diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/Translog.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/Translog.java
index 3bfc19a7893..1be4d0441c6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/Translog.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/Translog.java
@@ -152,10 +152,10 @@ public class Translog extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements IndexShardC
 
         syncInterval = indexSettings.getAsTime(INDEX_TRANSLOG_SYNC_INTERVAL, TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(5));
         if (syncInterval.millis() > 0 && threadPool != null) {
-            syncOnEachOperation(false);
+            this.syncOnEachOperation = false;
             syncScheduler = threadPool.schedule(syncInterval, ThreadPool.Names.SAME, new Sync());
         } else if (syncInterval.millis() == 0) {
-            syncOnEachOperation(true);
+            this.syncOnEachOperation = true;
         }
 
         if (indexSettingsService != null) {
@@ -507,15 +507,6 @@ public class Translog extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements IndexShardC
         }
     }
 
-    public void syncOnEachOperation(boolean syncOnEachOperation) {
-        this.syncOnEachOperation = syncOnEachOperation;
-        if (syncOnEachOperation) {
-            type = TranslogFile.Type.SIMPLE;
-        } else {
-            type = TranslogFile.Type.BUFFERED;
-        }
-    }
-
     /** package private for testing */
     String getFilename(long translogId) {
         return TRANSLOG_FILE_PREFIX + translogId;