diff --git a/src/private/externalpartstorage.cpp b/src/private/externalpartstorage.cpp
--- a/src/private/externalpartstorage.cpp
+++ b/src/private/externalpartstorage.cpp
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@
 
 using namespace Akonadi;
 
-ExternalPartStorage *ExternalPartStorage::sInstance = nullptr;
-
 ExternalPartStorageTransaction::ExternalPartStorageTransaction()
 {
     ExternalPartStorage::self()->beginTransaction();
@@ -58,12 +56,8 @@
 
 ExternalPartStorage *ExternalPartStorage::self()
 {
-    static QMutex instanceLock;
-    QMutexLocker locker(&instanceLock);
-    if (!sInstance) {
-        sInstance = new ExternalPartStorage();
-    }
-    return sInstance;
+    static ExternalPartStorage sInstance;
+    return &sInstance;
 }
 
 QString ExternalPartStorage::resolveAbsolutePath(const QByteArray &filename, bool *exists, bool legacyFallback)
diff --git a/src/private/externalpartstorage_p.h b/src/private/externalpartstorage_p.h
--- a/src/private/externalpartstorage_p.h
+++ b/src/private/externalpartstorage_p.h
@@ -95,8 +95,6 @@
     bool replayTransaction(const QVector<Operation> &trx, bool commit);
     void addToTransaction(const QVector<Operation> &ops);
 
-    static ExternalPartStorage *sInstance;
-
     mutable QMutex mTransactionLock;
     QHash<QThread *, QVector<Operation>> mTransactions;
 };