diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletenv/config.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletenv/config.go
index 89f827fa1f3..cf2947f55aa 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletenv/config.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletenv/config.go
@@ -406,8 +406,6 @@ func (cfg *TabletConfig) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) (err error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-	} else {
-		cfg.SchemaReloadInterval = 0
 	}
 
 	if tmp.SchemaChangeReloadTimeout != "" {
@@ -415,8 +413,6 @@ func (cfg *TabletConfig) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) (err error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-	} else {
-		cfg.SchemaChangeReloadTimeout = 0
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletenv/config_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletenv/config_test.go
index a51a3c599e8..d16b6276964 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletenv/config_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/tabletenv/config_test.go
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ func TestConfigParse(t *testing.T) {
 			MaxInnoDBTrxHistLen: 1000,
 			MaxMySQLReplLagSecs: 400,
 		},
+		SchemaChangeReloadTimeout: 30 * time.Second,
+		SchemaReloadInterval:      30 * time.Minute,
 	}
 
 	gotBytes, err := yaml2.Marshal(&cfg)
@@ -93,6 +95,8 @@ replicationTracker: {}
 rowStreamer:
   maxInnoDBTrxHistLen: 1000
   maxMySQLReplLagSecs: 400
+schemaChangeReloadTimeout: 30s
+schemaReloadIntervalSeconds: 30m0s
 txPool: {}
 `
 	assert.Equal(t, wantBytes, string(gotBytes))