diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index a088d4d0b..d007fcb96 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -1248,11 +1248,8 @@ func (c *Client) setupConsulSyncer() error {
 			// Nomad servers are available within
 			// datacenterQueryLimit, the next heartbeat will pick
 			// a new set of servers so it's okay.
-			nearestDC := dcs[0]
-			dcs = dcs[1:]
-			shuffleStrings(dcs)
-			otherDCs := dcs[0:lib.MinInt(len(dcs), datacenterQueryLimit)]
-			dcs = append([]string{nearestDC}, otherDCs...)
+			shuffleStrings(dcs[1:])
+			dcs = dcs[0:lib.MinInt(len(dcs), datacenterQueryLimit)]
 		}
 
 		// Forward RPCs to our region
diff --git a/nomad/server.go b/nomad/server.go
index 5d3217b4a..9ba4045bd 100644
--- a/nomad/server.go
+++ b/nomad/server.go
@@ -469,11 +469,8 @@ func (s *Server) setupBootstrapHandler() error {
 			// are necessary, this Nomad Server will eventually
 			// walk all datacenter until it finds enough hosts to
 			// form a quorum.
-			nearestDC := dcs[0]
-			dcs = dcs[1:]
-			shuffleStrings(dcs)
-			otherDCs := dcs[0:lib.MinInt(len(dcs), datacenterQueryLimit)]
-			dcs = append([]string{nearestDC}, otherDCs...)
+			shuffleStrings(dcs[1:])
+			dcs = dcs[0:lib.MinInt(len(dcs), datacenterQueryLimit)]
 		}
 
 		nomadServerServiceName := s.config.ConsulConfig.ServerServiceName