diff --git a/puppet/zulip_ops/files/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf b/puppet/zulip_ops/files/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fb718c4a4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/puppet/zulip_ops/files/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Virtual memory settings
+vm.swappiness = 0
+vm.overcommit_memory = 2
diff --git a/puppet/zulip_ops/files/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf.master b/puppet/zulip_ops/files/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf.master
deleted file mode 100644
index 5dda67ceda..0000000000
--- a/puppet/zulip_ops/files/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf.master
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-# Virtual memory settings
-vm.swappiness = 0
-vm.overcommit_memory = 2
-
-# We don't want these numbers to be too large or else performance
-# will be too spiky.  These seem to give a good balance between low
-# numbers and sequential write performance
-vm.dirty_ratio = 5
-vm.dirty_background_ratio = 2
diff --git a/puppet/zulip_ops/files/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf.slave b/puppet/zulip_ops/files/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf.slave
deleted file mode 100644
index 4ea5ff7f42..0000000000
--- a/puppet/zulip_ops/files/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf.slave
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-# Virtual memory settings
-vm.swappiness = 0
-vm.overcommit_memory = 2
-
-# These are the defaults on newer kernels
-vm.dirty_ratio = 10
-vm.dirty_background_ratio = 5
diff --git a/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_common.pp b/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_common.pp
index 37d3e559e2..c35177e0ac 100644
--- a/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_common.pp
+++ b/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_common.pp
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ class zulip_ops::postgres_common {
     ]
   }
 
+  file { '/etc/sysctl.d/40-postgresql.conf':
+    ensure => file,
+    owner  => 'root',
+    group  => 'root',
+    mode   => '0644',
+    source => 'puppet:///modules/zulip_ops/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf',
+  }
   exec { 'sysctl_p':
     command     => '/sbin/sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.d/40-postgresql.conf',
     subscribe   => File['/etc/sysctl.d/40-postgresql.conf'],
diff --git a/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_master.pp b/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_master.pp
index 16eb29bdfa..165b0ed2af 100644
--- a/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_master.pp
+++ b/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_master.pp
@@ -1,12 +1,4 @@
 class zulip_ops::postgres_master {
   include zulip_ops::base
   include zulip_ops::postgres_appdb
-
-  file { '/etc/sysctl.d/40-postgresql.conf':
-    ensure => file,
-    owner  => 'root',
-    group  => 'root',
-    mode   => '0644',
-    source => 'puppet:///modules/zulip_ops/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf.master',
-  }
 }
diff --git a/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_slave.pp b/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_slave.pp
index 32da994415..cf4f91366c 100644
--- a/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_slave.pp
+++ b/puppet/zulip_ops/manifests/postgres_slave.pp
@@ -1,12 +1,4 @@
 class zulip_ops::postgres_slave {
   include zulip_ops::base
   include zulip_ops::postgres_appdb
-
-  file { '/etc/sysctl.d/40-postgresql.conf':
-    ensure => file,
-    owner  => 'root',
-    group  => 'root',
-    mode   => '0644',
-    source => 'puppet:///modules/zulip_ops/postgresql/40-postgresql.conf.slave',
-  }
 }