diff --git a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/DumpCommand.java b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/DumpCommand.java
index dae7922..c1887c8 100644
--- a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/DumpCommand.java
+++ b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/DumpCommand.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public class DumpCommand extends BaseCommand<ConfiguredTopic> {
   public int run() {
     try (AdminClient kafka = KafkaAdminClient.create(kafkaConfig())) {
       TopicService topicService = new TopicServiceImpl(kafka, true);
-      Collection<ConfiguredTopic> existing = topicService.listExisting(true).values()
+      Collection<ConfiguredTopic> existing = topicService.listExisting().values()
           .stream()
           .sorted(Comparator.comparing(ConfiguredTopic::getName))
           .collect(Collectors.toList());
diff --git a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicEnforcer.java b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicEnforcer.java
index 4a4ce45..9ffa33e 100644
--- a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicEnforcer.java
+++ b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicEnforcer.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public TopicEnforcer(
       boolean safemode) {
     super(
         configuredTopics,
-        () -> topicService.listExisting(true).values(),
+        () -> topicService.listExisting().values(),
         (t1, t2) -> t1.getName().equals(t2.getName()),
         safemode);
     checkArgument(
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ List<ConfiguredTopic> topicsWithConfigDrift(
     if (this.configured.isEmpty()) {
       return Collections.emptyList();
     }
-    Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> existing = this.topicService.listExisting(true);
+    Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> existing = this.topicService.listExisting();
     return Collections.unmodifiableList(
         this.configured.stream()
             .filter(t -> existing.containsKey(t.getName()))
diff --git a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicService.java b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicService.java
index bd91d43..66bbfcf 100644
--- a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicService.java
+++ b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicService.java
@@ -19,10 +19,9 @@ public interface TopicService {
   /**
    * Load existing topics from a kafka cluster.
    *
-   * @param excludeInternal if true kafka internal topics are excluded
    * @return a collection of topics.
    */
-  Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> listExisting(boolean excludeInternal);
+  Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> listExisting();
 
   /**
    * Create new topics.
diff --git a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicServiceImpl.java b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicServiceImpl.java
index 3a26871..e018081 100644
--- a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicServiceImpl.java
+++ b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/main/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicServiceImpl.java
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 
 public class TopicServiceImpl implements TopicService {
 
-  private static final ListTopicsOptions INCLUDE_INTERNAL = new ListTopicsOptions().listInternal(true);
   private static final ListTopicsOptions EXCLUDE_INTERNAL = new ListTopicsOptions().listInternal(false);
   private final AdminClient adminClient;
   private final boolean dryRun;
@@ -94,11 +93,9 @@ static boolean isNonDefault(ConfigEntry e) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> listExisting(boolean excludeInternal) {
+  public Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> listExisting() {
     try {
-      Set<String> topics = adminClient
-          .listTopics(excludeInternal ? EXCLUDE_INTERNAL : INCLUDE_INTERNAL)
-          .names().get();
+      Set<String> topics = adminClient.listTopics(EXCLUDE_INTERNAL).names().get();
       Collection<TopicDescription> topicDescriptions = adminClient.describeTopics(topics).all().get().values();
 
       List<ConfigResource> resources = topics
diff --git a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/test/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicEnforcerTest.java b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/test/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicEnforcerTest.java
index 7841e6b..fc2630e 100644
--- a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/test/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicEnforcerTest.java
+++ b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/test/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicEnforcerTest.java
@@ -61,13 +61,13 @@ public void testPartitionIncrease() {
         "d", new ConfiguredTopic("b", 1, (short) 1, Collections.emptyMap())
     );
 
-    when(service.listExisting(true)).thenReturn(existing);
+    when(service.listExisting()).thenReturn(existing);
     TopicEnforcer enforcer = new TopicEnforcer(service, configured, true);
     enforcer.increasePartitions();
 
     // topic 'b' and 'c' should be subject to config alteration
     List<ConfiguredTopic> expected = Arrays.asList(configured.get(1), configured.get(2));
-    verify(service).listExisting(true);
+    verify(service).listExisting();
     verify(service).increasePartitions(expected);
     verifyNoMoreInteractions(service);
   }
@@ -91,13 +91,13 @@ public void testAlterConfiguration() {
         "d", new ConfiguredTopic("d", 1, (short) 1, Collections.singletonMap("k", "v"))
     );
 
-    when(service.listExisting(true)).thenReturn(existing);
+    when(service.listExisting()).thenReturn(existing);
     TopicEnforcer enforcer = new TopicEnforcer(service, configured, true);
     enforcer.alterConfiguration();
 
     // topic 'a' and 'd' should be subject to config alteration
     List<ConfiguredTopic> expected = Arrays.asList(configured.get(0), configured.get(3));
-    verify(service).listExisting(true);
+    verify(service).listExisting();
     verify(service).alterConfiguration(expected);
     verifyNoMoreInteractions(service);
   }
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public void testPartitionIncreaseUnSafeMode() {
         new ConfiguredTopic("a", 1000, (short) 3, Collections.emptyMap()));
     Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> existing = Collections.singletonMap("a",
         new ConfiguredTopic("a", 100, (short) 3, Collections.emptyMap()));
-    when(service.listExisting(true)).thenReturn(existing);
+    when(service.listExisting()).thenReturn(existing);
     enforcer = new TopicEnforcer(service, configured, false);
     Assert.assertEquals("aggressive partition count increase must be allowed in unsafe mode", configured,
         enforcer.increasePartitions());
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public void testConfigUpdateUnSafeMode() {
         new ConfiguredTopic("a", 10, (short) 3, risky));
     Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> existing = Collections.singletonMap("a",
         new ConfiguredTopic("a", 10, (short) 3, Collections.emptyMap()));
-    when(service.listExisting(true)).thenReturn(existing);
+    when(service.listExisting()).thenReturn(existing);
 
     // attempt a risk config change, it should go through
     enforcer = new TopicEnforcer(service, configured,
diff --git a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/test/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicServiceImplTest.java b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/test/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicServiceImplTest.java
index 4a3a69f..0b9514a 100644
--- a/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/test/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicServiceImplTest.java
+++ b/kafka_topic_enforcer/src/test/java/com/tesla/data/topic/enforcer/TopicServiceImplTest.java
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ public void testListExisting() {
     when(adminClient.describeTopics(topicNames)).thenReturn(describeTopicsResult);
     when(adminClient.describeConfigs(any(Collection.class))).thenReturn(describeConfigsResult);
 
-    Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> actual = service.listExisting(true);
+    Map<String, ConfiguredTopic> actual = service.listExisting();
     Assert.assertEquals(2, actual.size());
     Assert.assertEquals(new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("a", "b")), actual.keySet());
   }