diff --git a/includes/common.inc b/includes/common.inc
index 0190d189af3..0f93e34da53 100644
--- a/includes/common.inc
+++ b/includes/common.inc
@@ -5537,9 +5537,6 @@ function drupal_common_theme() {
     'table' => array(
       'variables' => array('header' => NULL, 'rows' => NULL, 'attributes' => array(), 'caption' => NULL, 'colgroups' => array(), 'sticky' => TRUE, 'empty' => ''),
     ),
-    'table_select_header_cell' => array(
-      'variables' => array(),
-    ),
     'tablesort_indicator' => array(
       'variables' => array('style' => NULL),
     ),
diff --git a/includes/form.inc b/includes/form.inc
index affd82b0e30..68f24f65cfa 100644
--- a/includes/form.inc
+++ b/includes/form.inc
@@ -2542,8 +2542,10 @@ function theme_tableselect($variables) {
     }
     // Add an empty header or a "Select all" checkbox to provide room for the
     // checkboxes/radios in the first table column.
-    $first_col = $element['#js_select'] ? array(theme('table_select_header_cell')) : array('');
-    $header = array_merge($first_col, $header);
+    if ($element['#js_select']) {
+      drupal_add_js('misc/tableselect.js');
+      array_unshift($header, array('class' => array('select-all')));
+    }
   }
   return theme('table', array('header' => $header, 'rows' => $rows, 'empty' => $element['#empty'], 'attributes' => $element['#attributes']));
 }
diff --git a/includes/theme.inc b/includes/theme.inc
index 7ddba732b8c..705ba1328c7 100644
--- a/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/includes/theme.inc
@@ -1743,18 +1743,6 @@ function theme_table($variables) {
   return $output;
 }
 
-/**
- * Returns attributes for a header cell of tables with select all functionality.
- *
- * @return
- *   An array of attributes.
- */
-function theme_table_select_header_cell() {
-  drupal_add_js('misc/tableselect.js');
-
-  return array('class' => array('select-all'));
-}
-
 /**
  * Returns HTML for a sort icon.
  *
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/simpletest.pages.inc b/modules/simpletest/simpletest.pages.inc
index 0fff1889c1d..49bf3ec5714 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/simpletest.pages.inc
+++ b/modules/simpletest/simpletest.pages.inc
@@ -71,10 +71,11 @@ function theme_simpletest_test_table($variables) {
 
   drupal_add_css(drupal_get_path('module', 'simpletest') . '/simpletest.css');
   drupal_add_js(drupal_get_path('module', 'simpletest') . '/simpletest.js');
+  drupal_add_js('misc/tableselect.js');
 
   // Create header for test selection table.
   $header = array(
-    theme('table_select_header_cell'),
+    array('class' => array('select-all')),
     array('data' => t('Test'), 'class' => array('simpletest_test')),
     array('data' => t('Description'), 'class' => array('simpletest_description')),
   );