diff --git a/src/gnome-shell-jhbuild.in b/src/gnome-shell-jhbuild.in
index 6d1a7a7a6..d2f2e545c 100755
--- a/src/gnome-shell-jhbuild.in
+++ b/src/gnome-shell-jhbuild.in
@@ -163,48 +163,6 @@ def run_shell():
 
     return normal_exit
 
-
-def restore_gnome():
-    # Do imports lazily to save time and memory
-    import gio
-    import gconf
-
-    # We don't want to start the new gnome-panel in the current
-    # directory; $HOME is better for stuff launched from it
-    os.chdir(os.path.expanduser("~"))
-
-    def launch_component(gconf_path):
-        client = gconf.client_get_default()
-        component = client.get_string(gconf_path)
-
-        if component == None or component == "":
-            return False
-
-        # See gnome-session/gsm-util.c:gsm_util_find_desktop_file_for_app_name()
-        # The one difference is that we don't search the autostart directories,
-        # and just search normal application search path. (Gio doesnt' know
-        # how to search the autostart dirs, so we'd have to do that ourselves.)
-        appinfo = None
-        try:
-            appinfo = gio.unix.DesktopAppInfo(component + ".desktop")
-        except:
-            try:
-                appinfo = gio.unix.DesktopAppInfo("gnome-" + component + ".desktop")
-            except:
-                pass
-
-        if appinfo:
-            appinfo.launch()
-            return True
-        return False
-
-    # GNOME2 fallback
-    wm    = launch_component("/desktop/gnome/session/required_components/windowmanager")
-    panel = launch_component("/desktop/gnome/session/required_components/panel")
-
-    if not wm and not panel: # Probably GNOME3
-        subprocess.Popen(['gnome-shell'])
-
 # Main program
 
 parser = optparse.OptionParser()
@@ -235,17 +193,7 @@ if options.debug_command:
 elif options.debug:
     options.debug_command = "gdb --args"
 
-# We only respawn the previous environment on abnormal exit;
-# for a clean exit, we assume that gnome-shell was replaced with
-# something else.
-normal_exit = False
-
-try:
-    normal_exit = run_shell()
-finally:
-    if options.replace and not normal_exit:
-        restore_gnome()
-
+normal_exit = run_shell()
 if normal_exit:
     sys.exit(0)
 else: