diff --git a/atom/common/api/lib/shell.coffee b/atom/common/api/lib/shell.coffee
index bd7109e34518..5fb935bacd21 100644
--- a/atom/common/api/lib/shell.coffee
+++ b/atom/common/api/lib/shell.coffee
@@ -1,5 +1 @@
 module.exports = process.atomBinding 'shell'
-
-if process.platform is 'win32' and process.type is 'renderer'
-  module.exports.showItemInFolder = (item) ->
-    require('remote').require('shell').showItemInFolder item
diff --git a/atom/common/platform_util_win.cc b/atom/common/platform_util_win.cc
index 2ef8a0528088..87f45e5cb2d4 100644
--- a/atom/common/platform_util_win.cc
+++ b/atom/common/platform_util_win.cc
@@ -203,6 +203,10 @@ HRESULT DeleteFileProgressSink::ResumeTimer() {
 namespace platform_util {
 
 void ShowItemInFolder(const base::FilePath& full_path) {
+  base::win::ScopedCOMInitializer com_initializer;
+  if (!com_initializer.succeeded())
+    return;
+
   base::FilePath dir = full_path.DirName().AsEndingWithSeparator();
   // ParseDisplayName will fail if the directory is "C:", it must be "C:\\".
   if (dir.empty())