diff --git a/doc/configuration.rst b/doc/configuration.rst
index 481eeea4..b7f8f863 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/configuration.rst
@@ -141,10 +141,6 @@ Options
     (*bool*) -- When set to ``False``, the comps files for variants will not
     have their environments filtered to match the variant.
 
-**keep_original_comps** [optional]
-    (*list*) -- List of variants for which the original comps file will be
-    copied without any modifications. Overwrites `comps_filter_environments`.
-
 **tree_arches**
     ([*str*]) -- list of architectures which should be included; if undefined,
     all architectures from variants.xml will be included
diff --git a/pungi/checks.py b/pungi/checks.py
index 2726826b..fe8caab8 100644
--- a/pungi/checks.py
+++ b/pungi/checks.py
@@ -577,8 +577,7 @@ def _make_schema():
                 "default": True,
             },
             "keep_original_comps": {
-                "$ref": "#/definitions/list_of_strings",
-                "default": []
+                "deprecated": "no <groups> tag for respective variant in variants XML"
             },
 
             "link_type": {
diff --git a/pungi/phases/init.py b/pungi/phases/init.py
index 64d9b1a2..eaa856b0 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/init.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/init.py
@@ -47,12 +47,14 @@ class InitPhase(PhaseBase):
 
             # write variant comps
             for variant in self.compose.get_variants():
-                should_preserve = variant.uid in self.compose.conf['keep_original_comps']
                 for arch in variant.arches:
-                    if should_preserve:
-                        copy_variant_comps(self.compose, arch, variant)
-                    else:
+                    if variant.groups:
+                        # The variant lists only some groups, run filter.
                         write_variant_comps(self.compose, arch, variant)
+                    else:
+                        # The variant does not mention any groups, copy
+                        # original file.
+                        copy_variant_comps(self.compose, arch, variant)
 
         # download variants.xml / product.xml?
 
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 31d2f3f9..17bf5c6e 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -369,22 +369,8 @@ class LiveMediaConfigTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(checks.validate(cfg), [])
 
 
-class InitConfigTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
-    def test_validate_keep_original_comps_empty(self):
-        cfg = load_config(PKGSET_REPOS,
-                          keep_original_comps=[])
-
-        self.assertEqual(checks.validate(cfg), [])
-
-    def test_validate_keep_original_comps_filled_in(self):
-        cfg = load_config(PKGSET_REPOS,
-                          keep_original_comps=['Everything'])
-
-        self.assertEqual(checks.validate(cfg), [])
-
-
 class TestSuggestions(unittest.TestCase):
-    def test_validate_keep_original_comps_empty(self):
+    def test_with_a_typo(self):
         cfg = load_config(PKGSET_REPOS,
                           product_pid=None)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_initphase.py b/tests/test_initphase.py
index 0401c825..e7f4eff3 100755
--- a/tests/test_initphase.py
+++ b/tests/test_initphase.py
@@ -48,10 +48,9 @@ class TestInitPhase(PungiTestCase):
     @mock.patch('pungi.phases.init.write_prepopulate_file')
     def test_run_with_preserve(self, write_prepopulate, write_variant, create_comps,
                                write_arch, write_global, copy_comps):
-        compose = DummyCompose(self.topdir, {
-            'keep_original_comps': ['Everything'],
-        })
+        compose = DummyCompose(self.topdir, {})
         compose.has_comps = True
+        compose.variants['Everything'].groups = []
         phase = init.InitPhase(compose)
         phase.run()
 
@@ -90,6 +89,20 @@ class TestInitPhase(PungiTestCase):
         self.assertItemsEqual(copy_comps.mock_calls, [])
 
 
+class TestCopyVariantComps(PungiTestCase):
+
+    @mock.patch('shutil.copy')
+    def test_run(self, copy):
+        compose = DummyCompose(self.topdir, {})
+        variant = compose.variants['Server']
+
+        init.copy_variant_comps(compose, 'x86_64', variant)
+
+        self.assertEqual(copy.mock_calls,
+                         [mock.call(self.topdir + '/work/global/comps/comps-global.xml',
+                                    self.topdir + '/work/x86_64/comps/comps-Server.x86_64.xml')])
+
+
 class TestWriteArchComps(PungiTestCase):
 
     @mock.patch('pungi.phases.init.run')
@@ -222,19 +235,5 @@ class TestWriteVariantComps(PungiTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(comps.write_comps.mock_calls, [])
 
 
-class TestCopyVariantComps(PungiTestCase):
-
-    @mock.patch('shutil.copy')
-    def test_run(self, copy):
-        compose = DummyCompose(self.topdir, {})
-        variant = compose.variants['Server']
-
-        init.copy_variant_comps(compose, 'x86_64', variant)
-
-        self.assertEqual(copy.mock_calls,
-                         [mock.call(self.topdir + '/work/global/comps/comps-global.xml',
-                                    self.topdir + '/work/x86_64/comps/comps-Server.x86_64.xml')])
-
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()