diff --git a/swh/storage/api/client.py b/swh/storage/api/client.py
--- a/swh/storage/api/client.py
+++ b/swh/storage/api/client.py
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@
     def origin_add_one(self, origin):
         return self.post('origin/add', {'origin': origin})
 
-    def origin_visit_add(self, origin, date, type=None):
+    def origin_visit_add(self, origin, date, type):
         return self.post(
             'origin/visit/add',
             {'origin': origin, 'date': date, 'type': type})
diff --git a/swh/storage/in_memory.py b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
--- a/swh/storage/in_memory.py
+++ b/swh/storage/in_memory.py
@@ -1222,12 +1222,9 @@
         else:
             return origin.url
 
-    def origin_visit_add(self, origin, date, type=None):
+    def origin_visit_add(self, origin, date, type):
         """Add an origin_visit for the origin at date with status 'ongoing'.
 
-        For backward compatibility, `type` is optional and defaults to
-        the origin's type.
-
         Args:
             origin (Union[int,str]): visited origin's identifier or URL
             date (Union[str,datetime]): timestamp of such visit
@@ -1259,7 +1256,7 @@
             visit = OriginVisit(
                 origin=origin,
                 date=date,
-                type=type or origin.type,
+                type=type,
                 status=status,
                 snapshot=None,
                 metadata=None,
diff --git a/swh/storage/storage.py b/swh/storage/storage.py
--- a/swh/storage/storage.py
+++ b/swh/storage/storage.py
@@ -1211,13 +1211,10 @@
         return None
 
     @db_transaction()
-    def origin_visit_add(self, origin, date, type=None,
+    def origin_visit_add(self, origin, date, type,
                          db=None, cur=None):
         """Add an origin_visit for the origin at ts with status 'ongoing'.
 
-        For backward compatibility, `type` is optional and defaults to
-        the origin's type.
-
         Args:
             origin (Union[int,str]): visited origin's identifier or URL
             date (Union[str,datetime]): timestamp of such visit
@@ -1241,9 +1238,6 @@
             # FIXME: Converge on iso8601 at some point
             date = dateutil.parser.parse(date)
 
-        if type is None:
-            type = origin['type']
-
         visit_id = db.origin_visit_add(origin_id, date, type, cur)
 
         if self.journal_writer: