diff --git a/dlls/kernel/oldconfig.c b/dlls/kernel/oldconfig.c
index 46910c962cb..2756e7c8eeb 100644
--- a/dlls/kernel/oldconfig.c
+++ b/dlls/kernel/oldconfig.c
@@ -253,23 +253,9 @@ static void create_hardware_branch(void)
  */
 void convert_old_config(void)
 {
-    HANDLE hkey_current_user;
-
     if (allocate_default_keys() == REG_OPENED_EXISTING_KEY)
         return; /* someone else already loaded the registry */
 
-    RtlOpenCurrentUser( KEY_ALL_ACCESS, &hkey_current_user );
-
-    /* load the user registry (FIXME: should be done at server init time) */
-    SERVER_START_REQ( load_user_registries )
-    {
-        req->hkey = hkey_current_user;
-        wine_server_call( req );
-    }
-    SERVER_END_REQ;
-
     /* create some hardware keys (FIXME: should not be done here) */
     create_hardware_branch();
-
-    NtClose( hkey_current_user );
 }
diff --git a/include/wine/server_protocol.h b/include/wine/server_protocol.h
index bbd4fa6df94..79fd0a98c06 100644
--- a/include/wine/server_protocol.h
+++ b/include/wine/server_protocol.h
@@ -1859,20 +1859,6 @@ struct save_registry_reply
 
 
 
-struct load_user_registries_request
-{
-    struct request_header __header;
-    obj_handle_t hkey;
-    int          saving;
-    int          period;
-};
-struct load_user_registries_reply
-{
-    struct reply_header __header;
-};
-
-
-
 struct set_registry_notification_request
 {
     struct request_header __header;
@@ -3677,7 +3663,6 @@ enum request
     REQ_load_registry,
     REQ_unload_registry,
     REQ_save_registry,
-    REQ_load_user_registries,
     REQ_set_registry_notification,
     REQ_create_timer,
     REQ_open_timer,
@@ -3889,7 +3874,6 @@ union generic_request
     struct load_registry_request load_registry_request;
     struct unload_registry_request unload_registry_request;
     struct save_registry_request save_registry_request;
-    struct load_user_registries_request load_user_registries_request;
     struct set_registry_notification_request set_registry_notification_request;
     struct create_timer_request create_timer_request;
     struct open_timer_request open_timer_request;
@@ -4099,7 +4083,6 @@ union generic_reply
     struct load_registry_reply load_registry_reply;
     struct unload_registry_reply unload_registry_reply;
     struct save_registry_reply save_registry_reply;
-    struct load_user_registries_reply load_user_registries_reply;
     struct set_registry_notification_reply set_registry_notification_reply;
     struct create_timer_reply create_timer_reply;
     struct open_timer_reply open_timer_reply;
@@ -4206,6 +4189,6 @@ union generic_reply
     struct set_mailslot_info_reply set_mailslot_info_reply;
 };
 
-#define SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION 181
+#define SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION 182
 
 #endif /* __WINE_WINE_SERVER_PROTOCOL_H */
diff --git a/server/protocol.def b/server/protocol.def
index 7d2c62d0a2b..a2e558fe31b 100644
--- a/server/protocol.def
+++ b/server/protocol.def
@@ -1341,14 +1341,6 @@ enum char_info_mode
 @END
 
 
-/* Load the user registry files */
-@REQ(load_user_registries)
-    obj_handle_t hkey;         /* key for HKCU */
-    int          saving;       /* new saving level */
-    int          period;       /* duration between periodic saves (milliseconds) */
-@END
-
-
 /* Add a registry key change notification */
 @REQ(set_registry_notification)
     obj_handle_t hkey;         /* key to watch for changes */
diff --git a/server/registry.c b/server/registry.c
index b00ab96a8d8..40fdc36b434 100644
--- a/server/registry.c
+++ b/server/registry.c
@@ -1421,30 +1421,14 @@ static void load_init_registry_from_file( const char *filename, struct key *key
     }
 }
 
-/* load the user registry files */
-static void load_user_registries( struct key *key_current_user )
-{
-    const char *config = wine_get_config_dir();
-    char *filename;
-
-    /* load user.reg into HKEY_CURRENT_USER */
-
-    if (!(filename = mem_alloc( strlen(config) + sizeof("/user.reg") ))) return;
-    strcpy( filename, config );
-    strcat( filename, "/user.reg" );
-    load_init_registry_from_file( filename, key_current_user );
-    free( filename );
-
-    /* start the periodic save timer */
-    set_periodic_save_timer();
-}
-
 /* registry initialisation */
 void init_registry(void)
 {
     static const WCHAR root_name[] = { 0 };
     static const WCHAR HKLM[] = { 'M','a','c','h','i','n','e' };
     static const WCHAR HKU_default[] = { 'U','s','e','r','\\','.','D','e','f','a','u','l','t' };
+    /* FIXME: hardcoded to match what NtQueryTokenInformation currently returns */
+    static const WCHAR HKCU[] = {'U','s','e','r','\\','S','-','1','-','5','-','4',0};
 
     const char *config = wine_get_config_dir();
     char *p, *filename;
@@ -1479,7 +1463,19 @@ void init_registry(void)
     load_init_registry_from_file( filename, key );
     release_object( key );
 
+    /* load user.reg into HKEY_CURRENT_USER */
+
+    if (!(key = create_key( root_key, copy_path( HKCU, sizeof(HKCU), 0 ),
+                            NULL, 0, time(NULL), &dummy )))
+        fatal_error( "could not create HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry key\n" );
+    strcpy( p, "/user.reg" );
+    load_init_registry_from_file( filename, key );
+    release_object( key );
+
     free( filename );
+
+    /* start the periodic save timer */
+    set_periodic_save_timer();
 }
 
 /* save a registry branch to a file */
@@ -1894,18 +1890,6 @@ DECL_HANDLER(save_registry)
     }
 }
 
-/* load the user registry files */
-DECL_HANDLER(load_user_registries)
-{
-    struct key *key;
-
-    if ((key = get_hkey_obj( req->hkey, KEY_SET_VALUE | KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY )))
-    {
-        load_user_registries( key );
-        release_object( key );
-    }
-}
-
 /* add a registry key change notification */
 DECL_HANDLER(set_registry_notification)
 {
diff --git a/server/request.h b/server/request.h
index ca98368be06..6fa016a5993 100644
--- a/server/request.h
+++ b/server/request.h
@@ -203,7 +203,6 @@ DECL_HANDLER(delete_key_value);
 DECL_HANDLER(load_registry);
 DECL_HANDLER(unload_registry);
 DECL_HANDLER(save_registry);
-DECL_HANDLER(load_user_registries);
 DECL_HANDLER(set_registry_notification);
 DECL_HANDLER(create_timer);
 DECL_HANDLER(open_timer);
@@ -414,7 +413,6 @@ static const req_handler req_handlers[REQ_NB_REQUESTS] =
     (req_handler)req_load_registry,
     (req_handler)req_unload_registry,
     (req_handler)req_save_registry,
-    (req_handler)req_load_user_registries,
     (req_handler)req_set_registry_notification,
     (req_handler)req_create_timer,
     (req_handler)req_open_timer,
diff --git a/server/trace.c b/server/trace.c
index bb80613fd74..b2844334650 100644
--- a/server/trace.c
+++ b/server/trace.c
@@ -1770,13 +1770,6 @@ static void dump_save_registry_request( const struct save_registry_request *req
     fprintf( stderr, " file=%p", req->file );
 }
 
-static void dump_load_user_registries_request( const struct load_user_registries_request *req )
-{
-    fprintf( stderr, " hkey=%p,", req->hkey );
-    fprintf( stderr, " saving=%d,", req->saving );
-    fprintf( stderr, " period=%d", req->period );
-}
-
 static void dump_set_registry_notification_request( const struct set_registry_notification_request *req )
 {
     fprintf( stderr, " hkey=%p,", req->hkey );
@@ -3175,7 +3168,6 @@ static const dump_func req_dumpers[REQ_NB_REQUESTS] = {
     (dump_func)dump_load_registry_request,
     (dump_func)dump_unload_registry_request,
     (dump_func)dump_save_registry_request,
-    (dump_func)dump_load_user_registries_request,
     (dump_func)dump_set_registry_notification_request,
     (dump_func)dump_create_timer_request,
     (dump_func)dump_open_timer_request,
@@ -3384,7 +3376,6 @@ static const dump_func reply_dumpers[REQ_NB_REQUESTS] = {
     (dump_func)0,
     (dump_func)0,
     (dump_func)0,
-    (dump_func)0,
     (dump_func)dump_create_timer_reply,
     (dump_func)dump_open_timer_reply,
     (dump_func)dump_set_timer_reply,
@@ -3591,7 +3582,6 @@ static const char * const req_names[REQ_NB_REQUESTS] = {
     "load_registry",
     "unload_registry",
     "save_registry",
-    "load_user_registries",
     "set_registry_notification",
     "create_timer",
     "open_timer",