diff --git a/src/libcmd/include/nix/cmd/legacy.hh b/src/libcmd/include/nix/cmd/legacy.hh
index 357500a4d..0c375a7d2 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/include/nix/cmd/legacy.hh
+++ b/src/libcmd/include/nix/cmd/legacy.hh
@@ -12,12 +12,15 @@ typedef std::function<void(int, char * *)> MainFunction;
 struct RegisterLegacyCommand
 {
     typedef std::map<std::string, MainFunction> Commands;
-    static Commands * commands;
+
+    static Commands & commands() {
+        static Commands commands;
+        return commands;
+    }
 
     RegisterLegacyCommand(const std::string & name, MainFunction fun)
     {
-        if (!commands) commands = new Commands;
-        (*commands)[name] = fun;
+        commands()[name] = fun;
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/libcmd/legacy.cc b/src/libcmd/legacy.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 69b066831..000000000
--- a/src/libcmd/legacy.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#include "nix/cmd/legacy.hh"
-
-namespace nix {
-
-RegisterLegacyCommand::Commands * RegisterLegacyCommand::commands = 0;
-
-}
diff --git a/src/libcmd/meson.build b/src/libcmd/meson.build
index 32f44697d..216d4df9c 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/meson.build
+++ b/src/libcmd/meson.build
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ sources = files(
   'installable-flake.cc',
   'installable-value.cc',
   'installables.cc',
-  'legacy.cc',
   'markdown.cc',
   'misc-store-flags.cc',
   'network-proxy.cc',
diff --git a/src/nix/main.cc b/src/nix/main.cc
index f229ba2a4..eff2634e2 100644
--- a/src/nix/main.cc
+++ b/src/nix/main.cc
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ void mainWrapped(int argc, char * * argv)
     }
 
     {
-        auto legacy = (*RegisterLegacyCommand::commands)[programName];
+        auto legacy = RegisterLegacyCommand::commands()[programName];
         if (legacy) return legacy(argc, argv);
     }