diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/unix/loader.c b/dlls/ntdll/unix/loader.c
index b8500b5772c..6890a08428b 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/unix/loader.c
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/unix/loader.c
@@ -1438,24 +1438,12 @@ found:
 static void load_ntdll(void)
 {
     NTSTATUS status;
+    SECTION_IMAGE_INFORMATION info;
     void *module;
-    int fd;
-    char *name = build_path( dll_dir, "ntdll.dll" );
+    char *name = build_path( dll_dir, "ntdll.dll.so" );
 
-    if ((fd = open( name, O_RDONLY )) != -1)
-    {
-        struct stat st;
-        fstat( fd, &st );
-        if (!(status = virtual_map_ntdll( fd, &module )))
-            add_builtin_module( module, NULL, &st );
-        close( fd );
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        free( name );
-        name = build_path( dll_dir, "ntdll.dll.so" );
-        status = dlopen_dll( name, &module );
-    }
+    name[strlen(name) - 3] = 0;  /* remove .so */
+    status = open_builtin_file( name, &module, &info );
     if (status) fatal_error( "failed to load %s error %x\n", name, status );
     free( name );
     load_ntdll_functions( module );
diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/unix/unix_private.h b/dlls/ntdll/unix/unix_private.h
index 88a726d2445..f99c13fe2ad 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/unix/unix_private.h
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/unix/unix_private.h
@@ -177,7 +177,6 @@ extern NTSTATUS alloc_object_attributes( const OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES *attr, struct o
 extern void *anon_mmap_fixed( void *start, size_t size, int prot, int flags ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void *anon_mmap_alloc( size_t size, int prot ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void virtual_init(void) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
-extern NTSTATUS virtual_map_ntdll( int fd, void **module ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern ULONG_PTR get_system_affinity_mask(void) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern void virtual_get_system_info( SYSTEM_BASIC_INFORMATION *info ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 extern NTSTATUS virtual_create_builtin_view( void *module ) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
diff --git a/dlls/ntdll/unix/virtual.c b/dlls/ntdll/unix/virtual.c
index 336666c3582..d79e3de662e 100644
--- a/dlls/ntdll/unix/virtual.c
+++ b/dlls/ntdll/unix/virtual.c
@@ -2436,56 +2436,6 @@ void virtual_init(void)
 }
 
 
-/***********************************************************************
- *             virtual_map_ntdll
- *
- * Map ntdll, used instead of virtual_map_section() because some things are not initialized yet.
- */
-NTSTATUS virtual_map_ntdll( int fd, void **module )
-{
-    IMAGE_DOS_HEADER dos;
-    IMAGE_NT_HEADERS nt;
-    NTSTATUS status;
-    SIZE_T size;
-    void *base;
-    unsigned int vprot;
-    struct file_view *view;
-
-    /* load the headers */
-
-    size = pread( fd, &dos, sizeof(dos), 0 );
-    if (size < sizeof(dos)) return STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
-    if (dos.e_magic != IMAGE_DOS_SIGNATURE) return STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
-
-    size = pread( fd, &nt, sizeof(nt), dos.e_lfanew );
-    if (size < sizeof(nt)) return STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_PROTECT;
-    if (nt.Signature != IMAGE_NT_SIGNATURE) return STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
-    if (nt.OptionalHeader.Magic != IMAGE_NT_OPTIONAL_HDR_MAGIC) return STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
-#ifdef __i386__
-    if (nt.FileHeader.Machine != IMAGE_FILE_MACHINE_I386) return STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
-#elif defined(__x86_64__)
-    if (nt.FileHeader.Machine != IMAGE_FILE_MACHINE_AMD64) return STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
-#elif defined(__arm__)
-    if (nt.FileHeader.Machine != IMAGE_FILE_MACHINE_ARM &&
-        nt.FileHeader.Machine != IMAGE_FILE_MACHINE_THUMB &&
-        nt.FileHeader.Machine != IMAGE_FILE_MACHINE_ARMNT) return STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
-#elif defined(__aarch64__)
-    if (nt.FileHeader.Machine != IMAGE_FILE_MACHINE_ARM64) return STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT;
-#endif
-
-    base  = (void *)nt.OptionalHeader.ImageBase;
-    size  = ROUND_SIZE( 0, nt.OptionalHeader.SizeOfImage );
-    vprot = SEC_IMAGE | SEC_FILE | VPROT_COMMITTED | VPROT_READ | VPROT_EXEC | VPROT_WRITECOPY;
-
-    status = map_view( &view, base, size, FALSE, vprot, 0 );
-    if (status == STATUS_CONFLICTING_ADDRESSES)
-        ERR( "couldn't load ntdll at preferred address %p\n", base );
-    if (status) return status;
-    *module = view->base;
-    return map_image_into_view( view, fd, base, nt.OptionalHeader.SizeOfHeaders, 0, -1, FALSE );
-}
-
-
 /***********************************************************************
  *           get_system_affinity_mask
  */