diff --git a/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-gisaid-21L/builds.yaml b/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-gisaid-21L/builds.yaml
index bc7ff39a1..d9d9c3968 100644
--- a/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-gisaid-21L/builds.yaml
+++ b/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-gisaid-21L/builds.yaml
@@ -294,7 +294,6 @@ subsampling:
       max_date: "--max-date 1M"
     recent:
       group_by: "country week"
-      group_by_weights: "defaults/population_weights.tsv"
       max_sequences: 4100
       min_date: "--min-date 1M"
 
@@ -309,7 +308,6 @@ subsampling:
       max_date: "--max-date 2M"
     recent:
       group_by: "country week"
-      group_by_weights: "defaults/population_weights.tsv"
       max_sequences: 4100
       min_date: "--min-date 2M"
 
@@ -324,7 +322,6 @@ subsampling:
       max_date: "--max-date 6M"
     recent:
       group_by: "country year month"
-      group_by_weights: "defaults/population_weights.tsv"
       max_sequences: 4100
       min_date: "--min-date 6M"
 
diff --git a/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-gisaid/builds.yaml b/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-gisaid/builds.yaml
index dbc0c7a34..03dce7edf 100644
--- a/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-gisaid/builds.yaml
+++ b/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-gisaid/builds.yaml
@@ -286,7 +286,6 @@ subsampling:
       max_date: "--max-date 1M"
     recent:
       group_by: "country week"
-      group_by_weights: "defaults/population_weights.tsv"
       max_sequences: 4100
       min_date: "--min-date 1M"
 
@@ -301,7 +300,6 @@ subsampling:
       max_date: "--max-date 2M"
     recent:
       group_by: "country week"
-      group_by_weights: "defaults/population_weights.tsv"
       max_sequences: 4100
       min_date: "--min-date 2M"
 
@@ -316,7 +314,6 @@ subsampling:
       max_date: "--max-date 6M"
     recent:
       group_by: "country year month"
-      group_by_weights: "defaults/population_weights.tsv"
       max_sequences: 4100
       min_date: "--min-date 6M"
 
diff --git a/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-open/builds.yaml b/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-open/builds.yaml
index 5bffe0244..9d4e60aec 100644
--- a/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-open/builds.yaml
+++ b/nextstrain_profiles/nextstrain-open/builds.yaml
@@ -286,7 +286,6 @@ subsampling:
       max_date: "--max-date 1M"
     recent:
       group_by: "country week"
-      group_by_weights: "defaults/population_weights.tsv"
       max_sequences: 4100
       min_date: "--min-date 1M"
 
@@ -301,7 +300,6 @@ subsampling:
       max_date: "--max-date 2M"
     recent:
       group_by: "country week"
-      group_by_weights: "defaults/population_weights.tsv"
       max_sequences: 4100
       min_date: "--min-date 2M"
 
@@ -316,7 +314,6 @@ subsampling:
       max_date: "--max-date 6M"
     recent:
       group_by: "country year month"
-      group_by_weights: "defaults/population_weights.tsv"
       max_sequences: 4100
       min_date: "--min-date 6M"