diff --git a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp3/BP3Deserializer.h b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp3/BP3Deserializer.h
index c07cbd1b7a..c011f51880 100644
--- a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp3/BP3Deserializer.h
+++ b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp3/BP3Deserializer.h
@@ -212,11 +212,6 @@ class BP3Deserializer : virtual public BP3Base
     BlocksInfoCommon(const core::Variable<T> &variable,
                      const std::vector<size_t> &blocksIndexOffsets) const;
 
-    template <class T>
-    bool IdentityOperation(
-        const std::vector<std::shared_ptr<core::Operator>> &operations) const
-        noexcept;
-
     const helper::BlockOperationInfo &InitPostOperatorBlockData(
         const std::vector<helper::BlockOperationInfo> &blockOperationsInfo)
         const;
diff --git a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp3/BP3Deserializer.tcc b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp3/BP3Deserializer.tcc
index 450cd0e160..c5aa65a6a8 100644
--- a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp3/BP3Deserializer.tcc
+++ b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp3/BP3Deserializer.tcc
@@ -471,20 +471,13 @@ void BP3Deserializer::PreDataRead(
 {
     if (subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo.size() > 0)
     {
-        const bool identity = IdentityOperation<T>(blockInfo.Operations);
-
-        // if identity is true, just read the entire block content as-is
         const helper::BlockOperationInfo &blockOperationInfo =
             InitPostOperatorBlockData(subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo);
 
-        if (!identity)
-        {
-            m_ThreadBuffers[threadID][1].resize(blockOperationInfo.PayloadSize,
-                                                '\0');
-        }
+        m_ThreadBuffers[threadID][1].resize(blockOperationInfo.PayloadSize,
+                                            '\0');
 
-        buffer = identity ? reinterpret_cast<char *>(blockInfo.Data)
-                          : m_ThreadBuffers[threadID][1].data();
+        buffer = m_ThreadBuffers[threadID][1].data();
 
         payloadSize = blockOperationInfo.PayloadSize;
         payloadOffset = blockOperationInfo.PayloadOffset;
@@ -505,8 +498,7 @@ void BP3Deserializer::PostDataRead(
     const helper::SubStreamBoxInfo &subStreamBoxInfo,
     const bool isRowMajorDestination, const size_t threadID)
 {
-    if (subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo.size() > 0 &&
-        !IdentityOperation<T>(blockInfo.Operations))
+    if (subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo.size() > 0)
     {
         const helper::BlockOperationInfo &blockOperationInfo =
             InitPostOperatorBlockData(subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo);
@@ -1114,22 +1106,6 @@ BP3Deserializer::BlocksInfoCommon(
     return blocksInfo;
 }
 
-template <class T>
-bool BP3Deserializer::IdentityOperation(
-    const std::vector<std::shared_ptr<core::Operator>> &operations) const
-    noexcept
-{
-    bool identity = false;
-    for (const auto &op : operations)
-    {
-        if (op->m_TypeString == "identity")
-        {
-            identity = true;
-        }
-    }
-    return identity;
-}
-
 } // end namespace format
 } // end namespace adios2
 
diff --git a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp4/BP4Deserializer.h b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp4/BP4Deserializer.h
index 4c8d1b8ebd..3ee5027931 100644
--- a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp4/BP4Deserializer.h
+++ b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp4/BP4Deserializer.h
@@ -230,11 +230,6 @@ class BP4Deserializer : virtual public BP4Base
     BlocksInfoCommon(const core::Variable<T> &variable,
                      const std::vector<size_t> &blocksIndexOffsets) const;
 
-    template <class T>
-    bool IdentityOperation(
-        const std::vector<std::shared_ptr<core::Operator>> &operations) const
-        noexcept;
-
     const helper::BlockOperationInfo &InitPostOperatorBlockData(
         const std::vector<helper::BlockOperationInfo> &blockOperationsInfo)
         const;
diff --git a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp4/BP4Deserializer.tcc b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp4/BP4Deserializer.tcc
index 458855d2e4..6a2db6a392 100644
--- a/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp4/BP4Deserializer.tcc
+++ b/source/adios2/toolkit/format/bp/bp4/BP4Deserializer.tcc
@@ -475,20 +475,13 @@ void BP4Deserializer::PreDataRead(
 {
     if (subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo.size() > 0)
     {
-        const bool identity = IdentityOperation<T>(blockInfo.Operations);
-
-        // if identity is true, just read the entire block content as-is
         const helper::BlockOperationInfo &blockOperationInfo =
             InitPostOperatorBlockData(subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo);
 
-        if (!identity)
-        {
-            m_ThreadBuffers[threadID][1].resize(blockOperationInfo.PayloadSize,
-                                                '\0');
-        }
+        m_ThreadBuffers[threadID][1].resize(blockOperationInfo.PayloadSize,
+                                            '\0');
 
-        buffer = identity ? reinterpret_cast<char *>(blockInfo.Data)
-                          : m_ThreadBuffers[threadID][1].data();
+        buffer = m_ThreadBuffers[threadID][1].data();
 
         payloadSize = blockOperationInfo.PayloadSize;
         payloadOffset = blockOperationInfo.PayloadOffset;
@@ -509,8 +502,7 @@ void BP4Deserializer::PostDataRead(
     const helper::SubStreamBoxInfo &subStreamBoxInfo,
     const bool isRowMajorDestination, const size_t threadID)
 {
-    if (subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo.size() > 0 &&
-        !IdentityOperation<T>(blockInfo.Operations))
+    if (subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo.size() > 0)
     {
         const helper::BlockOperationInfo &blockOperationInfo =
             InitPostOperatorBlockData(subStreamBoxInfo.OperationsInfo);
@@ -1210,22 +1202,6 @@ BP4Deserializer::BlocksInfoCommon(
     return blocksInfo;
 }
 
-template <class T>
-bool BP4Deserializer::IdentityOperation(
-    const std::vector<std::shared_ptr<core::Operator>> &operations) const
-    noexcept
-{
-    bool identity = false;
-    for (const auto &op : operations)
-    {
-        if (op->m_TypeString == "identity")
-        {
-            identity = true;
-        }
-    }
-    return identity;
-}
-
 } // end namespace format
 } // end namespace adios2