diff --git a/update.py b/update.py
index 8a7063ba4..5a6ca4ad2 100644
--- a/update.py
+++ b/update.py
@@ -94,13 +94,10 @@ opts = [
         default=[],
         help='The list of stand-alone scripts to copy from oslo-incubator.'),
     cfg.StrOpt('base',
-               default=None,
                help='The base module to hold the copy of openstack.common.'),
     cfg.StrOpt('dest-dir',
-               default=None,
                help='Destination project directory.'),
     cfg.StrOpt('configfile_or_destdir',
-               default=None,
                help='A configuration file or destination project directory.',
                positional=True),
     cfg.BoolOpt('nodeps',