diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index 0ed03b7..9b0f8ac 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
     DriveInfo *dinfo = drive_get_by_blockdev(bs);
 
     if (dinfo && dinfo->auto_del) {
-        drive_put_ref(dinfo);
+        drive_del(dinfo);
     }
 }
 
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
     error_printf(" %s", name);
 }
 
-static void drive_del(DriveInfo *dinfo)
+void drive_del(DriveInfo *dinfo)
 {
     if (dinfo->opts) {
         qemu_opts_del(dinfo->opts);
@@ -226,19 +226,6 @@
     g_free(dinfo);
 }
 
-void drive_put_ref(DriveInfo *dinfo)
-{
-    assert(dinfo->refcount);
-    if (--dinfo->refcount == 0) {
-        drive_del(dinfo);
-    }
-}
-
-void drive_get_ref(DriveInfo *dinfo)
-{
-    dinfo->refcount++;
-}
-
 typedef struct {
     QEMUBH *bh;
     BlockDriverState *bs;
@@ -497,7 +484,6 @@
     dinfo->bdrv->open_flags = snapshot ? BDRV_O_SNAPSHOT : 0;
     dinfo->bdrv->read_only = ro;
     dinfo->bdrv->detect_zeroes = detect_zeroes;
-    dinfo->refcount = 1;
     QTAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&drives, dinfo, next);
 
     bdrv_set_on_error(dinfo->bdrv, on_read_error, on_write_error);
diff --git a/device-hotplug.c b/device-hotplug.c
index fc09d10..e6a1ffb 100644
--- a/device-hotplug.c
+++ b/device-hotplug.c
@@ -76,6 +76,6 @@
 
 err:
     if (dinfo) {
-        drive_put_ref(dinfo);
+        drive_del(dinfo);
     }
 }
diff --git a/hw/ide/piix.c b/hw/ide/piix.c
index 40757eb..8651726 100644
--- a/hw/ide/piix.c
+++ b/hw/ide/piix.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@
             }
             bdrv_close(di->bdrv);
             pci_ide->bus[di->bus].ifs[di->unit].bs = NULL;
-            drive_put_ref(di);
+            drive_del(di);
         }
     }
     qdev_reset_all(DEVICE(dev));
diff --git a/include/sysemu/blockdev.h b/include/sysemu/blockdev.h
index 0fdbd68..23a5d10 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/blockdev.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/blockdev.h
@@ -43,21 +43,19 @@
     QemuOpts *opts;
     char *serial;
     QTAILQ_ENTRY(DriveInfo) next;
-    int refcount;
 };
 
 DriveInfo *drive_get(BlockInterfaceType type, int bus, int unit);
 DriveInfo *drive_get_by_index(BlockInterfaceType type, int index);
 int drive_get_max_bus(BlockInterfaceType type);
 DriveInfo *drive_get_next(BlockInterfaceType type);
-void drive_get_ref(DriveInfo *dinfo);
-void drive_put_ref(DriveInfo *dinfo);
 DriveInfo *drive_get_by_blockdev(BlockDriverState *bs);
 
 QemuOpts *drive_def(const char *optstr);
 QemuOpts *drive_add(BlockInterfaceType type, int index, const char *file,
                     const char *optstr);
 DriveInfo *drive_new(QemuOpts *arg, BlockInterfaceType block_default_type);
+void drive_del(DriveInfo *dinfo);
 
 /* device-hotplug */