diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mpich/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mpich/package.py
index 64757cee980..3398da3f5a3 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mpich/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mpich/package.py
@@ -620,7 +620,6 @@ def configure_args(self):
 
         if "+vci" in spec:
             config_args.append("--enable-thread-cs=per-vci")
-            config_args.append("--with-ch4-max-vcis=default")
 
         if "datatype-engine=yaksa" in spec:
             config_args.append("--with-datatype-engine=yaksa")