diff --git a/manifests/virtualenv.pp b/manifests/virtualenv.pp
index ad3910ad..fac0bfa0 100644
--- a/manifests/virtualenv.pp
+++ b/manifests/virtualenv.pp
@@ -93,26 +93,11 @@
       }
     }
 
-    # Virtualenv versions prior to 1.7 do not support the
-    # --system-site-packages flag, default off for prior versions
-    # Prior to version 1.7 the default was equal to --system-site-packages
-    # and the flag --no-site-packages had to be passed to do the opposite
-    $_virtualenv_version = getvar('virtualenv_version') ? {
-      /.*/ => getvar('virtualenv_version'),
+    $system_pkgs_flag = $systempkgs ? {
+      true    => '--system-site-packages',
       default => '',
     }
 
-    if versioncmp($_virtualenv_version,'1.7') > 0 and $systempkgs == true {
-      $system_pkgs_flag = '--system-site-packages'
-    } elsif versioncmp($_virtualenv_version,'1.7') < 0 and $systempkgs == false {
-      $system_pkgs_flag = '--no-site-packages'
-    } else {
-      $system_pkgs_flag = $systempkgs ? {
-        true    => '--system-site-packages',
-        default => '--no-site-packages',
-      }
-    }
-
     $distribute_pkg = $distribute ? {
       true     => 'distribute',
       default  => 'setuptools',