diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/design_doc.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/design_doc.rb
index d4f5629..e84e6b5 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/design_doc.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/design_doc.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ module CouchRest
         def design_doc_slug
           return design_doc_slug_cache if (design_doc_slug_cache && design_doc_fresh)
           funcs = []
-          self.design_doc ||= Design.new(default_design_doc)
           design_doc['views'].each do |name, view|
             funcs << "#{name}/#{view['map']}#{view['reduce']}"
           end
diff --git a/lib/couchrest/mixins/document_queries.rb b/lib/couchrest/mixins/document_queries.rb
index ff05ee2..84293e2 100644
--- a/lib/couchrest/mixins/document_queries.rb
+++ b/lib/couchrest/mixins/document_queries.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ module CouchRest
         # name of the current class. Take the standard set of
         # CouchRest::Database#view options.
         def all(opts = {}, &block)
-          self.design_doc ||= Design.new(default_design_doc)
           unless design_doc_fresh
             refresh_design_doc
           end