diff --git a/bucket_map/src/bucket.rs b/bucket_map/src/bucket.rs
index c1160452748d8e..505b1a79a02768 100644
--- a/bucket_map/src/bucket.rs
+++ b/bucket_map/src/bucket.rs
@@ -256,22 +256,6 @@ impl<'b, T: Clone + Copy + 'static> Bucket<T> {
         Err(BucketMapError::IndexNoSpace(index.capacity_pow2))
     }
 
-    pub fn addref(&mut self, key: &Pubkey) -> Option<RefCount> {
-        if let Ok((Some(elem), _)) = Self::find_index_entry_mut(&mut self.index, key, self.random) {
-            elem.ref_count += 1;
-            return Some(elem.ref_count);
-        }
-        None
-    }
-
-    pub fn unref(&mut self, key: &Pubkey) -> Option<RefCount> {
-        if let Ok((Some(elem), _)) = Self::find_index_entry_mut(&mut self.index, key, self.random) {
-            elem.ref_count -= 1;
-            return Some(elem.ref_count);
-        }
-        None
-    }
-
     pub fn read_value(&self, key: &Pubkey) -> Option<(&[T], RefCount)> {
         //debug!("READ_VALUE: {:?}", key);
         let (elem, _) = self.find_index_entry(key)?;
diff --git a/bucket_map/src/bucket_api.rs b/bucket_map/src/bucket_api.rs
index 695d6836b9aeb4..c4be1cd24e3d8b 100644
--- a/bucket_map/src/bucket_api.rs
+++ b/bucket_map/src/bucket_api.rs
@@ -98,18 +98,6 @@ impl<T: Clone + Copy> BucketApi<T> {
         bucket
     }
 
-    pub fn addref(&self, key: &Pubkey) -> Option<RefCount> {
-        self.get_write_bucket()
-            .as_mut()
-            .and_then(|bucket| bucket.addref(key))
-    }
-
-    pub fn unref(&self, key: &Pubkey) -> Option<RefCount> {
-        self.get_write_bucket()
-            .as_mut()
-            .and_then(|bucket| bucket.unref(key))
-    }
-
     pub fn insert(&self, pubkey: &Pubkey, value: (&[T], RefCount)) {
         let mut bucket = self.get_write_bucket();
         bucket.as_mut().unwrap().insert(pubkey, value)
diff --git a/bucket_map/src/bucket_map.rs b/bucket_map/src/bucket_map.rs
index 3b7d404c4b9e38..0193642c408022 100644
--- a/bucket_map/src/bucket_map.rs
+++ b/bucket_map/src/bucket_map.rs
@@ -158,20 +158,6 @@ impl<T: Clone + Copy + Debug> BucketMap<T> {
             0
         }
     }
-
-    /// Increment the refcount for Pubkey `key`
-    pub fn addref(&self, key: &Pubkey) -> Option<RefCount> {
-        let ix = self.bucket_ix(key);
-        let bucket = &self.buckets[ix];
-        bucket.addref(key)
-    }
-
-    /// Decrement the refcount for Pubkey `key`
-    pub fn unref(&self, key: &Pubkey) -> Option<RefCount> {
-        let ix = self.bucket_ix(key);
-        let bucket = &self.buckets[ix];
-        bucket.unref(key)
-    }
 }
 
 /// Look at the first 8 bytes of the input and reinterpret them as a u64
@@ -498,13 +484,7 @@ mod tests {
                     rc = if inc { rc + 1 } else { rc - 1 };
                     hm.insert(k, (v.to_vec(), rc));
                     maps.iter().for_each(|map| {
-                        if thread_rng().gen_range(0, 2) == 0 {
-                            map.update(&k, |current| Some((current.unwrap().0.to_vec(), rc)))
-                        } else if inc {
-                            map.addref(&k);
-                        } else {
-                            map.unref(&k);
-                        }
+                        map.update(&k, |current| Some((current.unwrap().0.to_vec(), rc)))
                     });
 
                     return_key(k);