diff --git a/include/wine/server_protocol.h b/include/wine/server_protocol.h
index 9f9150c558b..cace35c91c2 100644
--- a/include/wine/server_protocol.h
+++ b/include/wine/server_protocol.h
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ struct init_process_done_request
     size_t       module_size;
     void*        entry;
     void*        name;
-    obj_handle_t exe_file;
     int          gui;
     /* VARARG(filename,unicode_str); */
 };
@@ -4364,6 +4363,6 @@ union generic_reply
     struct query_symlink_reply query_symlink_reply;
 };
 
-#define SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION 225
+#define SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION 226
 
 #endif /* __WINE_WINE_SERVER_PROTOCOL_H */
diff --git a/server/process.c b/server/process.c
index 65b9cb05574..e738bb2b874 100644
--- a/server/process.c
+++ b/server/process.c
@@ -351,9 +351,6 @@ size_t init_process( struct thread *thread )
 
     if (!info) return 0;
 
-    /* retrieve the main exe file */
-    if (info->exe_file) process->exe.file = (struct file *)grab_object( info->exe_file );
-
     /* thread will be actually suspended in init_done */
     if (info->create_flags & CREATE_SUSPENDED) thread->suspend++;
 
@@ -994,8 +991,6 @@ DECL_HANDLER(init_process_done)
         return;
     }
 
-    if (process->exe.file) release_object( process->exe.file );
-
     /* check if main exe has been registered as a dll already */
     if ((dll = find_process_dll( process, req->module )))
     {
@@ -1006,13 +1001,9 @@ DECL_HANDLER(init_process_done)
     }
     else
     {
-        struct file *file = NULL;
-
-        if (req->exe_file) file = get_file_obj( process, req->exe_file, FILE_READ_DATA );
         process->exe.base = req->module;
         process->exe.size = req->module_size;
         process->exe.name = req->name;
-        process->exe.file = file;
         if ((process->exe.namelen = get_req_data_size()))
             process->exe.filename = memdup( get_req_data(), process->exe.namelen );
     }
diff --git a/server/protocol.def b/server/protocol.def
index 986a5959717..27630d1aa8a 100644
--- a/server/protocol.def
+++ b/server/protocol.def
@@ -258,7 +258,6 @@ struct security_descriptor
     size_t       module_size;  /* main module size */
     void*        entry;        /* process entry point */
     void*        name;         /* ptr to ptr to name (in process addr space) */
-    obj_handle_t exe_file;     /* file handle for main exe */
     int          gui;          /* is it a GUI process? */
     VARARG(filename,unicode_str); /* file name of main exe */
 @END
diff --git a/server/trace.c b/server/trace.c
index 05f4bb6e46c..992063f6249 100644
--- a/server/trace.c
+++ b/server/trace.c
@@ -641,7 +641,6 @@ static void dump_init_process_done_request( const struct init_process_done_reque
     fprintf( stderr, " module_size=%lu,", (unsigned long)req->module_size );
     fprintf( stderr, " entry=%p,", req->entry );
     fprintf( stderr, " name=%p,", req->name );
-    fprintf( stderr, " exe_file=%p,", req->exe_file );
     fprintf( stderr, " gui=%d,", req->gui );
     fprintf( stderr, " filename=" );
     dump_varargs_unicode_str( cur_size );