diff --git a/lib/ansible/cli/vault.py b/lib/ansible/cli/vault.py
index 393bbdd50b0..c68e620a183 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/cli/vault.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/cli/vault.py
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ class VaultCLI(CLI):
     """ Vault command line class """
 
     VALID_ACTIONS = ("create", "decrypt", "edit", "encrypt", "rekey", "view")
-    CIPHER = 'AES256'
 
     def __init__(self, args, display=None):
 
@@ -91,15 +90,13 @@ class VaultCLI(CLI):
         if len(self.args) > 1:
             raise AnsibleOptionsError("ansible-vault create can take only one filename argument")
 
-        cipher = getattr(self.options, 'cipher', self.CIPHER)
-        this_editor = VaultEditor(cipher, self.vault_pass, self.args[0])
+        this_editor = VaultEditor(self.vault_pass, self.args[0])
         this_editor.create_file()
 
     def execute_decrypt(self):
 
-        cipher = getattr(self.options, 'cipher', self.CIPHER)
         for f in self.args:
-            this_editor = VaultEditor(cipher, self.vault_pass, f)
+            this_editor = VaultEditor(self.vault_pass, f)
             this_editor.decrypt_file()
 
         self.display.display("Decryption successful")
@@ -107,20 +104,19 @@ class VaultCLI(CLI):
     def execute_edit(self):
 
         for f in self.args:
-            this_editor = VaultEditor(None, self.vault_pass, f)
+            this_editor = VaultEditor(self.vault_pass, f)
             this_editor.edit_file()
 
     def execute_view(self):
 
         for f in self.args:
-            this_editor = VaultEditor(None, self.vault_pass, f)
+            this_editor = VaultEditor(self.vault_pass, f)
             this_editor.view_file()
 
     def execute_encrypt(self):
 
-        cipher = getattr(self.options, 'cipher', self.CIPHER)
         for f in self.args:
-            this_editor = VaultEditor(cipher, self.vault_pass, f)
+            this_editor = VaultEditor(self.vault_pass, f)
             this_editor.encrypt_file()
 
         self.display.display("Encryption successful")
@@ -136,7 +132,7 @@ class VaultCLI(CLI):
             __, new_password = self.ask_vault_passwords(ask_vault_pass=False, ask_new_vault_pass=True, confirm_new=True)
 
         for f in self.args:
-            this_editor = VaultEditor(None, self.vault_pass, f)
+            this_editor = VaultEditor(self.vault_pass, f)
             this_editor.rekey_file(new_password)
 
         self.display.display("Rekey successful")
diff --git a/lib/ansible/parsing/vault/__init__.py b/lib/ansible/parsing/vault/__init__.py
index b12e11816e2..9e49e134042 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/parsing/vault/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/parsing/vault/__init__.py
@@ -230,13 +230,11 @@ class VaultEditor:
     # file I/O, ditto read_file(self, filename) and launch_editor(self, filename)
     # ... "Don't Repeat Yourself", etc.
 
-    def __init__(self, cipher_name, password, filename):
-        # instantiates a member variable for VaultLib
-        self.cipher_name = cipher_name
+    def __init__(self, password, filename):
         self.password = password
         self.filename = filename
 
-    def _edit_file_helper(self, existing_data=None, cipher=None, force_save=False):
+    def _edit_file_helper(self, existing_data=None, force_save=False):
         # make sure the umask is set to a sane value
         old_umask = os.umask(0o077)
 
@@ -257,8 +255,6 @@ class VaultEditor:
 
         # create new vault
         this_vault = VaultLib(self.password)
-        if cipher:
-            this_vault.cipher_name = cipher
 
         # encrypt new data and write out to tmp
         enc_data = this_vault.encrypt(tmpdata)
@@ -279,7 +275,7 @@ class VaultEditor:
             raise AnsibleError("%s exists, please use 'edit' instead" % self.filename)
 
         # Let the user specify contents and save file
-        self._edit_file_helper(cipher=self.cipher_name)
+        self._edit_file_helper()
 
     def decrypt_file(self):
 
@@ -311,9 +307,9 @@ class VaultEditor:
         # let the user edit the data and save
         if this_vault.cipher_name not in CIPHER_WRITE_WHITELIST:
             # we want to get rid of files encrypted with the AES cipher
-            self._edit_file_helper(existing_data=dec_data, cipher=None, force_save=True)
+            self._edit_file_helper(existing_data=dec_data, force_save=True)
         else:
-            self._edit_file_helper(existing_data=dec_data, cipher=this_vault.cipher_name, force_save=False)
+            self._edit_file_helper(existing_data=dec_data, force_save=False)
 
     def view_file(self):
 
@@ -339,7 +335,6 @@ class VaultEditor:
 
         tmpdata = self.read_data(self.filename)
         this_vault = VaultLib(self.password)
-        this_vault.cipher_name = self.cipher_name
         if not this_vault.is_encrypted(tmpdata):
             enc_data = this_vault.encrypt(tmpdata)
             self.write_data(enc_data, self.filename)
@@ -358,9 +353,6 @@ class VaultEditor:
         # create new vault
         new_vault = VaultLib(new_password)
 
-        # we want to force cipher to the default
-        #new_vault.cipher_name = this_vault.cipher_name
-
         # re-encrypt data and re-write file
         enc_data = new_vault.encrypt(dec_data)
         self.write_data(enc_data, self.filename)