diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 350874562702df039547719fe292d5e02dd41288..5a8160da9cb4ce68535a1a1bf37669bbb012d9e0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
   shutdown ([!110](https://storage.bsc.es/gitlab/hpc/gekkofs/-/merge_requests/110)).
 
 ### Removed
+- Removed old initialization code in the GekkoFS
+  client ([!136](https://storage.bsc.es/gitlab/hpc/gekkofs/-/merge_requests/136)).
 
 ### Fixed
 
diff --git a/src/client/preload.cpp b/src/client/preload.cpp
index ba3a87870f3993a708d98c9d6d428e6e241bb811..12387a8464e0fca5414fcf92ff65e8f90255e7e2 100644
--- a/src/client/preload.cpp
+++ b/src/client/preload.cpp
@@ -41,17 +41,12 @@
 
 #include <hermes.hpp>
 
-extern "C" {
-#include <sys/types.h>
-}
 
 using namespace std;
 
 std::unique_ptr<hermes::async_engine> ld_network_service; // extern variable
 
 namespace {
-// make sure that things are only initialized once
-pthread_once_t init_env_thread = PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;
 
 #ifdef GKFS_ENABLE_FORWARDING
 pthread_t mapper;
@@ -103,74 +98,6 @@ init_hermes_client() {
     return true;
 }
 
-/**
- * This function is only called in the preload constructor and initializes
- * the file system client
- */
-void
-init_ld_environment_() {
-
-    vector<pair<string, string>> hosts{};
-    try {
-        LOG(INFO, "Loading peer addresses...");
-        hosts = gkfs::utils::read_hosts_file();
-    } catch(const std::exception& e) {
-        exit_error_msg(EXIT_FAILURE,
-                       "Failed to load hosts addresses: "s + e.what());
-    }
-
-    // initialize Hermes interface to Mercury
-    LOG(INFO, "Initializing RPC subsystem...");
-
-    if(!init_hermes_client()) {
-        exit_error_msg(EXIT_FAILURE, "Unable to initialize RPC subsystem");
-    }
-
-    try {
-        gkfs::utils::connect_to_hosts(hosts);
-    } catch(const std::exception& e) {
-        exit_error_msg(EXIT_FAILURE,
-                       "Failed to connect to hosts: "s + e.what());
-    }
-
-    /* Setup distributor */
-#ifdef GKFS_ENABLE_FORWARDING
-    try {
-        gkfs::utils::load_forwarding_map();
-
-        LOG(INFO, "{}() Forward to {}", __func__, CTX->fwd_host_id());
-    } catch(std::exception& e) {
-        exit_error_msg(
-                EXIT_FAILURE,
-                fmt::format("Unable set the forwarding host '{}'", e.what()));
-    }
-
-    auto forwarder_dist = std::make_shared<gkfs::rpc::ForwarderDistributor>(
-            CTX->fwd_host_id(), CTX->hosts().size());
-    CTX->distributor(forwarder_dist);
-#else
-#ifdef GKFS_USE_GUIDED_DISTRIBUTION
-    auto distributor = std::make_shared<gkfs::rpc::GuidedDistributor>(
-            CTX->local_host_id(), CTX->hosts().size());
-#else
-    auto distributor = std::make_shared<gkfs::rpc::SimpleHashDistributor>(
-            CTX->local_host_id(), CTX->hosts().size());
-#endif
-    CTX->distributor(distributor);
-#endif
-
-
-    LOG(INFO, "Retrieving file system configuration...");
-
-    if(!gkfs::rpc::forward_get_fs_config()) {
-        exit_error_msg(
-                EXIT_FAILURE,
-                "Unable to fetch file system configurations from daemon process through RPC.");
-    }
-
-    LOG(INFO, "Environment initialization successful.");
-}
-
 #ifdef GKFS_ENABLE_FORWARDING
 void*
 forwarding_mapper(void* p) {
@@ -245,9 +172,72 @@ log_prog_name() {
 
 namespace gkfs::preload {
 
+/**
+ * This function is only called in the preload constructor and initializes
+ * the file system client
+ */
 void
-init_ld_env_if_needed() {
-    pthread_once(&init_env_thread, init_ld_environment_);
+init_environment() {
+
+    vector<pair<string, string>> hosts{};
+    try {
+        LOG(INFO, "Loading peer addresses...");
+        hosts = gkfs::utils::read_hosts_file();
+    } catch(const std::exception& e) {
+        exit_error_msg(EXIT_FAILURE,
+                       "Failed to load hosts addresses: "s + e.what());
+    }
+
+    // initialize Hermes interface to Mercury
+    LOG(INFO, "Initializing RPC subsystem...");
+
+    if(!init_hermes_client()) {
+        exit_error_msg(EXIT_FAILURE, "Unable to initialize RPC subsystem");
+    }
+
+    try {
+        gkfs::utils::connect_to_hosts(hosts);
+    } catch(const std::exception& e) {
+        exit_error_msg(EXIT_FAILURE,
+                       "Failed to connect to hosts: "s + e.what());
+    }
+
+    /* Setup distributor */
+#ifdef GKFS_ENABLE_FORWARDING
+    try {
+        gkfs::utils::load_forwarding_map();
+
+        LOG(INFO, "{}() Forward to {}", __func__, CTX->fwd_host_id());
+    } catch(std::exception& e) {
+        exit_error_msg(
+                EXIT_FAILURE,
+                fmt::format("Unable set the forwarding host '{}'", e.what()));
+    }
+
+    auto forwarder_dist = std::make_shared<gkfs::rpc::ForwarderDistributor>(
+            CTX->fwd_host_id(), CTX->hosts().size());
+    CTX->distributor(forwarder_dist);
+#else
+#ifdef GKFS_USE_GUIDED_DISTRIBUTION
+    auto distributor = std::make_shared<gkfs::rpc::GuidedDistributor>(
+            CTX->local_host_id(), CTX->hosts().size());
+#else
+    auto distributor = std::make_shared<gkfs::rpc::SimpleHashDistributor>(
+            CTX->local_host_id(), CTX->hosts().size());
+#endif
+    CTX->distributor(distributor);
+#endif
+
+
+    LOG(INFO, "Retrieving file system configuration...");
+
+    if(!gkfs::rpc::forward_get_fs_config()) {
+        exit_error_msg(
+                EXIT_FAILURE,
+                "Unable to fetch file system configurations from daemon process through RPC.");
+    }
+
+    LOG(INFO, "Environment initialization successful.");
 }
 
 } // namespace gkfs::preload
@@ -283,7 +273,7 @@ init_preload() {
     gkfs::path::init_cwd();
 
     LOG(DEBUG, "Current working directory: '{}'", CTX->cwd());
-    gkfs::preload::init_ld_env_if_needed();
+    gkfs::preload::init_environment();
     CTX->enable_interception();
 
     CTX->unprotect_user_fds();