diff --git a/app/display/gimptooldialog.c b/app/display/gimptooldialog.c
index 434ba9cb21..771421fcfc 100644
--- a/app/display/gimptooldialog.c
+++ b/app/display/gimptooldialog.c
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ gimp_tool_dialog_dispose (GObject *object)
 /**
  * gimp_tool_dialog_new:
  * @tool_info: a #GimpToolInfo
- * @shell:     the parent display shell this dialog
  * @desc:      a string to use in the dialog header or %NULL to use the help
  *             field from #GimpToolInfo
  * @...:       a %NULL-terminated valist of button parameters as described in
@@ -103,9 +102,8 @@ gimp_tool_dialog_dispose (GObject *object)
  * Return value: a new #GimpViewableDialog
  **/
 GtkWidget *
-gimp_tool_dialog_new (GimpToolInfo     *tool_info,
-                      GimpDisplayShell *shell,
-                      const gchar      *desc,
+gimp_tool_dialog_new (GimpToolInfo *tool_info,
+                      const gchar  *desc,
                       ...)
 {
   GtkWidget   *dialog;
@@ -114,7 +112,6 @@ gimp_tool_dialog_new (GimpToolInfo     *tool_info,
   va_list      args;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_TOOL_INFO (tool_info), NULL);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_DISPLAY_SHELL (shell), NULL);
 
   stock_id = gimp_viewable_get_stock_id (GIMP_VIEWABLE (tool_info));
 
@@ -127,8 +124,6 @@ gimp_tool_dialog_new (GimpToolInfo     *tool_info,
                          "description",  desc ? desc : tool_info->help,
                          NULL);
 
-  gimp_tool_dialog_set_shell (GIMP_TOOL_DIALOG (dialog), shell);
-
   va_start (args, desc);
   gimp_dialog_add_buttons_valist (GIMP_DIALOG (dialog), args);
   va_end (args);
diff --git a/app/display/gimptooldialog.h b/app/display/gimptooldialog.h
index ae3baaa4db..674a4f45ce 100644
--- a/app/display/gimptooldialog.h
+++ b/app/display/gimptooldialog.h
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ struct _GimpToolDialog
 GType       gimp_tool_dialog_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 GtkWidget * gimp_tool_dialog_new       (GimpToolInfo     *tool_info,
-                                        GimpDisplayShell *shell,
                                         const gchar      *desc,
                                         ...) G_GNUC_NULL_TERMINATED;
 
diff --git a/app/display/gimptoolgui.c b/app/display/gimptoolgui.c
index c7642bb8fd..d259ea8dcc 100644
--- a/app/display/gimptoolgui.c
+++ b/app/display/gimptoolgui.c
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ gimp_tool_gui_finalize (GObject *object)
 /**
  * gimp_tool_gui_new:
  * @tool_info: a #GimpToolInfo
- * @shell:     the parent display shell this gui
  * @desc:      a string to use in the gui header or %NULL to use the help
  *             field from #GimpToolInfo
  * @...:       a %NULL-terminated valist of button parameters as described in
@@ -133,10 +132,9 @@ gimp_tool_gui_finalize (GObject *object)
  * Return value: a new #GimpToolGui
  **/
 GimpToolGui *
-gimp_tool_gui_new (GimpToolInfo     *tool_info,
-                   GimpDisplayShell *shell,
-                   const gchar      *desc,
-                   gboolean          overlay,
+gimp_tool_gui_new (GimpToolInfo *tool_info,
+                   const gchar  *desc,
+                   gboolean      overlay,
                    ...)
 {
   GimpToolGui        *gui;
@@ -144,7 +142,6 @@ gimp_tool_gui_new (GimpToolInfo     *tool_info,
   va_list             args;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_TOOL_INFO (tool_info), NULL);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_DISPLAY_SHELL (shell), NULL);
 
   gui = g_object_new (GIMP_TYPE_TOOL_GUI, NULL);
 
@@ -173,7 +170,7 @@ gimp_tool_gui_new (GimpToolInfo     *tool_info,
     }
   else
     {
-      private->dialog = gimp_tool_dialog_new (tool_info, shell, desc, NULL);
+      private->dialog = gimp_tool_dialog_new (tool_info, desc, NULL);
 
       va_start (args, overlay);
       gimp_dialog_add_buttons_valist (GIMP_DIALOG (private->dialog), args);
@@ -186,8 +183,6 @@ gimp_tool_gui_new (GimpToolInfo     *tool_info,
       gtk_widget_show (private->vbox);
     }
 
-  gimp_tool_gui_set_shell (GIMP_TOOL_GUI (gui), shell);
-
   return gui;
 }
 
@@ -257,6 +252,8 @@ gimp_tool_gui_show (GimpToolGui *gui)
 
   private = GET_PRIVATE (gui);
 
+  g_return_if_fail (private->shell != NULL);
+
   if (private->overlay)
     {
       if (! gtk_widget_get_parent (private->dialog))
diff --git a/app/display/gimptoolgui.h b/app/display/gimptoolgui.h
index 222bb76219..1e2e1d83c7 100644
--- a/app/display/gimptoolgui.h
+++ b/app/display/gimptoolgui.h
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ struct _GimpToolGuiClass
 GType         gimp_tool_gui_get_type               (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 GimpToolGui * gimp_tool_gui_new                    (GimpToolInfo     *tool_info,
-                                                    GimpDisplayShell *shell,
                                                     const gchar      *desc,
                                                     gboolean          overlay,
                                                     ...) G_GNUC_NULL_TERMINATED;
diff --git a/app/tools/gimpcolorpickertool.c b/app/tools/gimpcolorpickertool.c
index c817ca17e7..9456d628b0 100644
--- a/app/tools/gimpcolorpickertool.c
+++ b/app/tools/gimpcolorpickertool.c
@@ -310,7 +310,6 @@ gimp_color_picker_tool_info_create (GimpColorPickerTool *picker_tool)
   g_return_if_fail (tool->drawable != NULL);
 
   picker_tool->gui = gimp_tool_gui_new (tool->tool_info,
-                                        gimp_display_get_shell (tool->display),
                                         _("Color Picker Information"),
                                         FALSE,
 
diff --git a/app/tools/gimpimagemaptool.c b/app/tools/gimpimagemaptool.c
index 4dd4b5ed42..9811cfe0fd 100644
--- a/app/tools/gimpimagemaptool.c
+++ b/app/tools/gimpimagemaptool.c
@@ -327,7 +327,6 @@ gimp_image_map_tool_initialize (GimpTool     *tool,
 
       image_map_tool->gui =
         gimp_tool_gui_new (tool_info,
-                           display_shell,
                            klass->dialog_desc,
                            image_map_tool->overlay,
 
diff --git a/app/tools/gimpmeasuretool.c b/app/tools/gimpmeasuretool.c
index 552cfdc365..2c0767845c 100644
--- a/app/tools/gimpmeasuretool.c
+++ b/app/tools/gimpmeasuretool.c
@@ -1045,7 +1045,6 @@ gimp_measure_tool_dialog_new (GimpMeasureTool *measure)
   GtkWidget   *label;
 
   gui = gimp_tool_gui_new (tool->tool_info,
-                           gimp_display_get_shell (tool->display),
                            _("Measure Distances and Angles"),
                            FALSE,
 
diff --git a/app/tools/gimptransformtool.c b/app/tools/gimptransformtool.c
index 824f166874..fca6d45aeb 100644
--- a/app/tools/gimptransformtool.c
+++ b/app/tools/gimptransformtool.c
@@ -1692,7 +1692,6 @@ gimp_transform_tool_dialog (GimpTransformTool *tr_tool)
   tr_tool->overlay = FALSE;
 
   tr_tool->gui = gimp_tool_gui_new (tool_info,
-                                    gimp_display_get_shell (tool->display),
                                     tool_info->blurb,
                                     tr_tool->overlay,