diff --git a/hphp/idl/asio.idl.json b/hphp/idl/asio.idl.json
index c6e364fa6..817dee191 100644
--- a/hphp/idl/asio.idl.json
+++ b/hphp/idl/asio.idl.json
@@ -449,25 +449,6 @@
                     "args": [
                     ]
                 },
-                {
-                    "name": "start",
-                    "desc": "Start asynchronous execution of a given Continuation",
-                    "flags": [
-                        "IsStatic",
-                        "HasDocComment"
-                    ],
-                    "return": {
-                        "type": "Object",
-                        "desc": "A WaitHandle representing started Continuation"
-                    },
-                    "args": [
-                        {
-                            "name": "continuation",
-                            "type": "Object",
-                            "desc": "A Continuation to be started"
-                        }
-                    ]
-                },
                 {
                     "name": "getPrivData",
                     "desc": "Get user's private data",
diff --git a/hphp/runtime/ext/asio/continuation_wait_handle.cpp b/hphp/runtime/ext/asio/continuation_wait_handle.cpp
index e57ff1f7d..79066a6bc 100644
--- a/hphp/runtime/ext/asio/continuation_wait_handle.cpp
+++ b/hphp/runtime/ext/asio/continuation_wait_handle.cpp
@@ -43,18 +43,15 @@ c_ContinuationWaitHandle::~c_ContinuationWaitHandle() {
 
 void c_ContinuationWaitHandle::t___construct() {
   Object e(SystemLib::AllocInvalidOperationExceptionObject(
-        "Use ContinuationWaitHandle::start() instead of constructor"));
+        "Use $continuation->getWaitHandle() instead of constructor"));
   throw e;
 }
 
-Object c_ContinuationWaitHandle::ti_start(const char* cls, CObjRef continuation) {
-  AsioSession* session = AsioSession::Get();
-  if (UNLIKELY(!continuation.instanceof(SystemLib::s_ContinuationClass))) {
-    Object e(SystemLib::AllocInvalidArgumentExceptionObject(
-        "Expected continuation to be an instance of Continuation"));
-    throw e;
-  }
+void c_ContinuationWaitHandle::Create(c_Continuation* continuation) {
+  assert(continuation);
+  assert(continuation->m_waitHandle.isNull());
 
+  AsioSession* session = AsioSession::Get();
   uint16_t depth = session->getCurrentWaitHandleDepth();
   if (UNLIKELY(depth >= MAX_DEPTH)) {
     Object e(SystemLib::AllocInvalidOperationExceptionObject(
@@ -62,29 +59,21 @@ Object c_ContinuationWaitHandle::ti_start(const char* cls, CObjRef continuation)
     throw e;
   }
 
-  c_Continuation* cont = static_cast<c_Continuation*>(continuation.get());
-  if (!cont->m_waitHandle.isNull()) {
-    if (session->isInContext()) {
-      // throws if cross-context cycle found
-      cont->m_waitHandle->enterContext(session->getCurrentContextIdx());
-    }
-    return cont->m_waitHandle;
-  }
-
-  if (UNLIKELY(cont->m_index != -1)) {
+  if (UNLIKELY(continuation->m_index != -1)) {
     Object e(SystemLib::AllocInvalidOperationExceptionObject(
-      cont->m_running
+      continuation->m_running
       ? "Encountered an attempt to start currently running continuation"
       : "Encountered an attempt to start tainted continuation"));
     throw e;
   }
 
-  p_ContinuationWaitHandle wh = NEWOBJ(c_ContinuationWaitHandle)();
-  wh->start(cont, depth + 1);
+  continuation->m_waitHandle = NEWOBJ(c_ContinuationWaitHandle)();
+  continuation->m_waitHandle->initialize(continuation, depth + 1);
+
+  // needs to be called after continuation->m_waitHandle is set
   if (UNLIKELY(session->hasOnStartedCallback())) {
-    session->onStarted(wh);
+    session->onStarted(continuation->m_waitHandle);
   }
-  return wh;
 }
 
 Object c_ContinuationWaitHandle::t_getprivdata() {
@@ -95,12 +84,11 @@ void c_ContinuationWaitHandle::t_setprivdata(CObjRef data) {
   m_privData = data;
 }
 
-void c_ContinuationWaitHandle::start(c_Continuation* continuation, uint16_t depth) {
+void c_ContinuationWaitHandle::initialize(c_Continuation* continuation, uint16_t depth) {
   m_continuation = continuation;
   m_child = nullptr;
   m_privData = nullptr;
   m_depth = depth;
-  continuation->m_waitHandle = this;
 
   setState(STATE_SCHEDULED);
   if (isInContext()) {
diff --git a/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_asio.h b/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_asio.h
index 4084115ad..d2d888d5d 100644
--- a/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_asio.h
+++ b/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_asio.h
@@ -280,15 +280,12 @@ class c_ContinuationWaitHandle : public c_BlockableWaitHandle {
   public: c_ContinuationWaitHandle(VM::Class* cls = c_ContinuationWaitHandle::s_cls);
   public: ~c_ContinuationWaitHandle();
   public: void t___construct();
-  public: static Object ti_start(const char* cls , CObjRef continuation);
-  public: static Object t_start(CObjRef continuation) {
-    return ti_start("continuationwaithandle", continuation);
-  }
   public: Object t_getprivdata();
   public: void t_setprivdata(CObjRef data);
 
 
  public:
+  static void Create(c_Continuation* continuation);
   void run();
   uint16_t getDepth() { return m_depth; }
   String getName();
@@ -300,7 +297,7 @@ class c_ContinuationWaitHandle : public c_BlockableWaitHandle {
   c_WaitableWaitHandle* getChild();
 
  private:
-  void start(c_Continuation* continuation, uint16_t depth);
+  void initialize(c_Continuation* continuation, uint16_t depth);
   void markAsSucceeded(const TypedValue* result);
   void markAsFailed(CObjRef exception);
 
diff --git a/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_continuation.cpp b/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_continuation.cpp
index ab2de3f06..05dd51684 100644
--- a/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_continuation.cpp
+++ b/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_continuation.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,11 @@ void c_Continuation::t_update(int64_t label, CVarRef value) {
 }
 
 Object c_Continuation::t_getwaithandle() {
-  return m_waitHandle.isNull() ? c_ContinuationWaitHandle::t_start(this) : m_waitHandle;
+  if (m_waitHandle.isNull()) {
+    c_ContinuationWaitHandle::Create(this);
+    assert(!m_waitHandle.isNull());
+  }
+  return m_waitHandle;
 }
 
 int64_t c_Continuation::t_getlabel() {
diff --git a/hphp/system/class_map.cpp b/hphp/system/class_map.cpp
index c573cfe90..4d0b5bb22 100644
--- a/hphp/system/class_map.cpp
+++ b/hphp/system/class_map.cpp
@@ -24852,12 +24852,6 @@ const char *g_class_map[] = {
   (const char *)0x8 /* KindOfNull */, NULL,
   NULL,
   NULL,
-  (const char *)0x10006240, "start", "", (const char*)0, (const char*)0,
-  "/**\n * ( excerpt from http://php.net/manual/en/continuationwaithandle.start.php\n * )\n *\n * Start asynchronous execution of a given Continuation\n *\n * @continuation\n *             object  A Continuation to be started\n *\n * @return     object  A WaitHandle representing started Continuation\n */",
-  (const char *)0x40 /* KindOfObject */, (const char *)0x2000, "continuation", "", (const char *)0x40 /* KindOfObject */, "", (const char *)0, "", (const char *)0, NULL,
-  NULL,
-  NULL,
-  NULL,
   (const char *)0x10006040, "getPrivData", "", (const char*)0, (const char*)0,
   "/**\n * ( excerpt from\n * http://php.net/manual/en/continuationwaithandle.getprivdata.php )\n *\n * Get user's private data\n *\n * @return     object  An Object with user's private data\n */",
   (const char *)0x40 /* KindOfObject */, NULL,