diff --git a/Source/cmCommands.cxx b/Source/cmCommands.cxx
index f351ff80e2..a9be4452db 100644
--- a/Source/cmCommands.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmCommands.cxx
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ void GetScriptingCommands(cmState* state)
                            cm::make_unique<cmExecProgramCommand>());
   state->AddBuiltinCommand("execute_process",
                            cm::make_unique<cmExecuteProcessCommand>());
-  state->AddBuiltinCommand("file", cm::make_unique<cmFileCommand>());
+  state->AddBuiltinCommand("file", cmFileCommand);
   state->AddBuiltinCommand("find_file", cm::make_unique<cmFindFileCommand>());
   state->AddBuiltinCommand("find_library",
                            cm::make_unique<cmFindLibraryCommand>());
diff --git a/Source/cmFileCommand.cxx b/Source/cmFileCommand.cxx
index 652e3c5fa9..3292dc0d29 100644
--- a/Source/cmFileCommand.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmFileCommand.cxx
@@ -2770,8 +2770,8 @@ bool HandleGetRuntimeDependenciesCommand(std::vector<std::string> const& args,
 
 } // namespace
 
-bool cmFileCommand::InitialPass(std::vector<std::string> const& args,
-                                cmExecutionStatus& status)
+bool cmFileCommand(std::vector<std::string> const& args,
+                   cmExecutionStatus& status)
 {
   if (args.size() < 2) {
     status.SetError("must be called with at least two arguments.");
diff --git a/Source/cmFileCommand.h b/Source/cmFileCommand.h
index b5645400cd..8c9b21990a 100644
--- a/Source/cmFileCommand.h
+++ b/Source/cmFileCommand.h
@@ -8,33 +8,9 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
-#include "cm_memory.hxx"
-
-#include "cmCommand.h"
-
 class cmExecutionStatus;
 
-/** \class cmFileCommand
- * \brief Command for manipulation of files
- *
- */
-class cmFileCommand : public cmCommand
-{
-public:
-  /**
-   * This is a virtual constructor for the command.
-   */
-  std::unique_ptr<cmCommand> Clone() override
-  {
-    return cm::make_unique<cmFileCommand>();
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * This is called when the command is first encountered in
-   * the CMakeLists.txt file.
-   */
-  bool InitialPass(std::vector<std::string> const& args,
-                   cmExecutionStatus& status) override;
-};
+bool cmFileCommand(std::vector<std::string> const& args,
+                   cmExecutionStatus& status);
 
 #endif