diff --git a/apply.c b/apply.c
index c022af53a2..5a6ca10a7a 100644
--- a/apply.c
+++ b/apply.c
@@ -75,12 +75,10 @@ static int parse_ignorewhitespace_option(struct apply_state *state,
 }
 
 int init_apply_state(struct apply_state *state,
-		     const char *prefix,
-		     struct lock_file *lock_file)
+		     const char *prefix)
 {
 	memset(state, 0, sizeof(*state));
 	state->prefix = prefix;
-	state->lock_file = lock_file;
 	state->newfd = -1;
 	state->apply = 1;
 	state->line_termination = '\n';
@@ -146,8 +144,6 @@ int check_apply_state(struct apply_state *state, int force_apply)
 	}
 	if (state->check_index)
 		state->unsafe_paths = 0;
-	if (!state->lock_file)
-		return error("BUG: state->lock_file should not be NULL");
 
 	if (state->apply_verbosity <= verbosity_silent) {
 		state->saved_error_routine = get_error_routine();
@@ -4711,11 +4707,11 @@ static int apply_patch(struct apply_state *state,
 	state->update_index = state->check_index && state->apply;
 	if (state->update_index && state->newfd < 0) {
 		if (state->index_file)
-			state->newfd = hold_lock_file_for_update(state->lock_file,
+			state->newfd = hold_lock_file_for_update(&state->lock_file,
 								 state->index_file,
 								 LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
 		else
-			state->newfd = hold_locked_index(state->lock_file, LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
+			state->newfd = hold_locked_index(&state->lock_file, LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
 	}
 
 	if (state->check_index && read_apply_cache(state) < 0) {
@@ -4911,7 +4907,7 @@ int apply_all_patches(struct apply_state *state,
 	}
 
 	if (state->update_index) {
-		res = write_locked_index(&the_index, state->lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK);
+		res = write_locked_index(&the_index, &state->lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK);
 		if (res) {
 			error(_("Unable to write new index file"));
 			res = -128;
@@ -4924,7 +4920,7 @@ int apply_all_patches(struct apply_state *state,
 
 end:
 	if (state->newfd >= 0) {
-		rollback_lock_file(state->lock_file);
+		rollback_lock_file(&state->lock_file);
 		state->newfd = -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/apply.h b/apply.h
index d9b3957703..cf00cda171 100644
--- a/apply.h
+++ b/apply.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ struct apply_state {
 	const char *prefix;
 
 	/* These are lock_file related */
-	struct lock_file *lock_file;
+	struct lock_file lock_file;
 	int newfd;
 
 	/* These control what gets looked at and modified */
@@ -116,8 +116,7 @@ extern int apply_parse_options(int argc, const char **argv,
 			       int *force_apply, int *options,
 			       const char * const *apply_usage);
 extern int init_apply_state(struct apply_state *state,
-			    const char *prefix,
-			    struct lock_file *lock_file);
+			    const char *prefix);
 extern void clear_apply_state(struct apply_state *state);
 extern int check_apply_state(struct apply_state *state, int force_apply);
 
diff --git a/builtin/am.c b/builtin/am.c
index 4e16fd428f..40968428dd 100644
--- a/builtin/am.c
+++ b/builtin/am.c
@@ -1488,11 +1488,10 @@ static int run_apply(const struct am_state *state, const char *index_file)
 	struct argv_array apply_opts = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
 	struct apply_state apply_state;
 	int res, opts_left;
-	static struct lock_file lock_file;
 	int force_apply = 0;
 	int options = 0;
 
-	if (init_apply_state(&apply_state, NULL, &lock_file))
+	if (init_apply_state(&apply_state, NULL))
 		die("BUG: init_apply_state() failed");
 
 	argv_array_push(&apply_opts, "apply");
diff --git a/builtin/apply.c b/builtin/apply.c
index 81b9a61c37..48d3989331 100644
--- a/builtin/apply.c
+++ b/builtin/apply.c
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ static const char * const apply_usage[] = {
 	NULL
 };
 
-static struct lock_file lock_file;
-
 int cmd_apply(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int force_apply = 0;
@@ -18,7 +16,7 @@ int cmd_apply(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	int ret;
 	struct apply_state state;
 
-	if (init_apply_state(&state, prefix, &lock_file))
+	if (init_apply_state(&state, prefix))
 		exit(128);
 
 	argc = apply_parse_options(argc, argv,