salt: [BUG] 3006.5 "grains" extmods folder cleaned in unexpected situations

diff --git a/salt/fileclient.py b/salt/fileclient.py
index 42e7120aab18..443861cc03fd 100644
--- a/salt/fileclient.py
+++ b/salt/fileclient.py
@@ -45,15 +45,12 @@
 MAX_FILENAME_LENGTH = 255
 
 
-def get_file_client(opts, pillar=False, force_local=False):
+def get_file_client(opts, pillar=False):
     """
     Read in the ``file_client`` option and return the correct type of file
     server
     """
-    if force_local:
-        client = "local"
-    else:
-        client = opts.get("file_client", "remote")
+    client = opts.get("file_client", "remote")
 
     if pillar and client == "local":
         client = "pillar"
diff --git a/salt/minion.py b/salt/minion.py
index 0c5c77a91e50..15d46b2dacf9 100644
--- a/salt/minion.py
+++ b/salt/minion.py
@@ -114,29 +114,6 @@
 # 6. Handle publications
 
 
-def _sync_grains(opts):
-    # need sync of custom grains as may be used in pillar compilation
-    # if coming up initially and remote client, the first sync _grains
-    # doesn't have opts["master_uri"] set yet during the sync, so need
-    # to force local, otherwise will throw an exception when attempting
-    # to retrieve opts["master_uri"] when retrieving key for remote communication
-    # in addition opts sometimes does not contain extmod_whitelist and extmod_blacklist
-    # hence set those to defaults, empty dict, if not part of opts, as ref'd in
-    # salt.utils.extmod sync function
-    if opts.get("extmod_whitelist", None) is None:
-        opts["extmod_whitelist"] = {}
-
-    if opts.get("extmod_blacklist", None) is None:
-        opts["extmod_blacklist"] = {}
-
-    if opts.get("file_client", "remote") == "remote" and not opts.get(
-        "master_uri", None
-    ):
-        salt.utils.extmods.sync(opts, "grains", force_local=True)
-    else:
-        salt.utils.extmods.sync(opts, "grains")
-
-
 def resolve_dns(opts, fallback=True):
     """
     Resolves the master_ip and master_uri options
@@ -944,7 +921,6 @@ def __init__(self, opts, context=None):
         # Late setup of the opts grains, so we can log from the grains module
         import salt.loader
 
-        _sync_grains(opts)
         opts["grains"] = salt.loader.grains(opts)
         super().__init__(opts)
 
diff --git a/salt/utils/extmods.py b/salt/utils/extmods.py
index 6a4d5c14440c..a7dc265476f5 100644
--- a/salt/utils/extmods.py
+++ b/salt/utils/extmods.py
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ def sync(
     saltenv=None,
     extmod_whitelist=None,
     extmod_blacklist=None,
-    force_local=False,
 ):
     """
     Sync custom modules into the extension_modules directory
@@ -83,9 +82,7 @@ def sync(
                         "Cannot create cache module directory %s. Check permissions.",
                         mod_dir,
                     )
-            with salt.fileclient.get_file_client(
-                opts, pillar=False, force_local=force_local
-            ) as fileclient:
+            with salt.fileclient.get_file_client(opts) as fileclient:
                 for sub_env in saltenv:
                     log.info("Syncing %s for environment '%s'", form, sub_env)
                     cache = []