diff --git a/common/djangoapps/status/status.py b/common/djangoapps/status/status.py
index ab1624aed2..79790eccab 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/status/status.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/status/status.py
@@ -14,28 +14,16 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 def get_site_status_msg():
     """
     Look for a file settings.STATUS_MESSAGE_PATH.  If found, return the
-    contents.  Otherwise, return None.  Caches result for 10 seconds, per-machine.
+    contents.  Otherwise, return None.
 
     If something goes wrong, returns None.  ("is there a status msg?" logic is
     not allowed to break the entire site).
     """
-    cache_time = 10
     try:
-        key = ','.join([settings.HOSTNAME, settings.STATUS_MESSAGE_PATH])
-        content = cache.get(key)
-        if content == '':
-            # cached that there isn't a status message
-            return None
-
-        if content is None:
-            # nothing in the cache, so check the filesystem
-            if os.path.isfile(settings.STATUS_MESSAGE_PATH):
-                with open(settings.STATUS_MESSAGE_PATH) as f:
-                    content = f.read()
-            else:
-                # remember that there isn't anything there
-                cache.set(key, '', cache_time)
-                content = None
+        content = None
+        if os.path.isfile(settings.STATUS_MESSAGE_PATH):
+            with open(settings.STATUS_MESSAGE_PATH) as f:
+                content = f.read()
 
         return content
     except: