diff --git a/archiver.go b/archiver.go
index af1e4a42d..c3d1b8e54 100644
--- a/archiver.go
+++ b/archiver.go
@@ -55,10 +55,7 @@ func NewArchiver(s Server, p *Progress) (*Archiver, error) {
 	arch.Filter = func(string, os.FileInfo) bool { return true }
 
 	arch.bl = NewBlobList()
-	arch.ch, err = NewContentHandler(s)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+	arch.ch = NewContentHandler(s)
 
 	// load all blobs from all snapshots
 	err = arch.ch.LoadAllMaps()
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_cat.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_cat.go
index 2ee657bc3..47acbe38e 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_cat.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_cat.go
@@ -53,10 +53,7 @@ func (cmd CmdCat) Execute(args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	ch, err := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	ch := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
 
 	switch tpe {
 	case "blob":
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_find.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_find.go
index 55cec11be..544d5be28 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_find.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_find.go
@@ -113,11 +113,7 @@ func (c CmdFind) findInTree(ch *restic.ContentHandler, id backend.ID, path strin
 func (c CmdFind) findInSnapshot(s restic.Server, id backend.ID) error {
 	debug("searching in snapshot %s\n  for entries within [%s %s]", id, c.oldest, c.newest)
 
-	ch, err := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
+	ch := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
 	sn, err := ch.LoadSnapshot(id)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_fsck.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_fsck.go
index 44e8b307d..033a650a6 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_fsck.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_fsck.go
@@ -125,10 +125,7 @@ func fsckTree(opts CmdFsck, ch *restic.ContentHandler, id backend.ID) error {
 func fsck_snapshot(opts CmdFsck, s restic.Server, id backend.ID) error {
 	debug("checking snapshot %v\n", id)
 
-	ch, err := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	ch := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
 
 	sn, err := ch.LoadSnapshot(id)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_ls.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_ls.go
index e769ee456..037d6b488 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_ls.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_ls.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (cmd CmdLs) Execute(args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	ch, err := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
+	ch := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_snapshots.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_snapshots.go
index 5432d29ae..1a1a7c25b 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_snapshots.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_snapshots.go
@@ -97,10 +97,7 @@ func (cmd CmdSnapshots) Execute(args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	ch, err := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	ch := restic.NewContentHandler(s)
 
 	tab := NewTable()
 	tab.Header = fmt.Sprintf("%-8s  %-19s  %-10s  %s", "ID", "Date", "Source", "Directory")
diff --git a/contenthandler.go b/contenthandler.go
index cba3dc833..202ae9049 100644
--- a/contenthandler.go
+++ b/contenthandler.go
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ type ContentHandler struct {
 }
 
 // NewContentHandler creates a new content handler.
-func NewContentHandler(s Server) (*ContentHandler, error) {
+func NewContentHandler(s Server) *ContentHandler {
 	ch := &ContentHandler{
 		s:  s,
 		bl: NewBlobList(),
 	}
 
-	return ch, nil
+	return ch
 }
 
 // LoadSnapshot adds all blobs from a snapshot into the content handler and returns the snapshot.
diff --git a/restorer.go b/restorer.go
index b57d83e77..c8d4b2d5b 100644
--- a/restorer.go
+++ b/restorer.go
@@ -25,10 +25,7 @@ func NewRestorer(s Server, snid backend.ID) (*Restorer, error) {
 	r := &Restorer{s: s}
 
 	var err error
-	r.ch, err = NewContentHandler(s)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, arrar.Annotate(err, "create contenthandler for restorer")
-	}
+	r.ch = NewContentHandler(s)
 
 	r.sn, err = r.ch.LoadSnapshot(snid)
 	if err != nil {