diff --git a/CondCore/DBOutputService/src/OnlineDBOutputService.cc b/CondCore/DBOutputService/src/OnlineDBOutputService.cc
index 0136c1fc6748b..3896bfc7e8aa0 100644
--- a/CondCore/DBOutputService/src/OnlineDBOutputService.cc
+++ b/CondCore/DBOutputService/src/OnlineDBOutputService.cc
@@ -84,18 +84,11 @@ cond::service::OnlineDBOutputService::OnlineDBOutputService(const edm::Parameter
       m_latencyInLumisections(iConfig.getUntrackedParameter<unsigned int>("latency", 1)),
       m_omsServiceUrl(iConfig.getUntrackedParameter<std::string>("omsServiceUrl", "")),
       m_preLoadConnectionString(iConfig.getUntrackedParameter<std::string>("preLoadConnectionString", "")),
-      m_frontierKey(""),
+      m_frontierKey(iConfig.getUntrackedParameter<std::string>("frontierKey", "")),
       m_debug(iConfig.getUntrackedParameter<bool>("debugLogging", false)) {
   if (m_omsServiceUrl.empty()) {
     m_lastLumiFile = iConfig.getUntrackedParameter<std::string>("lastLumiFile", "");
   }
-  std::string frontierKeyFilePath(iConfig.getUntrackedParameter<std::string>("frontierKeyFilePath", ""));
-  if (!frontierKeyFilePath.empty()) {
-    std::ifstream frontierKeyFile(frontierKeyFilePath);
-    if (!frontierKeyFile)
-      throw Exception(std::string("Can't access frontierKey file ") + frontierKeyFilePath);
-    frontierKeyFile >> m_frontierKey;
-  }
 }
 
 cond::service::OnlineDBOutputService::~OnlineDBOutputService() {}
diff --git a/CondCore/DBOutputService/test/python/testLumiBasedUpdateAnalyzer_oracle.cfg.py b/CondCore/DBOutputService/test/python/testLumiBasedUpdateAnalyzer_oracle.cfg.py
index 586a1cc8c1498..3225c976a3aef 100644
--- a/CondCore/DBOutputService/test/python/testLumiBasedUpdateAnalyzer_oracle.cfg.py
+++ b/CondCore/DBOutputService/test/python/testLumiBasedUpdateAnalyzer_oracle.cfg.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     preLoadConnectionString = cms.untracked.string('frontier://FrontierPrep/CMS_CONDITIONS'),
     runNumber = cms.untracked.uint64(options.runNumber),
     #lastLumiFile = cms.untracked.string('last_lumi.txt'),
-    #frontierKeyFilePath = cms.untracked.string('frontier.key'),
+    #frontierKey = cms.untracked.string('test'),
     writeTransactionDelay = cms.untracked.uint32(options.transDelay),
     autoCommit = cms.untracked.bool(True),
     saveLogsOnDB = cms.untracked.bool(True),
diff --git a/CondCore/ESSources/plugins/CondDBESSource.cc b/CondCore/ESSources/plugins/CondDBESSource.cc
index c6968fdee0217..8380f00f9b25c 100644
--- a/CondCore/ESSources/plugins/CondDBESSource.cc
+++ b/CondCore/ESSources/plugins/CondDBESSource.cc
@@ -141,9 +141,7 @@ CondDBESSource::CondDBESSource(const edm::ParameterSet& iConfig)
     m_connectionString = iConfig.getParameter<std::string>("connect");
 
   // frontier key
-  if (iConfig.exists("frontierKey")) {
-    m_frontierKey = iConfig.getParameter<std::string>("frontierKey");
-  }
+  m_frontierKey = iConfig.getUntrackedParameter<std::string>("frontierKey", "");
 
   // snapshot
   boost::posix_time::ptime snapshotTime;
diff --git a/CondCore/ESSources/test/python/loadall_from_one_record_empty_source_cfg.py b/CondCore/ESSources/test/python/loadall_from_one_record_empty_source_cfg.py
index efc00d3a582be..919607a996819 100644
--- a/CondCore/ESSources/test/python/loadall_from_one_record_empty_source_cfg.py
+++ b/CondCore/ESSources/test/python/loadall_from_one_record_empty_source_cfg.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
                                   DBParameters = CondDBParameters,
                                   connect = cms.string( options.connectionString ),
                                   snapshotTime = cms.string( options.snapshotTime ),
-                                  frontierKey = cms.string('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789'),
+                                  frontierKey = cms.untracked.string('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789'),
                                   toGet = cms.VPSet(cms.PSet(
                                       record = cms.string('BeamSpotObjectsRcd'),
                                       tag = cms.string( options.tag ),
diff --git a/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beam_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py b/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beam_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
index 316b4cf91c64d..a17413fd7ef77 100644
--- a/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beam_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
+++ b/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beam_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
@@ -383,8 +383,10 @@
             tag = cms.string(BSOnlineTag),
             timetype = cms.untracked.string('Lumi'),
             onlyAppendUpdatePolicy = cms.untracked.bool(True)
-        ))
+        )),
+        frontierKey = cms.untracked.string(options.runUniqueKey)
     )
+
 else:
     process.OnlineDBOutputService = cms.Service("OnlineDBOutputService",
 
@@ -406,8 +408,10 @@
             tag = cms.string(BSOnlineTag),
             timetype = cms.untracked.string('Lumi'),
             onlyAppendUpdatePolicy = cms.untracked.bool(True)
-        ))
+        )),
+        frontierKey = cms.untracked.string(options.runUniqueKey)
     )
+print("Configured frontierKey", options.runUniqueKey)
 
 #---------
 # Final path
diff --git a/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamfake_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py b/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamfake_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
index 3765c52e57290..781bbd0af7c07 100644
--- a/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamfake_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
+++ b/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamfake_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
@@ -161,8 +161,10 @@
             tag = cms.string(BSOnlineTag),
             timetype = cms.untracked.string('Lumi'),
             onlyAppendUpdatePolicy = cms.untracked.bool(True)
-        ))
+        )),
+        frontierKey = cms.untracked.string(options.runUniqueKey)
     )
+
 else:
     process.OnlineDBOutputService = cms.Service("OnlineDBOutputService",
 
@@ -184,9 +186,12 @@
             tag = cms.string(BSOnlineTag),
             timetype = cms.untracked.string('Lumi'),
             onlyAppendUpdatePolicy = cms.untracked.bool(True)
-        ))
+        )),
+        frontierKey = cms.untracked.string(options.runUniqueKey)
     )
 
+print("Configured frontierKey", options.runUniqueKey)
+
 #---------
 # Final path
 process.p = cms.Path(process.dqmcommon
diff --git a/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamhlt_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py b/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamhlt_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
index 9fffc4061cba8..d3aa04b15ac1a 100644
--- a/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamhlt_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
+++ b/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamhlt_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
@@ -188,8 +188,10 @@
             tag = cms.string(BSOnlineTag),
             timetype = cms.untracked.string('Lumi'),
             onlyAppendUpdatePolicy = cms.untracked.bool(True)
-        ))
+        )),
+        frontierKey = cms.untracked.string(options.runUniqueKey)
       )
+
     else:
       process.OnlineDBOutputService = cms.Service("OnlineDBOutputService",
         DBParameters = cms.PSet(
@@ -210,9 +212,12 @@
             tag = cms.string(BSOnlineTag),
             timetype = cms.untracked.string('Lumi'),
             onlyAppendUpdatePolicy = cms.untracked.bool(True)
-        ))
+        )),
+        frontierKey = cms.untracked.string(options.runUniqueKey)
       )
 
+    print("Configured frontierKey", options.runUniqueKey)
+
     process.p = cms.Path( process.hltTriggerTypeFilter
                         * process.dqmcommon
                         * process.offlineBeamSpot
diff --git a/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamhltfake_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py b/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamhltfake_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
index a32d96c6d7628..e82364e742665 100644
--- a/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamhltfake_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
+++ b/DQM/Integration/python/clients/beamhltfake_dqm_sourceclient-live_cfg.py
@@ -135,7 +135,8 @@
           tag = cms.string(BSOnlineTag),
           timetype = cms.untracked.string('Lumi'),
           onlyAppendUpdatePolicy = cms.untracked.bool(True)
-      ))
+      )),
+      frontierKey = cms.untracked.string(options.runUniqueKey)
   )
 
 else:
@@ -159,8 +160,10 @@
         tag = cms.string(BSOnlineTag),
         timetype = cms.untracked.string('Lumi'),
         onlyAppendUpdatePolicy = cms.untracked.bool(True)
-    ))
+    )),
+    frontierKey = cms.untracked.string(options.runUniqueKey)
 )
+print("Configured frontierKey", options.runUniqueKey)
 
 process.p = cms.Path(process.dqmcommon
                     * process.monitor )
diff --git a/DQM/Integration/python/config/fileinputsource_cfi.py b/DQM/Integration/python/config/fileinputsource_cfi.py
index 6852608194b01..e8312a9bc7cba 100644
--- a/DQM/Integration/python/config/fileinputsource_cfi.py
+++ b/DQM/Integration/python/config/fileinputsource_cfi.py
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@
     "Run Keys of CMS"
 )
 
+# Parameter for frontierKey
+options.register('runUniqueKey',
+    'InValid',
+    VarParsing.VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton,
+    VarParsing.VarParsing.varType.string,
+    "Unique run key from RCMS for Frontier")
+
 options.register('runNumber',
                  286520,
                  VarParsing.VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton,
diff --git a/DQM/Integration/python/config/inputsource_cfi.py b/DQM/Integration/python/config/inputsource_cfi.py
index 6dd6c788094b1..ebc4a3036d526 100644
--- a/DQM/Integration/python/config/inputsource_cfi.py
+++ b/DQM/Integration/python/config/inputsource_cfi.py
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@
           VarParsing.VarParsing.varType.string,
           "Run Keys of CMS")
 
+# Parameter for frontierKey
+
+options.register ('runUniqueKey',
+          'InValid',
+          VarParsing.VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton,
+          VarParsing.VarParsing.varType.string,
+          "Unique run key from RCMS for Frontier")
+
 options.parseArguments()
 
 # Fix to allow scram to compile
diff --git a/DQM/Integration/python/config/pbsource_cfi.py b/DQM/Integration/python/config/pbsource_cfi.py
index 7ac448d5d7e46..b3ba96c4aafa4 100644
--- a/DQM/Integration/python/config/pbsource_cfi.py
+++ b/DQM/Integration/python/config/pbsource_cfi.py
@@ -40,6 +40,14 @@
           VarParsing.VarParsing.varType.string,
           "Run Keys of CMS")
 
+# Parameter for frontierKey
+
+options.register ('runUniqueKey',
+          'InValid',
+          VarParsing.VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton,
+          VarParsing.VarParsing.varType.string,
+          "Unique run key from RCMS for Frontier")
+
 options.parseArguments()
 
 # Fix to allow scram to compile
diff --git a/DQM/Integration/python/config/unittestinputsource_cfi.py b/DQM/Integration/python/config/unittestinputsource_cfi.py
index 9742562ae8cea..c6356200fe0c2 100644
--- a/DQM/Integration/python/config/unittestinputsource_cfi.py
+++ b/DQM/Integration/python/config/unittestinputsource_cfi.py
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@
     "Run Keys of CMS"
 )
 
+# Parameter for frontierKey
+options.register('runUniqueKey',
+    'InValid',
+    VarParsing.VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton,
+    VarParsing.VarParsing.varType.string,
+    "Unique run key from RCMS for Frontier")
+
 options.register('runNumber',
                  334393,
                  VarParsing.VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton,