diff --git a/crypto/api.c b/crypto/api.c
index d019d1979857..be9ee104ffc2 100644
--- a/crypto/api.c
+++ b/crypto/api.c
@@ -418,7 +418,6 @@ struct crypto_tfm *__crypto_alloc_tfmgfp(struct crypto_alg *alg, u32 type,
 		goto out_err;
 
 	tfm->__crt_alg = alg;
-	refcount_set(&tfm->refcnt, 1);
 
 	if (!tfm->exit && alg->cra_init && (err = alg->cra_init(tfm)))
 		goto cra_init_failed;
@@ -519,7 +518,6 @@ static void *crypto_alloc_tfmmem(struct crypto_alg *alg,
 	tfm = (struct crypto_tfm *)(mem + tfmsize);
 	tfm->__crt_alg = alg;
 	tfm->node = node;
-	refcount_set(&tfm->refcnt, 1);
 
 	return mem;
 }
@@ -649,8 +647,6 @@ void crypto_destroy_tfm(void *mem, struct crypto_tfm *tfm)
 	if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(mem))
 		return;
 
-	if (!refcount_dec_and_test(&tfm->refcnt))
-		return;
 	alg = tfm->__crt_alg;
 
 	if (!tfm->exit && alg->cra_exit)
diff --git a/crypto/internal.h b/crypto/internal.h
index 96f84abfac91..b6e437f463d4 100644
--- a/crypto/internal.h
+++ b/crypto/internal.h
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 #include <crypto/algapi.h>
 #include <linux/completion.h>
-#include <linux/err.h>
 #include <linux/jump_label.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
@@ -209,10 +208,5 @@ static inline int crypto_is_test_larval(struct crypto_larval *larval)
 	return larval->alg.cra_driver_name[0];
 }
 
-static inline struct crypto_tfm *crypto_tfm_get(struct crypto_tfm *tfm)
-{
-	return refcount_inc_not_zero(&tfm->refcnt) ? tfm : ERR_PTR(-EOVERFLOW);
-}
-
 #endif	/* _CRYPTO_INTERNAL_H */
 
diff --git a/include/linux/crypto.h b/include/linux/crypto.h
index a2137e19be7d..b7c97f1c47c9 100644
--- a/include/linux/crypto.h
+++ b/include/linux/crypto.h
@@ -409,7 +409,6 @@ int crypto_has_alg(const char *name, u32 type, u32 mask);
  */
 
 struct crypto_tfm {
-	refcount_t refcnt;
 
 	u32 crt_flags;