diff --git a/include/atom.h b/include/atom.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 6177dfd9e8c..00000000000
--- a/include/atom.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Atom table definitions
- *
- * Copyright 1993 Alexandre Julliard
- */
-
-#ifndef __WINE_ATOM_H
-#define __WINE_ATOM_H
-
-#include "windows.h"
-
-extern BOOL32 ATOM_Init( WORD globalTableSel );
-
-typedef struct
-{
-    HANDLE16    next;
-    WORD        refCount;
-    BYTE        length;
-    BYTE        str[1];
-} ATOMENTRY;
-
-typedef struct
-{
-    WORD        size;
-    HANDLE16    entries[1];
-} ATOMTABLE;
-
-#endif  /* __WINE_ATOM_H */
diff --git a/include/global.h b/include/global.h
index 3e643a0f394..6933b98fb2f 100644
--- a/include/global.h
+++ b/include/global.h
@@ -39,4 +39,7 @@ typedef BOOL32 (*HANDLERPROC)(LPVOID, LPVOID);
 extern BOOL32 VIRTUAL_SetFaultHandler(LPVOID addr, HANDLERPROC proc, LPVOID arg);
 extern BOOL32 VIRTUAL_HandleFault(LPVOID addr);
 
+/* memory/atom.c */
+extern BOOL32 ATOM_Init( WORD globalTableSel );
+
 #endif  /* __WINE_GLOBAL_H */
diff --git a/loader/main.c b/loader/main.c
index 68c0a78abf1..a2af5639036 100644
--- a/loader/main.c
+++ b/loader/main.c
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 #include "menu.h"
 #include "message.h"
 #include "multimedia.h"
-#include "atom.h"
 #include "dialog.h"
 #include "drive.h"
 #include "queue.h"
diff --git a/memory/atom.c b/memory/atom.c
index e6f17be63e7..ac51afcbec8 100644
--- a/memory/atom.c
+++ b/memory/atom.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
 
-#include "atom.h"
 #include "instance.h"
 #include "ldt.h"
 #include "stackframe.h"
@@ -39,6 +38,20 @@
 
 #define GET_ATOM_TABLE(sel)  ((ATOMTABLE*)PTR_SEG_OFF_TO_LIN(sel, \
           ((INSTANCEDATA*)PTR_SEG_OFF_TO_LIN(sel,0))->atomtable))
+
+typedef struct
+{
+    HANDLE16    next;
+    WORD        refCount;
+    BYTE        length;
+    BYTE        str[1];
+} ATOMENTRY;
+
+typedef struct
+{
+    WORD        size;
+    HANDLE16    entries[1];
+} ATOMTABLE;
 		
 static WORD ATOM_GlobalTable = 0;
 
@@ -107,16 +120,18 @@ BOOL32 ATOM_Init( WORD globalTableSel )
  */
 static ATOMTABLE *ATOM_GetTable(
                   WORD selector, /* [in] Segment */
-                  BOOL32 create  /* [in] Create */
-) {
+                  BOOL32 create  /* [in] Create */ )
+{
     INSTANCEDATA *ptr = (INSTANCEDATA *)PTR_SEG_OFF_TO_LIN( selector, 0 );
-    if (!ptr->atomtable)
+    if (ptr->atomtable)
     {
-        if (!create) return NULL;
-        if (!ATOM_InitTable( selector, DEFAULT_ATOMTABLE_SIZE )) return NULL;
-        /* Reload ptr in case it moved in linear memory */
-        ptr = (INSTANCEDATA *)PTR_SEG_OFF_TO_LIN( selector, 0 );
+        ATOMTABLE *table = (ATOMTABLE *)((char *)ptr + ptr->atomtable);
+        if (table->size) return table;
     }
+    if (!create) return NULL;
+    if (!ATOM_InitTable( selector, DEFAULT_ATOMTABLE_SIZE )) return NULL;
+    /* Reload ptr in case it moved in linear memory */
+    ptr = (INSTANCEDATA *)PTR_SEG_OFF_TO_LIN( selector, 0 );
     return (ATOMTABLE *)((char *)ptr + ptr->atomtable);
 }
 
@@ -339,6 +354,7 @@ static UINT32 ATOM_GetAtomName(
  */
 WORD WINAPI InitAtomTable16( WORD entries )
 {
+    if (!entries) entries = DEFAULT_ATOMTABLE_SIZE;  /* sanity check */
     return ATOM_InitTable( CURRENT_DS, entries );
 }
 
diff --git a/misc/ddeml.c b/misc/ddeml.c
index 9916ae143db..fdd421557ae 100644
--- a/misc/ddeml.c
+++ b/misc/ddeml.c
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 #include "ddeml.h"
 #include "debug.h"
-#include "atom.h"
+#include "windows.h"
 
 /* FIXME: What are these values? */
 #define DMLERR_NO_ERROR		0
diff --git a/windows/class.c b/windows/class.c
index a69d7a77bfc..2f15ee47981 100644
--- a/windows/class.c
+++ b/windows/class.c
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 #include "heap.h"
 #include "win.h"
 #include "dce.h"
-#include "atom.h"
 #include "ldt.h"
 #include "toolhelp.h"
 #include "winproc.h"
diff --git a/windows/message.c b/windows/message.c
index 907c7c44bd9..f3b0c96f64b 100644
--- a/windows/message.c
+++ b/windows/message.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 #include "input.h"
 #include "spy.h"
 #include "winpos.h"
-#include "atom.h"
 #include "dde.h"
 #include "queue.h"
 #include "winproc.h"