diff --git a/game_launch/game.cpp b/game_launch/game.cpp
index 0c7dc657..1edf09f9 100644
--- a/game_launch/game.cpp
+++ b/game_launch/game.cpp
@@ -141,8 +141,11 @@ static void Sys_LoadEngine( void )
 
 static void Sys_UnloadEngine( void )
 {
-	if( Host_Shutdown ) Host_Shutdown( );
-	if( hEngine ) FreeLibrary( hEngine );
+	if( Host_Shutdown )
+		Host_Shutdown( );
+
+	if( hEngine )
+		FreeLibrary( hEngine );
 
 	hEngine = NULL;
 	Host_Main = NULL;
@@ -151,31 +154,14 @@ static void Sys_UnloadEngine( void )
 
 static void Sys_ChangeGame( const char *progname )
 {
-	// a1ba: may never be called within engine
-	// if platform supports execv() function
-	if( !progname || !progname[0] )
-	{
-		Launch_Error( "Sys_ChangeGame: NULL gamedir" );
-		return;
-	}
-
-	if( Host_Shutdown == NULL )
-	{
-		Launch_Error( "Sys_ChangeGame: missed 'Host_Shutdown' export\n" );
-		return;
-	}
-
-	strncpy( szGameDir, progname, sizeof( szGameDir ) - 1 );
-
-	Sys_UnloadEngine();
-	Sys_LoadEngine ();
-	Host_Main( szArgc, szArgv, szGameDir, 1, Sys_ChangeGame );
+	// presence of this function tells the engine to allow change game
+	// but it's never called
+	return;
 }
 
 static int Sys_Start( void )
 {
 	int ret;
-	pfnChangeGame changeGame = NULL;
 
 #if XASH_SAILFISH
 	const char *home = getenv( "HOME" );
@@ -190,10 +176,7 @@ static int Sys_Start( void )
 
 	Sys_LoadEngine();
 
-	if( Host_Shutdown )
-		changeGame = Sys_ChangeGame;
-
-	ret = Host_Main( szArgc, szArgv, szGameDir, 0, XASH_DISABLE_MENU_CHANGEGAME ? NULL : changeGame );
+	ret = Host_Main( szArgc, szArgv, szGameDir, 0, XASH_DISABLE_MENU_CHANGEGAME ? NULL : Sys_ChangeGame );
 
 	Sys_UnloadEngine();