diff --git a/src/orion/core/cli/db/upgrade.py b/src/orion/core/cli/db/upgrade.py
index e2263da85..bafcdc748 100644
--- a/src/orion/core/cli/db/upgrade.py
+++ b/src/orion/core/cli/db/upgrade.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 import sys
 
 import orion.core.io.experiment_builder as experiment_builder
-import orion.core.utils.backward as backward
 from orion.core.io.database.ephemeraldb import EphemeralCollection
 from orion.core.io.database.mongodb import MongoDB
 from orion.core.io.database.pickleddb import PickledDB
@@ -126,7 +125,6 @@ def upgrade_documents(storage):
     """Upgrade scheme of the documents"""
     for experiment in storage.fetch_experiments({}):
         add_version(experiment)
-        add_space(experiment)
         storage.update_experiment(uid=experiment.pop("_id"), **experiment)
 
 
@@ -135,11 +133,6 @@ def add_version(experiment):
     experiment.setdefault("version", 1)
 
 
-def add_space(experiment):
-    """Add space to metadata if not present"""
-    backward.populate_space(experiment)
-
-
 def update_indexes(database):
     """Remove user from unique indices.
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/backward_compatibility/test_versions.py b/tests/functional/backward_compatibility/test_versions.py
index bbf827bc9..b249099b8 100644
--- a/tests/functional/backward_compatibility/test_versions.py
+++ b/tests/functional/backward_compatibility/test_versions.py
@@ -244,7 +244,6 @@ def test_db_upgrade(self):
 
         experiments = storage.fetch_experiments({})
         assert "version" in experiments[0]
-        assert "priors" in experiments[0]["metadata"]
 
     def test_db_test(self):
         """Verify db test command"""