diff --git a/spec/history-manager-spec.js b/spec/history-manager-spec.js
index 7e62a69f4..7a06fce9b 100644
--- a/spec/history-manager-spec.js
+++ b/spec/history-manager-spec.js
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ describe("HistoryManager", () => {
     })
 
     historyManager = new HistoryManager({stateStore, project, commands: commandRegistry})
-    historyManager.initialize(window.localStorage)
     await historyManager.loadState()
   })
 
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ describe("HistoryManager", () => {
 
       it("saves the state", async () => {
         await historyManager.clearProjects()
-        const historyManager2 = new HistoryManager({stateStore, localStorage: window.localStorage, project, commands: commandRegistry})
+        const historyManager2 = new HistoryManager({stateStore, project, commands: commandRegistry})
         await historyManager2.loadState()
         expect(historyManager.getProjects().length).toBe(0)
       })
@@ -187,7 +186,7 @@ describe("HistoryManager", () => {
     it("saves the state", async () => {
       await historyManager.addProject(["/save/state"])
       await historyManager.saveState()
-      const historyManager2 = new HistoryManager({stateStore, localStorage: window.localStorage, project, commands: commandRegistry})
+      const historyManager2 = new HistoryManager({stateStore, project, commands: commandRegistry})
       await historyManager2.loadState()
       expect(historyManager2.getProjects()[0].paths).toEqual(['/save/state'])
     })
diff --git a/src/atom-environment.coffee b/src/atom-environment.coffee
index 3f3f0fbdb..9117fe0ba 100644
--- a/src/atom-environment.coffee
+++ b/src/atom-environment.coffee
@@ -257,7 +257,6 @@ class AtomEnvironment extends Model
 
     @observeAutoHideMenuBar()
 
-    @history.initialize(@window.localStorage)
     @disposables.add @applicationDelegate.onDidChangeHistoryManager(=> @history.loadState())
 
   preloadPackages: ->
diff --git a/src/history-manager.js b/src/history-manager.js
index cd151e660..a8ddbaae9 100644
--- a/src/history-manager.js
+++ b/src/history-manager.js
@@ -17,10 +17,6 @@ export class HistoryManager {
     this.disposables.add(project.onDidChangePaths((projectPaths) => this.addProject(projectPaths)))
   }
 
-  initialize (localStorage) {
-    this.localStorage = localStorage
-  }
-
   destroy () {
     this.disposables.dispose()
   }
@@ -98,10 +94,6 @@ export class HistoryManager {
 
   async loadState () {
     let history = await this.stateStore.load('history-manager')
-    if (!history) {
-      history = JSON.parse(this.localStorage.getItem('history'))
-    }
-
     if (history && history.projects) {
       this.projects = history.projects.filter(p => Array.isArray(p.paths) && p.paths.length > 0).map(p => new HistoryProject(p.paths, new Date(p.lastOpened)))
       this.didChangeProjects({reloaded: true})