diff --git a/src/backend/file.c b/src/backend/file.c
index cd22d00ba..8302f9149 100644
--- a/src/backend/file.c
+++ b/src/backend/file.c
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ lumiera_file_handle_acquire (LumieraFile self)
   TRACE (file_dbg);
   REQUIRE (self);
   REQUIRE (self->descriptor);
-  REQUIRE (lumiera_fhcache);
 
   return lumiera_filedescriptor_handle_acquire (self->descriptor);
 }
@@ -107,7 +106,6 @@ lumiera_file_handle_release (LumieraFile self)
   TRACE (file_dbg);
   REQUIRE (self);
   REQUIRE (self->descriptor);
-  REQUIRE (lumiera_fhcache);
 
   return lumiera_filedescriptor_handle_release (self->descriptor);
 }
diff --git a/src/backend/filedescriptor.c b/src/backend/filedescriptor.c
index 876fc0768..849b2cd84 100644
--- a/src/backend/filedescriptor.c
+++ b/src/backend/filedescriptor.c
@@ -214,9 +214,9 @@ lumiera_filedescriptor_handle_acquire (LumieraFiledescriptor self)
     {
       if (!self->handle)
         /* no handle yet, get a new one */
-        lumiera_filehandlecache_handle_acquire (lumiera_fhcache, self);
+        lumiera_filehandlecache_handle_acquire (self);
       else
-        lumiera_filehandlecache_checkout (lumiera_fhcache, self->handle);
+        lumiera_filehandlecache_checkout (self->handle);
 
       fd = lumiera_filehandle_handle (self->handle);
     }
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ lumiera_filedescriptor_handle_release (LumieraFiledescriptor self)
   REQUIRE (self->handle);
 
   LUMIERA_MUTEX_SECTION (mutex_sync, &self->lock)
-    lumiera_filehandlecache_checkin (lumiera_fhcache, self->handle);
+    lumiera_filehandlecache_checkin (self->handle);
 }
 
 
@@ -299,11 +299,11 @@ lumiera_filedescriptor_delete (LumieraFiledescriptor self, const char* name)
       if (self->handle && name && ((self->flags & O_RDWR) == O_RDWR))
         {
           TRACE (filedescriptor_dbg, "truncate %s to %lld", name, (long long)self->realsize);
-          lumiera_filehandlecache_checkout (lumiera_fhcache, self->handle);
+          lumiera_filehandlecache_checkout (self->handle);
           int dummy = ftruncate (lumiera_filehandle_handle (self->handle), self->realsize);
           (void) dummy; /* this is present to silence a warning */
           TODO ("handle error case better");
-          lumiera_filehandlecache_checkin (lumiera_fhcache, self->handle);
+          lumiera_filehandlecache_checkin (self->handle);
         }
 
       lumiera_mmapings_delete (self->mmapings);
diff --git a/src/backend/filehandlecache.c b/src/backend/filehandlecache.c
index f2cf4623b..2f5002e58 100644
--- a/src/backend/filehandlecache.c
+++ b/src/backend/filehandlecache.c
@@ -64,21 +64,21 @@ lumiera_filehandlecache_delete (void)
 
 
 LumieraFilehandle
-lumiera_filehandlecache_handle_acquire (LumieraFilehandlecache self, LumieraFiledescriptor desc)
+lumiera_filehandlecache_handle_acquire (LumieraFiledescriptor desc)
 {
   TRACE (filehandlecache_dbg);
   LumieraFilehandle ret = NULL;
 
-  LUMIERA_MUTEX_SECTION (mutex_sync, &self->lock)
+  LUMIERA_MUTEX_SECTION (mutex_sync, &lumiera_fhcache->lock)
   {
-    if (self->available <= 0 && self->cache.cached)
+    if (lumiera_fhcache->available <= 0 && lumiera_fhcache->cache.cached)
       {
         /* pop a filehandle from cache */
-        ret = lumiera_mrucache_pop (&self->cache);
-        ret = lumiera_filehandle_init (lumiera_mrucache_pop (&self->cache), desc);
-        if (self->available < 0)
+        ret = lumiera_mrucache_pop (&lumiera_fhcache->cache);
+        ret = lumiera_filehandle_init (lumiera_mrucache_pop (&lumiera_fhcache->cache), desc);
+        if (lumiera_fhcache->available < 0)
           /* try to free overallocated filehandles */
-          self->available -= self->available + lumiera_mrucache_age (&self->cache, -self->available);
+          lumiera_fhcache->available -= lumiera_fhcache->available + lumiera_mrucache_age (&lumiera_fhcache->cache, -lumiera_fhcache->available);
       }
     else
       {
@@ -89,51 +89,49 @@ lumiera_filehandlecache_handle_acquire (LumieraFilehandlecache self, LumieraFile
         if (!ret)
           LUMIERA_ERROR_SET_ALERT (file, FILEHANDLECACHE_NOHANDLE, lumiera_filedescriptor_name (desc));
         else
-          --self->available;
+          --lumiera_fhcache->available;
       }
     desc->handle = ret;
-    ++self->checked_out;
+    ++lumiera_fhcache->checked_out;
   }
   return ret;
 }
 
 
 LumieraFilehandle
-lumiera_filehandlecache_checkout (LumieraFilehandlecache self, LumieraFilehandle handle)
+lumiera_filehandlecache_checkout (LumieraFilehandle handle)
 {
-  REQUIRE (self);
   REQUIRE (handle);
   /* This function is called with the associated descriptor locked, nothing can modify 'handle' */
   if (!handle->use_cnt)
     {
       /* lock cache and checkout */
-      LUMIERA_MUTEX_SECTION (mutex_sync, &self->lock)
+      LUMIERA_MUTEX_SECTION (mutex_sync, &lumiera_fhcache->lock)
         {
-          lumiera_mrucache_checkout (&self->cache, &handle->cachenode);
+          lumiera_mrucache_checkout (&lumiera_fhcache->cache, &handle->cachenode);
         }
     }
   ++handle->use_cnt;
-  ++self->checked_out;
+  ++lumiera_fhcache->checked_out;
 
   return handle;
 }
 
 
 void
-lumiera_filehandlecache_checkin (LumieraFilehandlecache self, LumieraFilehandle handle)
+lumiera_filehandlecache_checkin (LumieraFilehandle handle)
 {
-  REQUIRE (self);
   REQUIRE (handle);
   REQUIRE (handle->use_cnt);
 
-  /* This function is called with the associated descriptor locked, nothing can modify 'self' */
+  /* This function is called with the associated descriptor locked, nothing can modify the fhcache */
   if (!--handle->use_cnt)
     {
       /* lock cache and checin */
-      LUMIERA_MUTEX_SECTION (mutex_sync, &self->lock)
+      LUMIERA_MUTEX_SECTION (mutex_sync, &lumiera_fhcache->lock)
         {
-          --self->checked_out;
-          lumiera_mrucache_checkin (&self->cache, &handle->cachenode);
+          --lumiera_fhcache->checked_out;
+          lumiera_mrucache_checkin (&lumiera_fhcache->cache, &handle->cachenode);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/backend/filehandlecache.h b/src/backend/filehandlecache.h
index 41030425d..29a023b17 100644
--- a/src/backend/filehandlecache.h
+++ b/src/backend/filehandlecache.h
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ struct lumiera_filehandlecache_struct
   lumiera_mutex lock;
 };
 
-extern LumieraFilehandlecache lumiera_fhcache;
-
 /**
  * Initializes the filehandle cache.
  * @param max_entries number how much filehandles shall be managed
@@ -76,7 +74,7 @@ lumiera_filehandlecache_delete (void);
  * @return the new filehandle
  */
 LumieraFilehandle
-lumiera_filehandlecache_handle_acquire (LumieraFilehandlecache self, LumieraFiledescriptor desc);
+lumiera_filehandlecache_handle_acquire (LumieraFiledescriptor desc);
 
 /**
  * Remove a filehandle from cache aging
@@ -85,7 +83,7 @@ lumiera_filehandlecache_handle_acquire (LumieraFilehandlecache self, LumieraFile
  * @param handle the filehandle to be checked out
  */
 LumieraFilehandle
-lumiera_filehandlecache_checkout (LumieraFilehandlecache self, LumieraFilehandle handle);
+lumiera_filehandlecache_checkout (LumieraFilehandle handle);
 
 /**
  * Put a filehandle into the cache
@@ -94,6 +92,6 @@ lumiera_filehandlecache_checkout (LumieraFilehandlecache self, LumieraFilehandle
  * @param handle the filehandle to be checked in
  */
 void
-lumiera_filehandlecache_checkin (LumieraFilehandlecache self, LumieraFilehandle handle);
+lumiera_filehandlecache_checkin (LumieraFilehandle handle);
 
 #endif