diff --git a/src/subcommand/convert_main.cpp b/src/subcommand/convert_main.cpp
index d8981e1f02d..7474f5a521e 100644
--- a/src/subcommand/convert_main.cpp
+++ b/src/subcommand/convert_main.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 #include "../algorithms/find_gbwtgraph.hpp"
 #include "../io/save_handle_graph.hpp"
 #include "../gfa.hpp"
-#include "../rgfa.hpp"
 #include "../gbwt_helper.hpp"
 #include "../gbwtgraph_helper.hpp"
 #include <vg/io/stream.hpp>
@@ -237,13 +236,6 @@ int main_convert(int argc, char** argv) {
           cerr << "[vg convert] warning: vg-protobuf output (-v / --vg-out) is deprecated. please use -p instead." << endl;
     }
 
-    // we interpret the user path selections as reference path selections (consistent with vg paths)
-    // so we need to add the rgfa keyword to pick up the nonref paths
-    if ((!rgfa_paths.empty() || !rgfa_prefixes.empty()) &&
-        std::find(rgfa_prefixes.begin(), rgfa_prefixes.end(), RGFACover::rgfa_sample_name) == rgfa_prefixes.end()) {
-        rgfa_prefixes.push_back(RGFACover::rgfa_sample_name);
-    }
-
     
     // with -F or -G we convert an alignment and not a graph
     if (input == input_gam || input == input_gaf) {