diff --git a/src/rt/rust.cpp b/src/rt/rust.cpp
index e7db7ed5e340..b5af9eef1b3e 100644
--- a/src/rt/rust.cpp
+++ b/src/rt/rust.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ rust_start(uintptr_t main_fn, rust_crate const *crate, int argc,
     rust_srv *srv = new rust_srv();
     rust_kernel *kernel = new rust_kernel(srv);
     kernel->start();
-    rust_handle<rust_dom> *handle = kernel->create_domain(crate, "main");
+    rust_handle<rust_dom> *handle = kernel->create_domain("main");
     rust_dom *dom = handle->referent();
     command_line_args *args = new (dom) command_line_args(dom, argc, argv);
 
diff --git a/src/rt/rust_dom.cpp b/src/rt/rust_dom.cpp
index e3bbfe394499..7c42afa8f978 100644
--- a/src/rt/rust_dom.cpp
+++ b/src/rt/rust_dom.cpp
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@
 
 rust_dom::rust_dom(rust_kernel *kernel,
     rust_message_queue *message_queue, rust_srv *srv,
-    rust_crate const *root_crate, const char *name) :
+    const char *name) :
     interrupt_flag(0),
-    root_crate(root_crate),
     _log(srv, this),
     log_lvl(log_note),
     srv(srv),
diff --git a/src/rt/rust_dom.h b/src/rt/rust_dom.h
index fa61aa794064..41a69d5f6e80 100644
--- a/src/rt/rust_dom.h
+++ b/src/rt/rust_dom.h
@@ -7,12 +7,6 @@ struct rust_dom : public kernel_owned<rust_dom>, rc_base<rust_dom>
     uintptr_t interrupt_flag;
 
     // Fields known only by the runtime:
-
-    // NB: the root crate must remain in memory until the root of the
-    // tree of domains exits. All domains within this tree have a
-    // copy of this root_crate value and use it for finding utility
-    // glue.
-    rust_crate const *root_crate;
     rust_log _log;
     uint32_t log_lvl;
     rust_srv *srv;
@@ -49,7 +43,7 @@ struct rust_dom : public kernel_owned<rust_dom>, rc_base<rust_dom>
     // domain.
     rust_dom(rust_kernel *kernel,
              rust_message_queue *message_queue, rust_srv *srv,
-             rust_crate const *root_crate, const char *name);
+             const char *name);
     ~rust_dom();
     void activate(rust_task *task);
     void log(rust_task *task, uint32_t level, char const *fmt, ...);
diff --git a/src/rt/rust_kernel.cpp b/src/rt/rust_kernel.cpp
index e1629b4fbf33..3c2ad01128ec 100644
--- a/src/rt/rust_kernel.cpp
+++ b/src/rt/rust_kernel.cpp
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ rust_kernel::rust_kernel(rust_srv *srv) :
 }
 
 rust_handle<rust_dom> *
-rust_kernel::create_domain(const rust_crate *crate, const char *name) {
+rust_kernel::create_domain(const char *name) {
     _kernel_lock.lock();
     rust_message_queue *message_queue =
         new (this) rust_message_queue(_srv, this);
     rust_srv *srv = _srv->clone();
     rust_dom *dom =
-        new (this) rust_dom(this, message_queue, srv, crate, name);
+        new (this) rust_dom(this, message_queue, srv, name);
     rust_handle<rust_dom> *handle = internal_get_dom_handle(dom);
     message_queue->associate(handle);
     domains.append(dom);
diff --git a/src/rt/rust_kernel.h b/src/rt/rust_kernel.h
index 42ca469e8f18..9b81e84a9aec 100644
--- a/src/rt/rust_kernel.h
+++ b/src/rt/rust_kernel.h
@@ -85,8 +85,7 @@ public:
 
     rust_kernel(rust_srv *srv);
 
-    rust_handle<rust_dom> *create_domain(rust_crate const *root_crate,
-                                         const char *name);
+    rust_handle<rust_dom> *create_domain(const char *name);
     void destroy_domain(rust_dom *dom);
 
     bool is_deadlocked();
diff --git a/src/rt/rust_upcall.cpp b/src/rt/rust_upcall.cpp
index c86a071eddf3..07c9b6e3efc1 100644
--- a/src/rt/rust_upcall.cpp
+++ b/src/rt/rust_upcall.cpp
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ upcall_new_thread(rust_task *task, const char *name) {
     rust_dom *parent_dom = task->dom;
     rust_kernel *kernel = parent_dom->kernel;
     rust_handle<rust_dom> *child_dom_handle =
-        kernel->create_domain(parent_dom->root_crate, name);
+        kernel->create_domain(name);
     rust_handle<rust_task> *child_task_handle =
         kernel->get_task_handle(child_dom_handle->referent()->root_task);
     LOG(task, mem, "child name: %s, child_dom_handle: " PTR
diff --git a/src/rt/test/rust_test_runtime.cpp b/src/rt/test/rust_test_runtime.cpp
index ffbc15d95f6c..c683302dec2e 100644
--- a/src/rt/test/rust_test_runtime.cpp
+++ b/src/rt/test/rust_test_runtime.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ rust_test_runtime::~rust_test_runtime() {
 
 void
 rust_domain_test::worker::run() {
-    rust_handle<rust_dom> *handle = kernel->create_domain(NULL, "test");
+    rust_handle<rust_dom> *handle = kernel->create_domain("test");
     for (int i = 0; i < TASKS; i++) {
         handle->referent()->create_task(NULL, "child");
     }
@@ -49,9 +49,8 @@ void task_entry() {
 
 void
 rust_task_test::worker::run() {
-    rust_crate *crate = parent->suite->crate;
     rust_handle<rust_dom> *handle =
-        kernel->create_domain(crate, "test");
+        kernel->create_domain("test");
     rust_dom *domain = handle->referent();
     domain->root_task->start((uintptr_t)&task_entry, (uintptr_t)NULL, 0);
     domain->start_main_loop();