diff --git a/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/interpreter/InterpreterFactory.java b/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/interpreter/InterpreterFactory.java
index 30b015368d3..267bfae6573 100644
--- a/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/interpreter/InterpreterFactory.java
+++ b/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/interpreter/InterpreterFactory.java
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ public void createInterpretersForNote(InterpreterSetting interpreterSetting, Str
     Interpreter interpreter;
     for (InterpreterInfo info : interpreterInfos) {
       if (option.isRemote()) {
-        if (option.isConnectExistingProcess()) {
+        if (option.isExistingProcess()) {
           interpreter =
               connectToRemoteRepl(noteId, info.getClassName(), option.getHost(), option.getPort(),
                   properties);
diff --git a/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/interpreter/InterpreterOption.java b/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/interpreter/InterpreterOption.java
index 2bcc4c69ac0..d013a883107 100644
--- a/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/interpreter/InterpreterOption.java
+++ b/zeppelin-zengine/src/main/java/org/apache/zeppelin/interpreter/InterpreterOption.java
@@ -85,10 +85,6 @@ public void setPerNoteSession(boolean perNoteSession) {
     this.perNoteSession = perNoteSession;
   }
 
-  public boolean isConnectExistingProcess() {
-    return (host != null && port != -1);
-  }
-
   public String getHost() {
     return host;
   }