diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/PingRequestHandler.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/PingRequestHandler.java
index 5013e00a72a..d46beeb7642 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/PingRequestHandler.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/PingRequestHandler.java
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ public class PingRequestHandler extends RequestHandlerBase
   public void handleRequestBody(SolrQueryRequest req, SolrQueryResponse rsp) throws Exception 
   {
     SolrParams params = req.getParams();
-    SolrParams required = params.required();
     SolrCore core = req.getCore();
     
     // Check if the service is available
@@ -49,11 +48,11 @@ public class PingRequestHandler extends RequestHandlerBase
     }
     
     // Get the RequestHandler
-    String qt = required.get( CommonParams.QT );
+    String qt = params.get( CommonParams.QT );//optional; you get the default otherwise
     SolrRequestHandler handler = core.getRequestHandler( qt );
     if( handler == null ) {
       throw new SolrException(SolrException.ErrorCode.BAD_REQUEST, 
-          "Unknown RequestHandler: "+qt );
+          "Unknown RequestHandler (qt): "+qt );
     }
     
     if( handler instanceof PingRequestHandler ) {
diff --git a/solr/example/solr/conf/solrconfig.xml b/solr/example/solr/conf/solrconfig.xml
index f7651a9d171..c8ea9a385da 100755
--- a/solr/example/solr/conf/solrconfig.xml
+++ b/solr/example/solr/conf/solrconfig.xml
@@ -1040,7 +1040,6 @@
   <!-- ping/healthcheck -->
   <requestHandler name="/admin/ping" class="solr.PingRequestHandler">
     <lst name="invariants">
-      <str name="qt">search</str>
       <str name="q">solrpingquery</str>
     </lst>
     <lst name="defaults">