diff --git a/locator/snitch_base.cc b/locator/snitch_base.cc
index 2f78abfe7a..7c8eb90f31 100644
--- a/locator/snitch_base.cc
+++ b/locator/snitch_base.cc
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
  */
 
 #include "locator/snitch_base.hh"
-#include "gms/gossiper.hh"
 #include "gms/application_state.hh"
 
 namespace locator {
@@ -21,8 +20,8 @@ std::list<std::pair<gms::application_state, gms::versioned_value>> snitch_base::
     };
 }
 
-snitch_ptr::snitch_ptr(const snitch_config cfg, sharded<gms::gossiper>& g)
-        : _gossiper(g) {
+snitch_ptr::snitch_ptr(const snitch_config cfg)
+{
     i_endpoint_snitch::ptr_type s;
     try {
         s = create_object<i_endpoint_snitch>(cfg.name, cfg);
diff --git a/locator/snitch_base.hh b/locator/snitch_base.hh
index 22c90f7df3..f7bf2bad14 100644
--- a/locator/snitch_base.hh
+++ b/locator/snitch_base.hh
@@ -206,17 +206,10 @@ struct snitch_ptr : public peering_sharded_service<snitch_ptr> {
         return _ptr ? true : false;
     }
 
-    snitch_ptr(const snitch_config cfg, sharded<gms::gossiper>&);
-
-    gms::gossiper& get_local_gossiper() noexcept { return _gossiper.local(); }
-    const gms::gossiper& get_local_gossiper() const noexcept { return _gossiper.local(); }
-
-    sharded<gms::gossiper>& get_gossiper() noexcept { return _gossiper; }
-    const sharded<gms::gossiper>& get_gossiper() const noexcept { return _gossiper; }
+    snitch_ptr(const snitch_config cfg);
 
 private:
     ptr_type _ptr;
-    sharded<gms::gossiper>& _gossiper;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -246,7 +239,7 @@ inline future<> i_endpoint_snitch::reset_snitch(snitch_config cfg) {
         // (1) create a new snitch
         distributed<snitch_ptr> tmp_snitch;
         try {
-            tmp_snitch.start(cfg, std::ref(get_local_snitch_ptr().get_gossiper())).get();
+            tmp_snitch.start(cfg).get();
 
             // (2) start the local instances of the new snitch
             tmp_snitch.invoke_on_all([] (snitch_ptr& local_inst) {
diff --git a/main.cc b/main.cc
index b7e746c081..74c792d863 100644
--- a/main.cc
+++ b/main.cc
@@ -895,7 +895,7 @@ To start the scylla server proper, simply invoke as: scylla server (or just scyl
             snitch_cfg.broadcast_rpc_address_specified_by_user = !cfg->broadcast_rpc_address().empty();
             snitch_cfg.listen_address = utils::resolve(cfg->listen_address, family).get0();
             sharded<locator::snitch_ptr>& snitch = i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance();
-            snitch.start(snitch_cfg, std::ref(gossiper)).get();
+            snitch.start(snitch_cfg).get();
             auto stop_snitch = defer_verbose_shutdown("snitch", [&snitch] {
                 snitch.stop().get();
             });
diff --git a/test/boost/gossiping_property_file_snitch_test.cc b/test/boost/gossiping_property_file_snitch_test.cc
index 7668c3f61c..0063e81e20 100644
--- a/test/boost/gossiping_property_file_snitch_test.cc
+++ b/test/boost/gossiping_property_file_snitch_test.cc
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 #include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 #include "locator/gossiping_property_file_snitch.hh"
 #include "utils/fb_utilities.hh"
-#include "gms/gossiper.hh"
 #include <seastar/testing/test_case.hh>
 #include <seastar/util/std-compat.hh>
 #include <seastar/core/reactor.hh>
@@ -21,10 +20,9 @@
 namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
 static fs::path test_files_subdir("test/resource/snitch_property_files");
-static sharded<gms::gossiper> gossiper;
 
 static future<> create_snitch(locator::snitch_config cfg) {
-    return locator::i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance().start(cfg, std::ref(gossiper)).then([] {
+    return locator::i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance().start(cfg).then([] {
         return locator::i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance().invoke_on_all(&locator::snitch_ptr::start);
     });
 }
diff --git a/test/boost/network_topology_strategy_test.cc b/test/boost/network_topology_strategy_test.cc
index 6c5aa392dd..0f1e619b6a 100644
--- a/test/boost/network_topology_strategy_test.cc
+++ b/test/boost/network_topology_strategy_test.cc
@@ -193,9 +193,8 @@ void simple_test() {
     // Create the RackInferringSnitch
     snitch_config cfg;
     cfg.name = "RackInferringSnitch";
-    sharded<gms::gossiper> g;
     sharded<snitch_ptr>& snitch = i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance();
-    snitch.start(cfg, std::ref(g)).get();
+    snitch.start(cfg).get();
     auto stop_snitch = defer([&snitch] { snitch.stop().get(); });
     snitch.invoke_on_all(&snitch_ptr::start).get();
 
@@ -278,9 +277,8 @@ void heavy_origin_test() {
     // Create the RackInferringSnitch
     snitch_config cfg;
     cfg.name = "RackInferringSnitch";
-    sharded<gms::gossiper> g;
     sharded<snitch_ptr>& snitch = i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance();
-    snitch.start(cfg, std::ref(g)).get();
+    snitch.start(cfg).get();
     auto stop_snitch = defer([&snitch] { snitch.stop().get(); });
     snitch.invoke_on_all(&snitch_ptr::start).get();
 
diff --git a/test/boost/snitch_reset_test.cc b/test/boost/snitch_reset_test.cc
index 9d2efa4e07..72201bf228 100644
--- a/test/boost/snitch_reset_test.cc
+++ b/test/boost/snitch_reset_test.cc
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 #include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 #include "locator/gossiping_property_file_snitch.hh"
 #include "utils/fb_utilities.hh"
-#include "gms/gossiper.hh"
 #include <seastar/testing/test_case.hh>
 #include <seastar/util/std-compat.hh>
 #include <vector>
@@ -40,7 +39,6 @@ future<> one_test(const std::string& property_fname1,
         auto cpu0_dc_new = make_lw_shared<sstring>();
         auto cpu0_rack_new = make_lw_shared<sstring>();
         auto my_address = utils::fb_utilities::get_broadcast_address();
-        sharded<gms::gossiper> g;
         sharded<snitch_ptr>& snitch = i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance();
 
         try {
@@ -54,7 +52,7 @@ future<> one_test(const std::string& property_fname1,
                 snitch_config cfg;
                 cfg.name = "org.apache.cassandra.locator.GossipingPropertyFileSnitch";
                 cfg.properties_file_name = fname1.string();
-                snitch.start(cfg, std::ref(g)).get();
+                snitch.start(cfg).get();
                 snitch.invoke_on_all(&snitch_ptr::start).get();
             } catch (std::exception& e) {
                 printf("%s\n", e.what());
diff --git a/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc b/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc
index a2529174f2..8b184efe3c 100644
--- a/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc
+++ b/test/lib/cql_test_env.cc
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ public:
             gossiper.invoke_on_all(&gms::gossiper::start).get();
 
             sharded<locator::snitch_ptr>& snitch = locator::i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance();
-            snitch.start(locator::snitch_config{}, std::ref(gossiper)).get();
+            snitch.start(locator::snitch_config{}).get();
             auto stop_snitch = defer([&snitch] { snitch.stop().get(); });
             snitch.invoke_on_all(&locator::snitch_ptr::start).get();
 
diff --git a/test/manual/ec2_snitch_test.cc b/test/manual/ec2_snitch_test.cc
index e4baa11040..b911e056a5 100644
--- a/test/manual/ec2_snitch_test.cc
+++ b/test/manual/ec2_snitch_test.cc
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 
 #include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 #include "locator/ec2_snitch.hh"
-#include "gms/gossiper.hh"
 #include "utils/fb_utilities.hh"
 #include <seastar/testing/test_case.hh>
 #include <seastar/util/std-compat.hh>
@@ -38,9 +37,8 @@ future<> one_test(const std::string& property_fname, bool exp_result) {
     snitch_config cfg;
     cfg.name = "Ec2Snitch";
     cfg.properties_file_name = fname.string();
-    sharded<gms::gossiper> g;
-    auto start = [cfg, &g] {
-        return i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance().start(cfg, std::ref(g)).then([] {
+    auto start = [cfg] {
+        return i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance().start(cfg).then([] {
             return i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance().invoke_on_all(&snitch_ptr::start);
         });
     };
diff --git a/test/manual/gce_snitch_test.cc b/test/manual/gce_snitch_test.cc
index c9f25dfd9b..ed975d05bb 100644
--- a/test/manual/gce_snitch_test.cc
+++ b/test/manual/gce_snitch_test.cc
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 #include <seastar/http/httpd.hh>
 #include <seastar/net/inet_address.hh>
 #include <seastar/util/std-compat.hh>
-#include "gms/gossiper.hh"
 
 namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
@@ -85,9 +84,8 @@ future<> one_test(const std::string& property_fname, bool exp_result) {
             cfg.name = "GoogleCloudSnitch";
             cfg.properties_file_name = fname.string();
             cfg.gce_meta_server_url = meta_url;
-            sharded<gms::gossiper> g;
             sharded<snitch_ptr>& snitch = i_endpoint_snitch::snitch_instance();
-            snitch.start(cfg, std::ref(g)).get();
+            snitch.start(cfg).get();
             snitch.invoke_on_all(&snitch_ptr::start).get();
             if (!exp_result) {
                 BOOST_ERROR("Failed to catch an error in a malformed configuration file");