diff --git a/opal/util/json/opal_json.c b/opal/util/json/opal_json.c
index 646b6fa2751..dd553e6e3b2 100644
--- a/opal/util/json/opal_json.c
+++ b/opal/util/json/opal_json.c
@@ -30,23 +30,19 @@ struct opal_json_internal_t {
 };
 typedef struct opal_json_internal_t opal_json_internal_t;
 
-static void opal_json_internal_reset(opal_json_internal_t *json)
+static void opal_json_internal_free(opal_json_internal_t *json)
 {
-    json->parent.type = OPAL_JSON_TYPE_COUNT;
-    json->value = NULL;
-}
+    if (NULL == json) {
+        return;
+    }
 
-static void opal_json_internal_destruct(opal_json_internal_t *json)
-{
     /* The root JSON object will release the memory of its children */
     if (json->value && NULL == json->value->parent) {
         json_value_free(json->value);
     }
-    opal_json_internal_reset(json);
-}
 
-OBJ_CLASS_INSTANCE(opal_json_internal_t, opal_json_t, opal_json_internal_reset,
-                   opal_json_internal_destruct);
+    free(json);
+}
 
 static inline int opal_json_internal_translate_type(json_type type, opal_json_type *out)
 {
@@ -84,11 +80,13 @@ static inline int opal_json_internal_translate_type(json_type type, opal_json_ty
 
 static int opal_json_internal_new(const json_value *in, opal_json_internal_t **out)
 {
-    int ret = OPAL_SUCCESS;
-    *out = OBJ_NEW(opal_json_internal_t);
+    *out = malloc(sizeof(opal_json_internal_t));
+    if (NULL == *out) {
+        return OPAL_ERROR;
+    }
+
     (*out)->value = (json_value *) in;
-    ret = opal_json_internal_translate_type(in->type, &(*out)->parent.type);
-    return ret;
+    return opal_json_internal_translate_type(in->type, &(*out)->parent.type);
 }
 
 int opal_json_load(const char *str, const size_t len, opal_json_t **json)
@@ -109,7 +107,7 @@ int opal_json_load(const char *str, const size_t len, opal_json_t **json)
     if (OPAL_SUCCESS == ret) {
         *json = (opal_json_t *) out;
     } else if (out) {
-        OBJ_RELEASE(out);
+        opal_json_internal_free(out);
     }
 
     return ret;
@@ -181,7 +179,7 @@ int opal_json_get_key(const opal_json_t *json, const char *key, opal_json_t **ou
     if (OPAL_SUCCESS == ret) {
         *out = (opal_json_t *) result;
     } else if (result) {
-        OBJ_RELEASE(result);
+        opal_json_internal_free(result);
     }
 
     return ret;
@@ -189,9 +187,7 @@ int opal_json_get_key(const opal_json_t *json, const char *key, opal_json_t **ou
 
 void opal_json_free(opal_json_t *json)
 {
-    if (json) {
-        OBJ_RELEASE(json);
-    }
+    opal_json_internal_free((struct opal_json_internal_t *) json);
 }
 
 int opal_json_get_index(const opal_json_t *json, const size_t index, opal_json_t **out)
@@ -213,7 +209,7 @@ int opal_json_get_index(const opal_json_t *json, const size_t index, opal_json_t
     if (OPAL_SUCCESS == ret) {
         *out = (opal_json_t *) result;
     } else if (result) {
-        OBJ_RELEASE(result);
+        opal_json_internal_free(result);
     }
 
     return ret;
diff --git a/opal/util/json/opal_json.h b/opal/util/json/opal_json.h
index f258e93a054..69ad7ac0eab 100644
--- a/opal/util/json/opal_json.h
+++ b/opal/util/json/opal_json.h
@@ -64,13 +64,10 @@ typedef enum {
 } opal_json_type;
 
 struct opal_json_t {
-    opal_object_t super;
     opal_json_type type;
 };
 typedef struct opal_json_t opal_json_t;
 
-OBJ_CLASS_INSTANCE(opal_json_t, opal_object_t, NULL, NULL);
-
 /**
  * Load JSON from a string.
  *