diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/InProcessProtocol.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/InProcessProtocol.java
index 7e2796a6fd..2df026a66b 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/InProcessProtocol.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/InProcessProtocol.java
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ class InProcessProtocol extends TestProtocol<Context> {
         }
 
         AsyncReceiveCommits arc =
-            factory.create(projectState, identifiedUser, db, null, ImmutableSetMultimap.of());
+            factory.create(projectState, identifiedUser, db, ImmutableSetMultimap.of());
         ReceivePack rp = arc.getReceivePack();
 
         Capable r = arc.canUpload();
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/GitOverHttpServlet.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/GitOverHttpServlet.java
index c1a75bb31e..1a606bdb8f 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/GitOverHttpServlet.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/GitOverHttpServlet.java
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ public class GitOverHttpServlet extends GitServlet {
 
       AsyncReceiveCommits arc =
           factory.create(
-              state, userProvider.get().asIdentifiedUser(), db, null, ImmutableSetMultimap.of());
+              state, userProvider.get().asIdentifiedUser(), db, ImmutableSetMultimap.of());
       ReceivePack rp = arc.getReceivePack();
       req.setAttribute(ATT_ARC, arc);
       return rp;
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/receive/AsyncReceiveCommits.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/receive/AsyncReceiveCommits.java
index 01ce4688c3..acb1cbf362 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/receive/AsyncReceiveCommits.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/receive/AsyncReceiveCommits.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ package com.google.gerrit.server.git.receive;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.SetMultimap;
 import com.google.common.flogger.FluentLogger;
-import com.google.gerrit.common.Nullable;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.Capable;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.AuthException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceConflictException;
@@ -76,7 +75,6 @@ public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
         ProjectState projectState,
         IdentifiedUser user,
         Repository repository,
-        @Nullable MessageSender messageSender,
         SetMultimap<ReviewerStateInternal, Account.Id> extraReviewers);
   }
 
@@ -103,24 +101,23 @@ public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
     final MultiProgressMonitor progress;
 
     private final Collection<ReceiveCommand> commands;
-    private final ReceiveCommits rc;
+    private final ReceiveCommits receiveCommits;
 
     private Worker(Collection<ReceiveCommand> commands) {
       this.commands = commands;
-      rc = factory.create(projectState, user, rp, allRefsWatcher, extraReviewers);
-      rc.init();
-      rc.setMessageSender(messageSender);
+      receiveCommits = factory.create(projectState, user, rp, allRefsWatcher, extraReviewers);
+      receiveCommits.init();
       progress = new MultiProgressMonitor(new MessageSenderOutputStream(), "Processing changes");
     }
 
     @Override
     public void run() {
-      rc.processCommands(commands, progress);
+      receiveCommits.processCommands(commands, progress);
     }
 
     @Override
     public Project.NameKey getProjectNameKey() {
-      return rc.getProject().getNameKey();
+      return receiveCommits.getProject().getNameKey();
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -139,28 +136,28 @@ public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
     }
 
     void sendMessages() {
-      rc.sendMessages();
+      receiveCommits.sendMessages();
     }
 
     private class MessageSenderOutputStream extends OutputStream {
       @Override
       public void write(int b) {
-        rc.getMessageSender().sendBytes(new byte[] {(byte) b});
+        receiveCommits.getMessageSender().sendBytes(new byte[] {(byte) b});
       }
 
       @Override
       public void write(byte[] what, int off, int len) {
-        rc.getMessageSender().sendBytes(what, off, len);
+        receiveCommits.getMessageSender().sendBytes(what, off, len);
       }
 
       @Override
       public void write(byte[] what) {
-        rc.getMessageSender().sendBytes(what);
+        receiveCommits.getMessageSender().sendBytes(what);
       }
 
       @Override
       public void flush() {
-        rc.getMessageSender().flush();
+        receiveCommits.getMessageSender().flush();
       }
     }
   }
@@ -176,7 +173,6 @@ public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
   private final ProjectState projectState;
   private final IdentifiedUser user;
   private final Repository repo;
-  private final MessageSender messageSender;
   private final SetMultimap<ReviewerStateInternal, Account.Id> extraReviewers;
   private final AllRefsWatcher allRefsWatcher;
 
@@ -195,7 +191,6 @@ public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
       @Assisted ProjectState projectState,
       @Assisted IdentifiedUser user,
       @Assisted Repository repo,
-      @Assisted @Nullable MessageSender messageSender,
       @Assisted SetMultimap<ReviewerStateInternal, Account.Id> extraReviewers)
       throws PermissionBackendException {
     this.factory = factory;
@@ -207,7 +202,6 @@ public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
     this.projectState = projectState;
     this.user = user;
     this.repo = repo;
-    this.messageSender = messageSender;
     this.extraReviewers = extraReviewers;
 
     Project.NameKey projectName = projectState.getNameKey();
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/receive/ReceiveCommits.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/receive/ReceiveCommits.java
index a2a9c31332..8d6bca18e3 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/receive/ReceiveCommits.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/receive/ReceiveCommits.java
@@ -256,23 +256,19 @@ class ReceiveCommits {
         SetMultimap<ReviewerStateInternal, Account.Id> extraReviewers);
   }
 
-  private class ReceivePackMessageSender implements MessageSender {
-    @Override
+  public class MessageSender {
     public void sendMessage(String what) {
       receivePack.sendMessage(what);
     }
 
-    @Override
     public void sendError(String what) {
       receivePack.sendError(what);
     }
 
-    @Override
     public void sendBytes(byte[] what) {
       sendBytes(what, 0, what.length);
     }
 
-    @Override
     public void sendBytes(byte[] what, int off, int len) {
       try {
         receivePack.getMessageOutputStream().write(what, off, len);
@@ -281,7 +277,6 @@ class ReceiveCommits {
       }
     }
 
-    @Override
     public void flush() {
       try {
         receivePack.getMessageOutputStream().flush();
@@ -515,7 +510,7 @@ class ReceiveCommits {
         projectState.is(BooleanProjectConfig.CREATE_NEW_CHANGE_FOR_ALL_NOT_IN_TARGET);
 
     // Handles for outputting back over the wire to the end user.
-    messageSender = new ReceivePackMessageSender();
+    messageSender = new MessageSender();
   }
 
   void init() {
@@ -524,15 +519,7 @@ class ReceiveCommits {
     }
   }
 
-  /** Set a message sender for this operation. */
-  void setMessageSender(MessageSender ms) {
-    messageSender = ms != null ? ms : new ReceivePackMessageSender();
-  }
-
   MessageSender getMessageSender() {
-    if (messageSender == null) {
-      setMessageSender(null);
-    }
     return messageSender;
   }
 
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/sshd/commands/Receive.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/sshd/commands/Receive.java
index 7c347167ae..cc596792d5 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/sshd/commands/Receive.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/sshd/commands/Receive.java
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ final class Receive extends AbstractGitCommand {
       throw new Failure(1, "fatal: unable to check permissions " + e);
     }
 
-    AsyncReceiveCommits arc = factory.create(projectState, currentUser, repo, null, reviewers);
+    AsyncReceiveCommits arc = factory.create(projectState, currentUser, repo, reviewers);
 
     try {
       Capable r = arc.canUpload();