diff --git a/refs/debug.c b/refs/debug.c
index b7ffc4ce67..83b7a0ba65 100644
--- a/refs/debug.c
+++ b/refs/debug.c
@@ -143,20 +143,6 @@ static int debug_create_symref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	return res;
 }
 
-static int debug_delete_refs(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *msg,
-			     struct string_list *refnames, unsigned int flags)
-{
-	struct debug_ref_store *drefs = (struct debug_ref_store *)ref_store;
-	int res =
-		drefs->refs->be->delete_refs(drefs->refs, msg, refnames, flags);
-	int i;
-	trace_printf_key(&trace_refs, "delete_refs {\n");
-	for (i = 0; i < refnames->nr; i++)
-		trace_printf_key(&trace_refs, "%s\n", refnames->items[i].string);
-	trace_printf_key(&trace_refs, "}: %d\n", res);
-	return res;
-}
-
 static int debug_rename_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *oldref,
 			    const char *newref, const char *logmsg)
 {
@@ -458,7 +444,6 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_debug = {
 
 	.pack_refs = debug_pack_refs,
 	.create_symref = debug_create_symref,
-	.delete_refs = debug_delete_refs,
 	.rename_ref = debug_rename_ref,
 	.copy_ref = debug_copy_ref,
 
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 8d28810e67..ad8b1d143f 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -1265,12 +1265,6 @@ static int files_pack_refs(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int files_delete_refs(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *msg,
-			     struct string_list *refnames, unsigned int flags)
-{
-	return refs_delete_refs(ref_store, msg, refnames, flags);
-}
-
 /*
  * People using contrib's git-new-workdir have .git/logs/refs ->
  * /some/other/path/.git/logs/refs, and that may live on another device.
@@ -3258,7 +3252,6 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_files = {
 
 	.pack_refs = files_pack_refs,
 	.create_symref = files_create_symref,
-	.delete_refs = files_delete_refs,
 	.rename_ref = files_rename_ref,
 	.copy_ref = files_copy_ref,
 
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index 1589577005..b9fa097a29 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -1688,12 +1688,6 @@ static int packed_initial_transaction_commit(struct ref_store *ref_store UNUSED,
 	return ref_transaction_commit(transaction, err);
 }
 
-static int packed_delete_refs(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *msg,
-			     struct string_list *refnames, unsigned int flags)
-{
-	return refs_delete_refs(ref_store, msg, refnames, flags);
-}
-
 static int packed_pack_refs(struct ref_store *ref_store UNUSED,
 			    struct pack_refs_opts *pack_opts UNUSED)
 {
@@ -1722,7 +1716,6 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_packed = {
 
 	.pack_refs = packed_pack_refs,
 	.create_symref = NULL,
-	.delete_refs = packed_delete_refs,
 	.rename_ref = NULL,
 	.copy_ref = NULL,
 
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index 9db8aec4da..4af83bf9a5 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -553,8 +553,6 @@ typedef int create_symref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 			     const char *ref_target,
 			     const char *refs_heads_master,
 			     const char *logmsg);
-typedef int delete_refs_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *msg,
-			   struct string_list *refnames, unsigned int flags);
 typedef int rename_ref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 			  const char *oldref, const char *newref,
 			  const char *logmsg);
@@ -677,7 +675,6 @@ struct ref_storage_be {
 
 	pack_refs_fn *pack_refs;
 	create_symref_fn *create_symref;
-	delete_refs_fn *delete_refs;
 	rename_ref_fn *rename_ref;
 	copy_ref_fn *copy_ref;