diff --git a/bids-validator/src/setup/options.ts b/bids-validator/src/setup/options.ts
index cbec60557..11428e29c 100644
--- a/bids-validator/src/setup/options.ts
+++ b/bids-validator/src/setup/options.ts
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ const validateCommand = new Command()
   .option(
     '-s, --schema <URL-or-tag:string>',
     'Specify a schema version to use for validation',
-    {
-      default: 'latest',
-    },
   )
   .option('-c, --config <file:string>', 'Path to a JSON configuration file')
   .option('-v, --verbose', 'Log more extensive information about issues')