diff --git a/runtime/vm/dart_api_message.cc b/runtime/vm/dart_api_message.cc
index 540434a58aa..2ee1c37bbe5 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/dart_api_message.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/dart_api_message.cc
@@ -14,16 +14,12 @@ static const int kNumInitialReferences = 4;
 
 ApiMessageReader::ApiMessageReader(const uint8_t* buffer,
                                    intptr_t length,
-                                   ReAlloc alloc,
-                                   bool use_vm_isolate_snapshot)
+                                   ReAlloc alloc)
     : BaseReader(buffer, length),
       alloc_(alloc),
       backward_references_(kNumInitialReferences),
       vm_isolate_references_(kNumInitialReferences),
-      vm_symbol_references_(NULL),
-      max_vm_isolate_object_id_(
-          use_vm_isolate_snapshot ?
-          Object::vm_isolate_snapshot_object_table().Length() : 0) {
+      vm_symbol_references_(NULL) {
   Init();
 }
 
@@ -421,8 +417,7 @@ Dart_CObject* ApiMessageReader::ReadVMSymbol(intptr_t object_id) {
 
 
 intptr_t ApiMessageReader::NextAvailableObjectId() const {
-  return backward_references_.length() +
-      kMaxPredefinedObjectIds + max_vm_isolate_object_id_;
+  return backward_references_.length() + kMaxPredefinedObjectIds;
 }
 
 
@@ -807,10 +802,6 @@ Dart_CObject* ApiMessageReader::ReadIndexedObject(intptr_t object_id) {
     return &dynamic_type_marker;
   }
   intptr_t index = object_id - kMaxPredefinedObjectIds;
-  if (index < max_vm_isolate_object_id_) {
-    return AllocateDartCObjectVmIsolateObj(index);
-  }
-  index -= max_vm_isolate_object_id_;
   ASSERT((0 <= index) && (index < backward_references_.length()));
   ASSERT(backward_references_[index]->reference() != NULL);
   return backward_references_[index]->reference();
@@ -861,8 +852,6 @@ void ApiMessageReader::AddBackRef(intptr_t id,
                                   Dart_CObject* obj,
                                   DeserializeState state) {
   intptr_t index = (id - kMaxPredefinedObjectIds);
-  ASSERT(index >= max_vm_isolate_object_id_);
-  index -= max_vm_isolate_object_id_;
   ASSERT(index == backward_references_.length());
   BackRefNode* node = AllocateBackRefNode(obj, state);
   ASSERT(node != NULL);
@@ -873,8 +862,6 @@ void ApiMessageReader::AddBackRef(intptr_t id,
 Dart_CObject* ApiMessageReader::GetBackRef(intptr_t id) {
   ASSERT(id >= kMaxPredefinedObjectIds);
   intptr_t index = (id - kMaxPredefinedObjectIds);
-  ASSERT(index >= max_vm_isolate_object_id_);
-  index -= max_vm_isolate_object_id_;
   if (index < backward_references_.length()) {
     return backward_references_[index]->reference();
   }
@@ -1012,7 +999,7 @@ void ApiMessageWriter::WriteInt64(Dart_CObject* object) {
 
 void ApiMessageWriter::WriteInlinedHeader(Dart_CObject* object) {
   // Write out the serialization header value for this object.
-  WriteInlinedObjectHeader(SnapshotWriter::FirstObjectId() + object_id_);
+  WriteInlinedObjectHeader(kMaxPredefinedObjectIds + object_id_);
   // Mark object with its object id.
   MarkCObject(object, object_id_);
   // Advance object id.
@@ -1023,7 +1010,7 @@ void ApiMessageWriter::WriteInlinedHeader(Dart_CObject* object) {
 bool ApiMessageWriter::WriteCObject(Dart_CObject* object) {
   if (IsCObjectMarked(object)) {
     intptr_t object_id = GetMarkedCObjectMark(object);
-    WriteIndexedObject(SnapshotWriter::FirstObjectId() + object_id);
+    WriteIndexedObject(kMaxPredefinedObjectIds + object_id);
     return true;
   }
 
@@ -1058,7 +1045,7 @@ bool ApiMessageWriter::WriteCObject(Dart_CObject* object) {
 bool ApiMessageWriter::WriteCObjectRef(Dart_CObject* object) {
   if (IsCObjectMarked(object)) {
     intptr_t object_id = GetMarkedCObjectMark(object);
-    WriteIndexedObject(SnapshotWriter::FirstObjectId() + object_id);
+    WriteIndexedObject(kMaxPredefinedObjectIds + object_id);
     return true;
   }
 
@@ -1096,7 +1083,7 @@ bool ApiMessageWriter::WriteForwardedCObject(Dart_CObject* object) {
 
   // Write out the serialization header value for this object.
   intptr_t object_id = GetMarkedCObjectMark(object);
-  WriteInlinedObjectHeader(SnapshotWriter::FirstObjectId() + object_id);
+  WriteInlinedObjectHeader(kMaxPredefinedObjectIds + object_id);
   // Write out the class and tags information.
   WriteIndexedObject(kArrayCid);
   WriteTags(0);
diff --git a/runtime/vm/dart_api_message.h b/runtime/vm/dart_api_message.h
index 8d3836470dd..70d55f9eb75 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/dart_api_message.h
+++ b/runtime/vm/dart_api_message.h
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ class ApiMessageReader : public BaseReader {
   // recommended.
   ApiMessageReader(const uint8_t* buffer,
                    intptr_t length,
-                   ReAlloc alloc,
-                   bool use_vm_isolate_snapshot = true);
+                   ReAlloc alloc);
   ~ApiMessageReader() { }
 
   Dart_CObject* ReadMessage();
@@ -147,7 +146,6 @@ class ApiMessageReader : public BaseReader {
   ApiGrowableArray<BackRefNode*> backward_references_;
   ApiGrowableArray<Dart_CObject*> vm_isolate_references_;
   Dart_CObject** vm_symbol_references_;
-  intptr_t max_vm_isolate_object_id_;
 
   Dart_CObject type_arguments_marker;
   Dart_CObject dynamic_type_marker;
@@ -202,7 +200,6 @@ class ApiMessageWriter : public BaseWriter {
   Dart_CObject** forward_list_;
   intptr_t forward_list_length_;
   intptr_t forward_id_;
-  intptr_t max_vm_isolate_object_id_;
 
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(ApiMessageWriter);
 };
diff --git a/runtime/vm/snapshot.cc b/runtime/vm/snapshot.cc
index 1d6651e1296..a566bc97f4a 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/snapshot.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/snapshot.cc
@@ -191,7 +191,8 @@ SnapshotReader::SnapshotReader(
       typed_data_(TypedData::Handle(isolate)),
       error_(UnhandledException::Handle(isolate)),
       max_vm_isolate_object_id_(
-          Object::vm_isolate_snapshot_object_table().Length()),
+          (kind == Snapshot::kFull) ?
+              Object::vm_isolate_snapshot_object_table().Length() : 0),
       backward_references_(backward_refs) {
 }
 
@@ -2266,7 +2267,7 @@ ScriptSnapshotWriter::ScriptSnapshotWriter(uint8_t** buffer,
                      kInitialSize,
                      &forward_list_,
                      true),
-      forward_list_(SnapshotWriter::FirstObjectId()) {
+      forward_list_(kMaxPredefinedObjectIds) {
   ASSERT(buffer != NULL);
   ASSERT(alloc != NULL);
 }
@@ -2324,7 +2325,7 @@ MessageWriter::MessageWriter(uint8_t** buffer,
                      kInitialSize,
                      &forward_list_,
                      can_send_any_object),
-      forward_list_(SnapshotWriter::FirstObjectId()) {
+      forward_list_(kMaxPredefinedObjectIds) {
   ASSERT(buffer != NULL);
   ASSERT(alloc != NULL);
 }
diff --git a/runtime/vm/snapshot_test.cc b/runtime/vm/snapshot_test.cc
index b314513a54a..23c687af4bc 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/snapshot_test.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/snapshot_test.cc
@@ -863,7 +863,7 @@ class TestSnapshotWriter : public SnapshotWriter {
                        kInitialSize,
                        &forward_list_,
                        true),
-        forward_list_(SnapshotWriter::FirstObjectId()) {
+        forward_list_(kMaxPredefinedObjectIds) {
     ASSERT(buffer != NULL);
     ASSERT(alloc != NULL);
   }
@@ -1582,8 +1582,7 @@ TEST_CASE(IntArrayMessage) {
   ApiNativeScope scope;
   ApiMessageReader api_reader(buffer,
                               writer.BytesWritten(),
-                              &zone_allocator,
-                              false);
+                              &zone_allocator);
   Dart_CObject* root = api_reader.ReadMessage();
   EXPECT_EQ(Dart_CObject_kArray, root->type);
   EXPECT_EQ(kArrayLength, root->value.as_array.length);