diff --git a/src/mongo/s/catalog/dist_lock_catalog_impl_test.cpp b/src/mongo/s/catalog/dist_lock_catalog_impl_test.cpp
index 6ae0480db708d..b9fe304530e80 100644
--- a/src/mongo/s/catalog/dist_lock_catalog_impl_test.cpp
+++ b/src/mongo/s/catalog/dist_lock_catalog_impl_test.cpp
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ class DistLockCatalogFixture : public mongo::unittest::Test {
                                              std::move(executor),
                                              network,
                                              configCS);
-        _shardRegistry->init(&_catalogMgr);
         _shardRegistry->startup();
 
         _distLockCatalog = stdx::make_unique<DistLockCatalogImpl>(_shardRegistry.get(), kWTimeout);
diff --git a/src/mongo/s/catalog/replset/catalog_manager_replica_set_test_fixture.cpp b/src/mongo/s/catalog/replset/catalog_manager_replica_set_test_fixture.cpp
index cf83e61a47e8e..f0f73389d3931 100644
--- a/src/mongo/s/catalog/replset/catalog_manager_replica_set_test_fixture.cpp
+++ b/src/mongo/s/catalog/replset/catalog_manager_replica_set_test_fixture.cpp
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ void CatalogManagerReplSetTestFixture::setUp() {
 
     auto shardRegistry(stdx::make_unique<ShardRegistry>(
         std::move(targeterFactory), std::move(executor), _mockNetwork, configCS));
-    shardRegistry->init(cm.get());
     shardRegistry->startup();
 
     // For now initialize the global grid object. All sharding objects will be accessible
diff --git a/src/mongo/s/client/shard_registry.cpp b/src/mongo/s/client/shard_registry.cpp
index 61544f4a7346c..bd5b885dac103 100644
--- a/src/mongo/s/client/shard_registry.cpp
+++ b/src/mongo/s/client/shard_registry.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "mongo/s/catalog/type_shard.h"
 #include "mongo/s/client/shard.h"
 #include "mongo/s/client/shard_connection.h"
+#include "mongo/s/grid.h"
 #include "mongo/stdx/memory.h"
 #include "mongo/stdx/mutex.h"
 #include "mongo/util/log.h"
@@ -72,18 +73,12 @@ ShardRegistry::ShardRegistry(std::unique_ptr<RemoteCommandTargeterFactory> targe
     : _targeterFactory(std::move(targeterFactory)),
       _executor(std::move(executor)),
       _network(network),
-      _configServerCS(configServerCS),
-      _catalogManager(nullptr) {
+      _configServerCS(configServerCS) {
     _addConfigShard_inlock();
 }
 
 ShardRegistry::~ShardRegistry() = default;
 
-void ShardRegistry::init(CatalogManager* catalogManager) {
-    invariant(!_catalogManager);
-    _catalogManager = catalogManager;
-}
-
 void ShardRegistry::startup() {
     _executor->startup();
 }
@@ -95,7 +90,7 @@ void ShardRegistry::shutdown() {
 
 void ShardRegistry::reload() {
     vector<ShardType> shards;
-    Status status = _catalogManager->getAllShards(&shards);
+    Status status = grid.catalogManager()->getAllShards(&shards);
     massert(13632, "couldn't get updated shard list from config server", status.isOK());
 
     int numShards = shards.size();
diff --git a/src/mongo/s/client/shard_registry.h b/src/mongo/s/client/shard_registry.h
index a7980b61f2ab1..41e6e6b794a3a 100644
--- a/src/mongo/s/client/shard_registry.h
+++ b/src/mongo/s/client/shard_registry.h
@@ -234,10 +234,6 @@ class ShardRegistry {
     // Config server connection string
     ConnectionString _configServerCS;
 
-    // Catalog manager from which to load the shard information. Not owned and must outlive
-    // the shard registry object.  Should be set once by a call to init() then never modified again.
-    CatalogManager* _catalogManager;
-
     // Protects the maps below
     mutable stdx::mutex _mutex;
 
diff --git a/src/mongo/s/grid.cpp b/src/mongo/s/grid.cpp
index ff9e265ddcb31..35a9b64e87b1a 100644
--- a/src/mongo/s/grid.cpp
+++ b/src/mongo/s/grid.cpp
@@ -135,6 +135,10 @@ Grid::CatalogManagerGuard Grid::catalogManager(OperationContext* txn) {
     return Grid::CatalogManagerGuard(txn, this);
 }
 
+Grid::CatalogManagerGuard Grid::catalogManager() {
+    return Grid::CatalogManagerGuard(nullptr, this);
+}
+
 Grid::CatalogManagerGuard::CatalogManagerGuard(OperationContext* txn, Grid* grid) : _grid(grid) {
     _grid->_catalogManagerLock.lock_shared();
 }
diff --git a/src/mongo/s/grid.h b/src/mongo/s/grid.h
index 6b17f3e419989..904eb1a852848 100644
--- a/src/mongo/s/grid.h
+++ b/src/mongo/s/grid.h
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ class Grid {
     bool getConfigShouldBalance(OperationContext* txn) const;
 
     Grid::CatalogManagerGuard catalogManager(OperationContext* txn);
+    Grid::CatalogManagerGuard catalogManager();  // TODO(spencer): remove
 
     CatalogCache* catalogCache() {
         return _catalogCache.get();
diff --git a/src/mongo/s/sharding_initialization.cpp b/src/mongo/s/sharding_initialization.cpp
index 8da4e050bb3a1..345aef856d1d6 100644
--- a/src/mongo/s/sharding_initialization.cpp
+++ b/src/mongo/s/sharding_initialization.cpp
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ Status initializeGlobalShardingState(const ConnectionString& configCS) {
         catalogManager = std::move(catalogManagerLegacy);
     }
 
-    shardRegistry->init(catalogManager.get());
     shardRegistry->startup();
     grid.init(std::move(catalogManager),
               std::move(shardRegistry),