diff --git a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go
index d8bd8614e7..84d5ea0d07 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_others.go
@@ -53,13 +53,12 @@ import (
 
 // NewProxyServer returns a new ProxyServer.
 func NewProxyServer(o *Options) (*ProxyServer, error) {
-	return newProxyServer(o.config, o.CleanupAndExit, o.CleanupIPVS, o.scheme, o.master)
+	return newProxyServer(o.config, o.CleanupAndExit, o.scheme, o.master)
 }
 
 func newProxyServer(
 	config *proxyconfigapi.KubeProxyConfiguration,
 	cleanupAndExit bool,
-	cleanupIPVS bool,
 	scheme *runtime.Scheme,
 	master string) (*ProxyServer, error) {
 
@@ -174,17 +173,6 @@ func newProxyServer(
 		proxier = proxierIPTables
 		serviceEventHandler = proxierIPTables
 		endpointsEventHandler = proxierIPTables
-		// No turning back. Remove artifacts that might still exist from the userspace Proxier.
-		klog.V(0).Info("Tearing down inactive rules.")
-		// TODO this has side effects that should only happen when Run() is invoked.
-		userspace.CleanupLeftovers(iptInterface)
-		// IPVS Proxier will generate some iptables rules, need to clean them before switching to other proxy mode.
-		// Besides, ipvs proxier will create some ipvs rules as well.  Because there is no way to tell if a given
-		// ipvs rule is created by IPVS proxier or not.  Users should explicitly specify `--clean-ipvs=true` to flush
-		// all ipvs rules when kube-proxy start up.  Users do this operation should be with caution.
-		if canUseIPVS {
-			ipvs.CleanupLeftovers(ipvsInterface, iptInterface, ipsetInterface, cleanupIPVS)
-		}
 	} else if proxyMode == proxyModeIPVS {
 		klog.V(0).Info("Using ipvs Proxier.")
 		proxierIPVS, err := ipvs.NewProxier(
@@ -214,10 +202,6 @@ func newProxyServer(
 		proxier = proxierIPVS
 		serviceEventHandler = proxierIPVS
 		endpointsEventHandler = proxierIPVS
-		klog.V(0).Info("Tearing down inactive rules.")
-		// TODO this has side effects that should only happen when Run() is invoked.
-		userspace.CleanupLeftovers(iptInterface)
-		iptables.CleanupLeftovers(iptInterface)
 	} else {
 		klog.V(0).Info("Using userspace Proxier.")
 		// This is a proxy.LoadBalancer which NewProxier needs but has methods we don't need for
@@ -243,18 +227,6 @@ func newProxyServer(
 		}
 		serviceEventHandler = proxierUserspace
 		proxier = proxierUserspace
-
-		// Remove artifacts from the iptables and ipvs Proxier, if not on Windows.
-		klog.V(0).Info("Tearing down inactive rules.")
-		// TODO this has side effects that should only happen when Run() is invoked.
-		iptables.CleanupLeftovers(iptInterface)
-		// IPVS Proxier will generate some iptables rules, need to clean them before switching to other proxy mode.
-		// Besides, ipvs proxier will create some ipvs rules as well.  Because there is no way to tell if a given
-		// ipvs rule is created by IPVS proxier or not.  Users should explicitly specify `--clean-ipvs=true` to flush
-		// all ipvs rules when kube-proxy start up.  Users do this operation should be with caution.
-		if canUseIPVS {
-			ipvs.CleanupLeftovers(ipvsInterface, iptInterface, ipsetInterface, cleanupIPVS)
-		}
 	}
 
 	iptInterface.AddReloadFunc(proxier.Sync)
diff --git a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go
index 5aba6cf665..596796cbbe 100644
--- a/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/kube-proxy/app/server_windows.go
@@ -144,8 +144,6 @@ func newProxyServer(config *proxyconfigapi.KubeProxyConfiguration, cleanupAndExi
 		}
 		proxier = proxierUserspace
 		serviceEventHandler = proxierUserspace
-		klog.V(0).Info("Tearing down pure-winkernel proxy rules.")
-		winkernel.CleanupLeftovers()
 	}
 
 	return &ProxyServer{