diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
index 963e0d6b61fd..f90680b33a37 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ struct hist_field {
 	struct hist_field		*operands[HIST_FIELD_OPERANDS_MAX];
 	struct hist_trigger_data	*hist_data;
 	enum hist_field_fn		fn_num;
-	unsigned int			ref;
 	unsigned int			size;
 	unsigned int			offset;
 	unsigned int                    is_signed;
@@ -1913,16 +1912,8 @@ static int contains_operator(char *str, char **sep)
 	return field_op;
 }
 
-static void get_hist_field(struct hist_field *hist_field)
-{
-	hist_field->ref++;
-}
-
 static void __destroy_hist_field(struct hist_field *hist_field)
 {
-	if (--hist_field->ref > 1)
-		return;
-
 	kfree(hist_field->var.name);
 	kfree(hist_field->name);
 
@@ -1969,8 +1960,6 @@ static struct hist_field *create_hist_field(struct hist_trigger_data *hist_data,
 	if (!hist_field)
 		return NULL;
 
-	hist_field->ref = 1;
-
 	hist_field->hist_data = hist_data;
 
 	if (flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_EXPR || flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_ALIAS)
@@ -2223,10 +2212,8 @@ static struct hist_field *create_var_ref(struct hist_trigger_data *hist_data,
 	for (i = 0; i < hist_data->n_var_refs; i++) {
 		ref_field = hist_data->var_refs[i];
 		if (ref_field->var.idx == var_field->var.idx &&
-		    ref_field->var.hist_data == var_field->hist_data) {
-			get_hist_field(ref_field);
+		    ref_field->var.hist_data == var_field->hist_data)
 			return ref_field;
-		}
 	}
 	/* Sanity check to avoid out-of-bound write on 'hist_data->var_refs' */
 	if (hist_data->n_var_refs >= TRACING_MAP_VARS_MAX)
@@ -3276,7 +3263,6 @@ static struct hist_field *create_var(struct hist_trigger_data *hist_data,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	var->ref = 1;
 	var->flags = HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR;
 	var->var.idx = idx;
 	var->var.hist_data = var->hist_data = hist_data;