diff --git a/src/backend/file/gnc-account-xml-v2.c b/src/backend/file/gnc-account-xml-v2.c
index e59edba44f..53cd0987eb 100644
--- a/src/backend/file/gnc-account-xml-v2.c
+++ b/src/backend/file/gnc-account-xml-v2.c
@@ -447,8 +447,7 @@ gnc_account_end_handler(gpointer data_for_children,
             if (type != ACCT_TYPE_ROOT) {
                 root = gnc_book_get_root_account(book);
                 if (root == NULL) {
-		  gnc_commodity *com = xaccAccountGetCommodity(acc);
-		  root = gnc_account_create_root(book, com);
+		  root = gnc_account_create_root(book);
 		}
                 gnc_account_append_child(root, acc);
             }
diff --git a/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.c b/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.c
index 6b35ea6daf..5603ab6775 100644
--- a/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.c
+++ b/src/backend/file/io-gncxml-v2.c
@@ -191,8 +191,7 @@ add_account_local(sixtp_gdv2 *data, Account *act)
       if (parent == NULL) {
 	root = gnc_book_get_root_account(data->book);
 	if (root == NULL) {
-	  gnc_commodity *com = xaccAccountGetCommodity(act);
-	  root = gnc_account_create_root(data->book, com);
+	  root = gnc_account_create_root(data->book);
 	  /* Leave the account in the edit state. It will be committed
 	   * at the end of reading all the transactions. */
 	  xaccAccountBeginEdit(root);
diff --git a/src/engine/Account.c b/src/engine/Account.c
index 7389ae56fe..639c0618de 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.c
+++ b/src/engine/Account.c
@@ -219,15 +219,13 @@ xaccMallocAccount (QofBook *book)
 }
 
 Account *
-gnc_account_create_root (QofBook *book, gnc_commodity *com)
+gnc_account_create_root (QofBook *book)
 {
   Account *root;
 
   root = xaccMallocAccount(book);
   xaccAccountBeginEdit(root);
   root->type = ACCT_TYPE_ROOT;
-  root->commodity = com;
-  root->commodity_scu = gnc_commodity_get_fraction(com);
   xaccAccountCommitEdit(root);
   gnc_book_set_root_account(book, root);
   return root;
diff --git a/src/engine/Account.h b/src/engine/Account.h
index fdf02c5826..9f35efd1bb 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.h
+++ b/src/engine/Account.h
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ typedef enum
 Account * xaccMallocAccount (QofBook *book);
 
 /** Create a new root level account.  */
-Account * gnc_account_create_root (QofBook *book, gnc_commodity *com);
+Account * gnc_account_create_root (QofBook *book);
 
 /** The xaccCloneAccount() does the same as xaccCloneAccountSimple(), 
  *    except that it also also places a pair of GUID-pointers
diff --git a/src/engine/Scrub.c b/src/engine/Scrub.c
index f4637313b9..9d18612bea 100644
--- a/src/engine/Scrub.c
+++ b/src/engine/Scrub.c
@@ -666,6 +666,7 @@ xaccAccountScrubCommodity (Account *account)
   gnc_commodity *commodity;
 
   if (!account) return;
+  if (xaccAccountGetType(account) == ACCT_TYPE_ROOT) return;
 
   commodity = xaccAccountGetCommodity (account);
   if (commodity) return;