diff --git a/libio/iofclose.c b/libio/iofclose.c
index 9b39a6cc4e..8a80dd0b78 100644
--- a/libio/iofclose.c
+++ b/libio/iofclose.c
@@ -71,12 +71,7 @@ _IO_new_fclose (FILE *fp)
       if (_IO_have_backup (fp))
 	_IO_free_backup_area (fp);
     }
-  if (fp != _IO_stdin && fp != _IO_stdout && fp != _IO_stderr)
-    {
-      fp->_flags = 0;
-      free(fp);
-    }
-
+  _IO_deallocate_file (fp);
   return status;
 }
 
diff --git a/libio/iofwide.c b/libio/iofwide.c
index 6676ad5e53..247cfde3d0 100644
--- a/libio/iofwide.c
+++ b/libio/iofwide.c
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ _IO_fwide (FILE *fp, int mode)
   mode = mode < 0 ? -1 : (mode == 0 ? 0 : 1);
 
 #if SHLIB_COMPAT (libc, GLIBC_2_0, GLIBC_2_1)
-  if (__builtin_expect (&_IO_stdin_used == NULL, 0)
-      && (fp == _IO_stdin || fp == _IO_stdout || fp == _IO_stderr))
+  if (__glibc_unlikely (&_IO_stdin_used == NULL) && _IO_legacy_file (fp))
     /* This is for a stream in the glibc 2.0 format.  */
     return -1;
 #endif
diff --git a/libio/iolibio.h b/libio/iolibio.h
index 2642d71e4f..9561833655 100644
--- a/libio/iolibio.h
+++ b/libio/iolibio.h
@@ -58,8 +58,6 @@ extern int _IO_vsscanf (const char *, const char *, __gnuc_va_list) __THROW;
    == _IO_pos_BAD ? EOF : 0)
 #define _IO_rewind(FILE) \
   (void) _IO_seekoff_unlocked (FILE, 0, 0, _IOS_INPUT|_IOS_OUTPUT)
-#define _IO_vprintf(FORMAT, ARGS) \
-  _IO_vfprintf (_IO_stdout, FORMAT, ARGS)
 #define _IO_freopen(FILENAME, MODE, FP) \
   (_IO_file_close_it (FP), \
    _IO_file_fopen (FP, FILENAME, MODE, 1))
diff --git a/libio/libio.h b/libio/libio.h
index 9c08c7eba1..c38095ff77 100644
--- a/libio/libio.h
+++ b/libio/libio.h
@@ -185,9 +185,6 @@ struct _IO_FILE_plus;
 extern struct _IO_FILE_plus _IO_2_1_stdin_;
 extern struct _IO_FILE_plus _IO_2_1_stdout_;
 extern struct _IO_FILE_plus _IO_2_1_stderr_;
-extern FILE *_IO_stdin attribute_hidden;
-extern FILE *_IO_stdout attribute_hidden;
-extern FILE *_IO_stderr attribute_hidden;
 
 struct _IO_cookie_file;
 
diff --git a/libio/libioP.h b/libio/libioP.h
index 8c75f15167..1c434ec3a1 100644
--- a/libio/libioP.h
+++ b/libio/libioP.h
@@ -817,7 +817,35 @@ extern int _IO_vscanf (const char *, va_list) __THROW;
 # endif
 #endif
 
-extern struct _IO_fake_stdiobuf _IO_stdin_buf, _IO_stdout_buf, _IO_stderr_buf;
+#if SHLIB_COMPAT (libc, GLIBC_2_0, GLIBC_2_1)
+/* See oldstdfiles.c.  These are the old stream variables.  */
+extern struct _IO_FILE_plus _IO_stdin_;
+extern struct _IO_FILE_plus _IO_stdout_;
+extern struct _IO_FILE_plus _IO_stderr_;
+
+static inline bool
+_IO_legacy_file (FILE *fp)
+{
+  return fp == (FILE *) &_IO_stdin_ || fp == (FILE *) &_IO_stdout_
+    || fp == (FILE *) &_IO_stderr_;
+}
+#endif
+
+/* Deallocate a stream if it is heap-allocated.  Preallocated
+   stdin/stdout/stderr streams are not deallocated. */
+static inline void
+_IO_deallocate_file (FILE *fp)
+{
+  /* The current stream variables.  */
+  if (fp == (FILE *) &_IO_2_1_stdin_ || fp == (FILE *) &_IO_2_1_stdout_
+      || fp == (FILE *) &_IO_2_1_stderr_)
+    return;
+#if SHLIB_COMPAT (libc, GLIBC_2_0, GLIBC_2_1)
+  if (_IO_legacy_file (fp))
+    return;
+#endif
+  free (fp);
+}
 
 #ifdef IO_DEBUG
 # define CHECK_FILE(FILE, RET) do {			\
diff --git a/libio/oldfileops.c b/libio/oldfileops.c
index 4d6c5e3fe7..5c319beacd 100644
--- a/libio/oldfileops.c
+++ b/libio/oldfileops.c
@@ -109,10 +109,7 @@ _IO_old_file_init_internal (struct _IO_FILE_plus *fp)
 			     - (int) sizeof (struct _IO_FILE_complete));
   fp->file._fileno = -1;
 
-  if (__builtin_expect (&_IO_stdin_used != NULL, 1)
-      || (fp != (struct _IO_FILE_plus *) _IO_stdin
-	  && fp != (struct _IO_FILE_plus *) _IO_stdout
-	  && fp != (struct _IO_FILE_plus *) _IO_stderr))
+  if (&_IO_stdin_used != NULL || !_IO_legacy_file ((FILE *) fp))
     /* The object is dynamically allocated and large enough.  Initialize
        the _mode element as well.  */
     ((struct _IO_FILE_complete *) fp)->_mode = -1;
diff --git a/libio/oldiofclose.c b/libio/oldiofclose.c
index e4cbf88566..be5044c3bd 100644
--- a/libio/oldiofclose.c
+++ b/libio/oldiofclose.c
@@ -58,12 +58,7 @@ _IO_old_fclose (FILE *fp)
   _IO_FINISH (fp);
   if (_IO_have_backup (fp))
     _IO_free_backup_area (fp);
-  if (fp != _IO_stdin && fp != _IO_stdout && fp != _IO_stderr)
-    {
-      fp->_flags = 0;
-      free(fp);
-    }
-
+  _IO_deallocate_file (fp);
   return status;
 }
 
diff --git a/libio/oldstdfiles.c b/libio/oldstdfiles.c
index 524e260b7e..2b861cd754 100644
--- a/libio/oldstdfiles.c
+++ b/libio/oldstdfiles.c
@@ -27,11 +27,8 @@
 #include <shlib-compat.h>
 #if SHLIB_COMPAT (libc, GLIBC_2_0, GLIBC_2_1)
 
-/* This file provides definitions of _IO_stdin, _IO_stdout, and _IO_stderr
-   for C code.  Compare stdstreams.cc.
-   (The difference is that here the vtable field is set to 0,
-   so the objects defined are not valid C++ objects.  On the other
-   hand, we don't need a C++ compiler to build this file.) */
+/* This file provides legacy definitions of _IO_stdin_, _IO_stdout_,
+   and _IO_stderr_.  See stdfiles.c for the current definitions.  */
 
 #define _IO_USE_OLD_IO_FILE
 #include "libioP.h"
@@ -78,13 +75,12 @@ _IO_check_libio (void)
   if (&_IO_stdin_used == NULL)
     {
       /* We are using the old one. */
-      _IO_stdin = stdin = (FILE *) &_IO_stdin_;
-      _IO_stdout = stdout = (FILE *) &_IO_stdout_;
-      _IO_stderr = stderr = (FILE *) &_IO_stderr_;
+      stdin = (FILE *) &_IO_stdin_;
+      stdout = (FILE *) &_IO_stdout_;
+      stderr = (FILE *) &_IO_stderr_;
       _IO_list_all = &_IO_stderr_;
-      _IO_stdin->_vtable_offset = _IO_stdout->_vtable_offset =
-	_IO_stderr->_vtable_offset = stdin->_vtable_offset =
-	stdout->_vtable_offset = stderr->_vtable_offset =
+      stdin->_vtable_offset = stdout->_vtable_offset
+	= stderr->_vtable_offset =
 	((int) sizeof (struct _IO_FILE)
 	 - (int) sizeof (struct _IO_FILE_complete));
     }
diff --git a/libio/stdfiles.c b/libio/stdfiles.c
index 605e006474..9c779b47eb 100644
--- a/libio/stdfiles.c
+++ b/libio/stdfiles.c
@@ -25,11 +25,10 @@
    in files containing the exception.  */
 
 
-/* This file provides definitions of _IO_stdin, _IO_stdout, and _IO_stderr
-   for C code.  Compare stdstreams.cc.
-   (The difference is that here the vtable field is set to 0,
-   so the objects defined are not valid C++ objects.  On the other
-   hand, we don't need a C++ compiler to build this file.) */
+/* This file provides definitions of _IO_2_1_stdin_, _IO_2_1_stdout_,
+   and _IO_2_1_stderr_, the default values of stdin, stdout, stderr.
+   See oldstdfiles.c for glibc 2.0 legacy definitions without wide
+   character support.  */
 
 #include "libioP.h"
 
diff --git a/libio/stdio.c b/libio/stdio.c
index 1294d2842e..522de44a27 100644
--- a/libio/stdio.c
+++ b/libio/stdio.c
@@ -33,14 +33,3 @@
 FILE *stdin = (FILE *) &_IO_2_1_stdin_;
 FILE *stdout = (FILE *) &_IO_2_1_stdout_;
 FILE *stderr = (FILE *) &_IO_2_1_stderr_;
-
-#undef _IO_stdin
-#undef _IO_stdout
-#undef _IO_stderr
-#define AL(name) AL2 (name, _IO_##name)
-#define AL2(name, al) \
-  extern __typeof (name) al __attribute__ ((alias (#name),                    \
-                                            visibility ("hidden")))
-AL(stdin);
-AL(stdout);
-AL(stderr);
