diff --git a/exec.cpp b/exec.cpp
index ca2c05d79..ae4c496db 100644
--- a/exec.cpp
+++ b/exec.cpp
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ static bool io_transmogrify(const io_chain_t &in_chain, io_chain_t *out_chain, s
                 }
 
                 opened_fds.push_back(fd);
-                out.reset(new io_fd_t(in->fd, fd, true));
+                out.reset(new io_fd_t(in->fd, fd));
 
                 break;
             }
diff --git a/io.h b/io.h
index 112d7611c..38c1c7baa 100644
--- a/io.h
+++ b/io.h
@@ -66,15 +66,11 @@ public:
     /** fd to redirect specified fd to. For example, in 2>&1, old_fd is 1, and io_data_t::fd is 2 */
     const int old_fd;
     
-    /** Whether to close old_fd */
-    const bool close_old;
-
     virtual void print() const;
 
-    io_fd_t(int f, int old, bool close = false) :
+    io_fd_t(int f, int old) :
         io_data_t(IO_FD, f),
-        old_fd(old),
-        close_old(close)
+        old_fd(old)
     {
     }
 };