPAND_NODES);
         boolean interactive = layoutNode.getProperty(BoxLayouterOptions.INTERACTIVE);
 
-        // Set custom default for content alignment.
-        
         switch (layoutNode.getProperty(BoxLayouterOptions.BOX_PACKING_MODE)) {
         case SIMPLE:
             placeBoxes(layoutNode, objSpacing, padding, expandNodes, interactive);
@@ -268,8 +260,7 @@ private KVector placeBoxes(final List<ElkNode> sortedBoxes, final double minSpac
                     double oldWidth = box.getWidth();
                     box.setWidth(newWidth);
                     // Content alignment
-                    ElkUtil.translate(box, new KVector(newWidth, newHeight), new KVector(oldWidth, oldHeight),
-                            DEFAULT_ALIGNMENT);
+                    ElkUtil.translate(box, new KVector(newWidth, newHeight), new KVector(oldWidth, oldHeight));
                 }
                 xpos += box.getWidth() + minSpacing;
             }
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/util/ElkUtil.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/util/ElkUtil.java
index b0b6156aa7..286aebe458 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/util/ElkUtil.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.elk.core/src/org/eclipse/elk/core/util/ElkUtil.java
@@ -610,14 +610,9 @@ public static void translate(final ElkEdgeSection section, final double xoffset,
      * @param newSize The new size.
      * @param oldSize The old size.
      */
-    public static void translate(final ElkNode parent, final KVector newSize, final KVector oldSize,
-            final Set<ContentAlignment> defaultAlignment) {
+    public static void translate(final ElkNode parent, final KVector newSize, final KVector oldSize) {
         Set<ContentAlignment> contentAlignment =
                 parent.getProperty(CoreOptions.CONTENT_ALIGNMENT);
-        if (defaultAlignment != null && (!parent.hasProperty(CoreOptions.CONTENT_ALIGNMENT)
-                || parent.getProperty(CoreOptions.CONTENT_ALIGNMENT).isEmpty())) {
-            contentAlignment = defaultAlignment;
-        }
         double xTranslate = 0;
         double yTranslate = 0;