diff --git a/src/common/logging/vst3.cpp b/src/common/logging/vst3.cpp
index b259da24..d75c4e8a 100644
--- a/src/common/logging/vst3.cpp
+++ b/src/common/logging/vst3.cpp
@@ -322,13 +322,7 @@ bool Vst3Logger::log_request(bool is_host_vst,
                              const YaPluginBase::Initialize& request) {
     return log_request_base(is_host_vst, [&](auto& message) {
         message << request.instance_id
-                << ": IPluginBase::initialize(context = ";
-        if (request.host_context_args) {
-            message << "<FUnknown*>";
-        } else {
-            message << "<nullptr>";
-        }
-        message << ")";
+                << ": IPluginBase::initialize(context = <FUnknown*>)";
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/common/serialization/vst3/plugin/plugin-base.h b/src/common/serialization/vst3/plugin/plugin-base.h
index ad89d37f..5958ac9b 100644
--- a/src/common/serialization/vst3/plugin/plugin-base.h
+++ b/src/common/serialization/vst3/plugin/plugin-base.h
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include <bitsery/ext/std_optional.h>
 #include <pluginterfaces/base/ipluginbase.h>
 
 #include "../../common.h"
@@ -77,12 +76,12 @@ class YaPluginBase : public Steinberg::IPluginBase {
 
         native_size_t instance_id;
 
-        std::optional<Vst3HostContextProxy::ConstructArgs> host_context_args;
+        Vst3HostContextProxy::ConstructArgs host_context_args;
 
         template <typename S>
         void serialize(S& s) {
             s.value8b(instance_id);
-            s.ext(host_context_args, bitsery::ext::StdOptional{});
+            s.object(host_context_args);
         }
     };
 
diff --git a/src/plugin/bridges/vst3-impls/plugin-proxy.cpp b/src/plugin/bridges/vst3-impls/plugin-proxy.cpp
index 6e6861b3..6f2c2ed6 100644
--- a/src/plugin/bridges/vst3-impls/plugin-proxy.cpp
+++ b/src/plugin/bridges/vst3-impls/plugin-proxy.cpp
@@ -394,23 +394,21 @@ tresult PLUGIN_API Vst3PluginProxyImpl::openAboutBox(TBool onlyCheck) {
 }
 
 tresult PLUGIN_API Vst3PluginProxyImpl::initialize(FUnknown* context) {
-    // We will create a proxy object that that supports all the same interfaces
-    // as `context`, and then we'll store `context` in this object. We can then
-    // use it to handle callbacks made by the Windows VST3 plugin to this
-    // context.
-    host_context = context;
+    if (context) {
+        // We will create a proxy object that that supports all the same
+        // interfaces as `context`, and then we'll store `context` in this
+        // object. We can then use it to handle callbacks made by the Windows
+        // VST3 plugin to this context.
+        host_context = context;
 
-    std::optional<Vst3HostContextProxy::ConstructArgs> host_context_args{};
-    if (host_context) {
-        host_context_args =
-            Vst3HostContextProxy::ConstructArgs(host_context, instance_id());
+        return bridge.send_message(YaPluginBase::Initialize{
+            .instance_id = instance_id(),
+            .host_context_args = Vst3HostContextProxy::ConstructArgs(
+                host_context, instance_id())});
     } else {
         bridge.logger.log("Null pointer passed to 'IPluginBase::initialize()'");
+        return Steinberg::kInvalidArgument;
     }
-
-    return bridge.send_message(YaPluginBase::Initialize{
-        .instance_id = instance_id(),
-        .host_context_args = std::move(host_context_args)});
 }
 
 tresult PLUGIN_API Vst3PluginProxyImpl::terminate() {
diff --git a/src/wine-host/bridges/vst3.cpp b/src/wine-host/bridges/vst3.cpp
index 0b0e173a..8a289086 100644
--- a/src/wine-host/bridges/vst3.cpp
+++ b/src/wine-host/bridges/vst3.cpp
@@ -405,22 +405,15 @@ void Vst3Bridge::run() {
             },
             [&](YaPluginBase::Initialize& request)
                 -> YaPluginBase::Initialize::Response {
-                // If we got passed a host context, we'll create a proxy object
-                // and pass that to the initialize function. The lifetime of
-                // this object is tied to that of the actual plugin object we're
-                // proxying for.
+                // We'll create a proxy object for the host context passed by
+                // the host and pass that to the initialize function. The
+                // lifetime of this object is tied to that of the actual plugin
+                // object we're proxying for.
                 // TODO: This needs changing if it turns out we need a
                 //       `Vst3HostProxy`
-                // TODO: Does this have to be run from the UI thread? Figure out
-                //       if it does
-                if (request.host_context_args) {
-                    object_instances[request.instance_id].host_context_proxy =
-                        Steinberg::owned(new Vst3HostContextProxyImpl(
-                            *this, std::move(*request.host_context_args)));
-                } else {
-                    object_instances[request.instance_id].host_context_proxy =
-                        nullptr;
-                }
+                object_instances[request.instance_id].host_context_proxy =
+                    Steinberg::owned(new Vst3HostContextProxyImpl(
+                        *this, std::move(request.host_context_args)));
 
                 // XXX: Should `IPlugView::{initialize,terminate}` be run from
                 //      the main UI thread? I can see how plugins would want to