diff --git a/consensus/dccs/2_dccs.go b/consensus/dccs/2_dccs.go
index 5ad5a3a078cc..d18741d1c700 100644
--- a/consensus/dccs/2_dccs.go
+++ b/consensus/dccs/2_dccs.go
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ func (c *Context) prepare2(header *types.Header) error {
 	header.Difficulty = new(big.Int).SetUint64(difficulty)
 
 	var price *Price
-	if c.engine.config.IsPriceBlock(number) {
+	if c.engine.config.IsPriceBlock(number) && len(c.engine.priceURL) > 0 {
 		price = c.engine.PriceEngine().CurrentPrice()
 		if price == nil {
 			log.Warn("No price to record in block", "number", number)
diff --git a/consensus/dccs/2_price.go b/consensus/dccs/2_price.go
index 17591fded8c5..f5b02258498f 100644
--- a/consensus/dccs/2_price.go
+++ b/consensus/dccs/2_price.go
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ func (a ByPrice) Swap(i, j int)      { a[i], a[j] = a[j], a[i] }
 // CalcMedianPrice calculates the median price of a price block and cache it.
 // TODO: optimize rolling median calculation
 func (c *Context) CalcMedianPrice(number uint64) (*Price, error) {
+	if len(c.engine.priceURL) == 0 {
+		// price server URL not provided
+		return nil, nil
+	}
 	if !c.engine.config.IsPriceBlock(number) {
 		// not a price block
 		return nil, nil
@@ -156,6 +160,10 @@ func medianPrice(prices []*Price, minValues int) (*Price, error) {
 
 // GetBlockPrice returns the price encoded in a block header extra data
 func (c *Context) GetBlockPrice(number uint64) *Price {
+	if len(c.engine.priceURL) == 0 {
+		// price server URL not provided
+		return nil
+	}
 	if !c.engine.config.IsPriceBlock(number) {
 		// not a price block
 		return nil
diff --git a/eth/config.go b/eth/config.go
index ee08f7c365ee..312be45e01e8 100644
--- a/eth/config.go
+++ b/eth/config.go
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ var DefaultConfig = Config{
 		Blocks:     20,
 		Percentile: 60,
 	},
-	PriceServiceURL: "http://localhost:3000/price/NUSD_USD",
 }
 
 func init() {