diff --git a/src/nautilus-application.c b/src/nautilus-application.c
index cec1312bb..227295406 100644
--- a/src/nautilus-application.c
+++ b/src/nautilus-application.c
@@ -1128,23 +1128,11 @@ nautilus_application_startup (GApplication *app)
 
     g_application_set_resource_base_path (G_APPLICATION (self), "/org/gnome/nautilus");
 
-    /* Initialize GDK display (for wayland-x11-interop protocol) before GTK does
-     * it during the chain-up. */
-    g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
-    GdkDisplay *display = init_external_window_display (&error);
-    if (error != NULL)
-    {
-        g_message ("Failed to initialize display server connection: %s",
-                   error->message);
-    }
-
     /* Chain up to the GtkApplication implementation early, so that gtk_init()
      * is called for us.
      */
     G_APPLICATION_CLASS (nautilus_application_parent_class)->startup (G_APPLICATION (self));
 
-    g_assert (gdk_display_get_default () == display);
-
     gtk_window_set_default_icon_name (APPLICATION_ID);
 
     /* initialize preferences and create the global GSettings objects */
diff --git a/src/nautilus-portal.c b/src/nautilus-portal.c
index e48164c2c..575038fee 100644
--- a/src/nautilus-portal.c
+++ b/src/nautilus-portal.c
@@ -365,24 +365,7 @@ handle_file_chooser_methods (XdpImplFileChooser    *object,
     /* Show window */
     if (arg_parent_window != NULL)
     {
-        data->external_parent = create_external_window_from_handle (arg_parent_window);
-        if (data->external_parent == NULL)
-        {
-            g_warning ("Failed to associate portal window with parent window %s",
-                       arg_parent_window);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            gtk_widget_realize (GTK_WIDGET (window));
-
-            GdkSurface *surface = gtk_native_get_surface (GTK_NATIVE (window));
-            gboolean modal = TRUE;
-
-            (void) g_variant_lookup (arg_options, "modal", "b", &modal);
-
-            external_window_set_parent_of (data->external_parent, surface);
-            gtk_window_set_modal (data->window, modal);
-        }
+        g_message ("No parenting. Testing purposes only.");
     }
 
     gtk_window_present (data->window);