diff --git a/dlls/mshtml/htmlevent.c b/dlls/mshtml/htmlevent.c
index 6533bb97e47..e1b52b58b45 100644
--- a/dlls/mshtml/htmlevent.c
+++ b/dlls/mshtml/htmlevent.c
@@ -1472,26 +1472,6 @@ void fire_event_obj(EventTarget *event_target, DOMEvent *event)
         heap_free(target_chain);
 }
 
-void fire_event(HTMLDocumentNode *doc, eventid_t eid, BOOL set_event, EventTarget *target, nsIDOMEvent *nsevent)
-{
-    DOMEvent *event;
-    HRESULT hres;
-
-    if(nsevent)
-        hres = create_event_from_nsevent(nsevent, &event);
-    else
-        hres = create_document_event(doc, eid, &event);
-    if(FAILED(hres))
-        return;
-
-    if(!set_event)
-        event->no_event_obj = TRUE;
-
-    fire_event_obj(target, event);
-
-    IDOMEvent_Release(&event->IDOMEvent_iface);
-}
-
 HRESULT dispatch_event(HTMLDOMNode *node, const WCHAR *event_name, VARIANT *event_var, VARIANT_BOOL *cancelled)
 {
     HTMLEventObj *event_obj = NULL;
diff --git a/dlls/mshtml/htmlevent.h b/dlls/mshtml/htmlevent.h
index d8717d50a52..3e84ec1c9a2 100644
--- a/dlls/mshtml/htmlevent.h
+++ b/dlls/mshtml/htmlevent.h
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ typedef struct {
 
 void check_event_attr(HTMLDocumentNode*,nsIDOMHTMLElement*) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 void release_event_target(EventTarget*) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
-void fire_event(HTMLDocumentNode*,eventid_t,BOOL,EventTarget*,nsIDOMEvent*) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 HRESULT set_event_handler(EventTarget*,eventid_t,VARIANT*) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 HRESULT get_event_handler(EventTarget*,eventid_t,VARIANT*) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
 HRESULT attach_event(EventTarget*,BSTR,IDispatch*,VARIANT_BOOL*) DECLSPEC_HIDDEN;
diff --git a/dlls/mshtml/persist.c b/dlls/mshtml/persist.c
index 866b06f0b1e..0146527a968 100644
--- a/dlls/mshtml/persist.c
+++ b/dlls/mshtml/persist.c
@@ -443,17 +443,28 @@ HRESULT set_moniker(HTMLOuterWindow *window, IMoniker *mon, IUri *nav_uri, IBind
 
 static void notif_readystate(HTMLOuterWindow *window)
 {
+    DOMEvent *event;
+    HRESULT hres;
+
     window->readystate_pending = FALSE;
 
     if(window->doc_obj && window->doc_obj->basedoc.window == window)
         call_property_onchanged(&window->doc_obj->basedoc.cp_container, DISPID_READYSTATE);
 
-    fire_event(window->base.inner_window->doc, EVENTID_READYSTATECHANGE, FALSE,
-            &window->base.inner_window->doc->node.event_target, NULL);
+    hres = create_document_event(window->base.inner_window->doc, EVENTID_READYSTATECHANGE, &event);
+    if(SUCCEEDED(hres)) {
+        event->no_event_obj = TRUE;
+        fire_event_obj(&window->base.inner_window->doc->node.event_target, event);
+        IDOMEvent_Release(&event->IDOMEvent_iface);
+    }
 
-    if(window->frame_element)
-        fire_event(window->frame_element->element.node.doc, EVENTID_READYSTATECHANGE,
-                   TRUE, &window->frame_element->element.node.event_target, NULL);
+    if(window->frame_element) {
+        hres = create_document_event(window->frame_element->element.node.doc, EVENTID_READYSTATECHANGE, &event);
+        if(SUCCEEDED(hres)) {
+            fire_event_obj(&window->frame_element->element.node.event_target, event);
+            IDOMEvent_Release(&event->IDOMEvent_iface);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 typedef struct {