diff --git a/amdgpu/amdgpu_bo.c b/amdgpu/amdgpu_bo.c
index 803fe54..3853fd0 100644
--- a/amdgpu/amdgpu_bo.c
+++ b/amdgpu/amdgpu_bo.c
@@ -53,27 +53,6 @@
 	drmIoctl(dev->fd, DRM_IOCTL_GEM_CLOSE, &args);
 }
 
-drm_private void amdgpu_bo_free_internal(amdgpu_bo_handle bo)
-{
-	/* Remove the buffer from the hash tables. */
-	util_hash_table_remove(bo->dev->bo_handles,
-			       (void*)(uintptr_t)bo->handle);
-	if (bo->flink_name) {
-		util_hash_table_remove(bo->dev->bo_flink_names,
-				       (void*)(uintptr_t)bo->flink_name);
-	}
-
-	/* Release CPU access. */
-	if (bo->cpu_map_count > 0) {
-		bo->cpu_map_count = 1;
-		amdgpu_bo_cpu_unmap(bo);
-	}
-
-	amdgpu_close_kms_handle(bo->dev, bo->handle);
-	pthread_mutex_destroy(&bo->cpu_access_mutex);
-	free(bo);
-}
-
 int amdgpu_bo_alloc(amdgpu_device_handle dev,
 		    struct amdgpu_bo_alloc_request *alloc_buffer,
 		    amdgpu_bo_handle *buf_handle)
@@ -417,8 +396,35 @@
 
 int amdgpu_bo_free(amdgpu_bo_handle buf_handle)
 {
-	/* Just drop the reference. */
-	amdgpu_bo_reference(&buf_handle, NULL);
+	struct amdgpu_device *dev;
+	struct amdgpu_bo *bo = buf_handle;
+
+	assert(bo != NULL);
+	dev = bo->dev;
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&dev->bo_table_mutex);
+
+	if (update_references(&bo->refcount, NULL)) {
+		/* Remove the buffer from the hash tables. */
+		util_hash_table_remove(dev->bo_handles,
+					(void*)(uintptr_t)bo->handle);
+
+		if (bo->flink_name) {
+			util_hash_table_remove(dev->bo_flink_names,
+						(void*)(uintptr_t)bo->flink_name);
+		}
+
+		/* Release CPU access. */
+		if (bo->cpu_map_count > 0) {
+			bo->cpu_map_count = 1;
+			amdgpu_bo_cpu_unmap(bo);
+		}
+
+		amdgpu_close_kms_handle(dev, bo->handle);
+		pthread_mutex_destroy(&bo->cpu_access_mutex);
+		free(bo);
+	}
+
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&dev->bo_table_mutex);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/amdgpu/amdgpu_internal.h b/amdgpu/amdgpu_internal.h
index 28d1f38..56d1511 100644
--- a/amdgpu/amdgpu_internal.h
+++ b/amdgpu/amdgpu_internal.h
@@ -143,8 +143,6 @@
  * Functions.
  */
 
-drm_private void amdgpu_bo_free_internal(amdgpu_bo_handle bo);
-
 drm_private void amdgpu_vamgr_init(struct amdgpu_bo_va_mgr *mgr, uint64_t start,
 		       uint64_t max, uint64_t alignment);
 
@@ -189,35 +187,4 @@
 	return false;
 }
 
-/**
- * Assignment between two amdgpu_bo pointers with reference counting.
- *
- * Usage:
- *    struct amdgpu_bo *dst = ... , *src = ...;
- *
- *    dst = src;
- *    // No reference counting. Only use this when you need to move
- *    // a reference from one pointer to another.
- *
- *    amdgpu_bo_reference(&dst, src);
- *    // Reference counters are updated. dst is decremented and src is
- *    // incremented. dst is freed if its reference counter is 0.
- */
-static inline void amdgpu_bo_reference(struct amdgpu_bo **dst,
-					struct amdgpu_bo *src)
-{
-	pthread_mutex_t *mlock;
-	struct amdgpu_bo* bo = *dst;
-
-	assert(bo != NULL);
-	mlock = &bo->dev->bo_table_mutex;
-	pthread_mutex_lock(mlock);
-
-	if (update_references(&bo->refcount, src?&src->refcount:NULL))
-		amdgpu_bo_free_internal(bo);
-
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(mlock);
-	*dst = src;
-}
-
 #endif