diff --git a/scripts/JSON_data_files_validator.py b/scripts/JSON_data_files_validator.py
index d3e3a30ef1..1f6301592f 100644
--- a/scripts/JSON_data_files_validator.py
+++ b/scripts/JSON_data_files_validator.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def _get_valid_schema(self) -> Schema:
                         'num_nodes': int,
                     },
                     Optional('phases'): {
-                        'count': int,
+                        Optional('count'): int,
                         'skipped': {
                             'list': [int],
                             'range': [[int]],
diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/lb_data_holder.cc b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/lb_data_holder.cc
index 43b1e61802..15ffd34827 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/lb_data_holder.cc
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/lb_data_holder.cc
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ std::unique_ptr<nlohmann::json> LBDataHolder::metadataToJson() const {
   };
 
   nlohmann::json j;
-  j["count"] = count_;
 
   // Generate list and ranges of skipped phases
   std::set<PhaseType> skipped_list;
@@ -264,7 +263,6 @@ std::unique_ptr<nlohmann::json> LBDataHolder::toJson(PhaseType phase) const {
 }
 
 LBDataHolder::LBDataHolder(nlohmann::json const& j)
-  : count_(0)
 {
   auto this_node = theContext()->getNode();
 
@@ -438,10 +436,6 @@ LBDataHolder::LBDataHolder(nlohmann::json const& j)
     }
   }
 
-  if (!count_) {
-    count_ = node_data_.size();
-  }
-
   // @todo: implement subphase communication de-serialization, no use for it
   // right now, so it will be ignored
 }
@@ -451,9 +445,6 @@ void LBDataHolder::readMetadata(nlohmann::json const& j) {
     auto metadata = j["metadata"];
     if (metadata.find("phases") != metadata.end()) {
       auto phases = metadata["phases"];
-      // load count
-      vtAssertExpr(phases["count"].is_number());
-      count_ = phases["count"];
       // load all skipped phases
       auto sl = phases["skipped"]["list"];
       if(sl.is_array()) {
@@ -507,7 +498,6 @@ void LBDataHolder::clear() {
   node_data_.clear();
   node_subphase_comm_.clear();
   node_idx_.clear();
-  count_ = 0;
   skipped_phases_.clear();
   identical_phases_.clear();
 }
diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/lb_data_holder.h b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/lb_data_holder.h
index caeb4e4cea..39af9eded7 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/lb_data_holder.h
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/lb_data_holder.h
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ struct LBDataHolder {
     s | user_defined_json_;
     s | user_per_phase_json_;
     s | node_idx_;
-    s | count_;
     s | skipped_phases_;
     s | identical_phases_;
     s | user_defined_lb_info_;
@@ -156,8 +155,6 @@ struct LBDataHolder {
   std::unordered_map<ElementIDStruct, std::tuple<VirtualProxyType, std::vector<uint64_t>>> node_idx_;
   /// Map from id to objgroup proxy
   std::unordered_map<ElementIDStruct, ObjGroupProxyType> node_objgroup_;
-  // Number of all phases including skipped and identical
-  PhaseType count_;
   // Set of phases that are skipped
   std::set<PhaseType> skipped_phases_;
   // Set of phases which are identical to previous
diff --git a/tests/unit/collection/test_lb_data_holder.cc b/tests/unit/collection/test_lb_data_holder.cc
index af95937b92..8bee8042cb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/collection/test_lb_data_holder.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/collection/test_lb_data_holder.cc
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_no_metadata) {
   addPhasesDataToJson(json, num_phases, {});
 
   LBDataHolder testObj(json);
-  EXPECT_EQ(testObj.count_, num_phases);
   std::set<PhaseType> expectedSkipped = {};
   EXPECT_EQ(testObj.skipped_phases_, expectedSkipped);
   std::set<PhaseType> expectedIdentical = {};
@@ -106,7 +105,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_no_metadata) {
   auto outJsonPtr = testObj.metadataToJson();
   ASSERT_TRUE(outJsonPtr != nullptr);
 
-  EXPECT_EQ((*outJsonPtr)["count"], num_phases);
   std::vector<PhaseType> expectedSkippedList = {};
   EXPECT_EQ((*outJsonPtr)["skipped"]["list"], expectedSkippedList);
   std::vector<std::pair<PhaseType, PhaseType>> expectedSkippedRanges = {};
@@ -126,7 +124,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_no_lb_phases_metadata) {
   addPhasesDataToJson(json, num_phases, {});
 
   LBDataHolder testObj(json);
-  EXPECT_EQ(testObj.count_, num_phases);
   std::set<PhaseType> expectedSkipped = {};
   EXPECT_EQ(testObj.skipped_phases_, expectedSkipped);
   std::set<PhaseType> expectedIdentical = {};
@@ -135,7 +132,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_no_lb_phases_metadata) {
   auto outJsonPtr = testObj.metadataToJson();
   ASSERT_TRUE(outJsonPtr != nullptr);
 
-  EXPECT_EQ((*outJsonPtr)["count"], num_phases);
   std::vector<PhaseType> expectedSkippedList = {};
   EXPECT_EQ((*outJsonPtr)["skipped"]["list"], expectedSkippedList);
   std::vector<std::pair<PhaseType, PhaseType>> expectedSkippedRanges = {};
@@ -150,7 +146,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_lb_phases_metadata_empty) {
   using LBDataHolder = vt::vrt::collection::balance::LBDataHolder;
 
   nlohmann::json metadata, phasesMetadata, json;
-  phasesMetadata["count"] = num_phases;
   phasesMetadata["skipped"]["list"] = {};
   phasesMetadata["skipped"]["range"] = {};
   phasesMetadata["identical_to_previous"]["list"] = {};
@@ -162,7 +157,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_lb_phases_metadata_empty) {
   addPhasesDataToJson(json, num_phases, {});
 
   LBDataHolder testObj(json);
-  EXPECT_EQ(testObj.count_, num_phases);
   std::set<PhaseType> expectedSkipped = {};
   EXPECT_EQ(testObj.skipped_phases_, expectedSkipped);
   std::set<PhaseType> expectedIdentical = {};
@@ -171,7 +165,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_lb_phases_metadata_empty) {
   auto outJsonPtr = testObj.metadataToJson();
   ASSERT_TRUE(outJsonPtr != nullptr);
 
-  EXPECT_EQ((*outJsonPtr)["count"], num_phases);
   std::vector<PhaseType> expectedSkippedList = {};
   EXPECT_EQ((*outJsonPtr)["skipped"]["list"], expectedSkippedList);
   std::vector<std::pair<PhaseType, PhaseType>> expectedSkippedRanges = {};
@@ -186,7 +179,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_lb_phases_metadata_filled) {
   using LBDataHolder = vt::vrt::collection::balance::LBDataHolder;
 
   nlohmann::json metadata, phasesMetadata, json;
-  phasesMetadata["count"] = num_phases;
   phasesMetadata["skipped"]["list"] = {2};
   phasesMetadata["skipped"]["range"] = {{3,4}};
   phasesMetadata["identical_to_previous"]["list"] = {1};
@@ -198,7 +190,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_lb_phases_metadata_filled) {
   addPhasesDataToJson(json, num_phases, {1,2,3,4,8,9});
 
   LBDataHolder testObj(json);
-  EXPECT_EQ(testObj.count_, num_phases);
   std::set<PhaseType> expectedSkipped = {2, 3, 4};
   EXPECT_EQ(testObj.skipped_phases_, expectedSkipped);
   std::set<PhaseType> expectedIdentical = {1, 8, 9};
@@ -207,7 +198,6 @@ TEST_F(TestLBDataHolder, test_lb_phases_metadata_filled) {
   auto outJsonPtr = testObj.metadataToJson();
   ASSERT_TRUE(outJsonPtr != nullptr);
 
-  EXPECT_EQ((*outJsonPtr)["count"], num_phases);
   std::vector<PhaseType> expectedSkippedList = {};
   EXPECT_EQ((*outJsonPtr)["skipped"]["list"], expectedSkippedList);
   std::vector<std::pair<PhaseType, PhaseType>> expectedSkippedRanges = {{2,4}};