diff --git a/vp9/common/vp9_onyxc_int.h b/vp9/common/vp9_onyxc_int.h
index ae6c6ffe8f1ec47fe3b75aee0eb9e6f357ea9952..ae32aff7de394baba19770f9766dfbf5815f7e45 100644
--- a/vp9/common/vp9_onyxc_int.h
+++ b/vp9/common/vp9_onyxc_int.h
@@ -202,6 +202,12 @@ typedef struct VP9Common {
   ENTROPY_CONTEXT *above_context;
 } VP9_COMMON;
 
+static INLINE YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *get_ref_frame(VP9_COMMON *cm, int index) {
+  if (index < 0 || index >= REF_FRAMES)
+    return NULL;
+  return &cm->frame_bufs[cm->ref_frame_map[index]].buf;
+}
+
 static INLINE YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *get_frame_new_buffer(VP9_COMMON *cm) {
   return &cm->frame_bufs[cm->new_fb_idx].buf;
 }
diff --git a/vp9/decoder/vp9_decoder.c b/vp9/decoder/vp9_decoder.c
index 0343c214c03e8b35f6f9216f2e70cdb00760052a..2a2f0f5faa26ef4a7cb1cfe417ab24e53446b0ee 100644
--- a/vp9/decoder/vp9_decoder.c
+++ b/vp9/decoder/vp9_decoder.c
@@ -181,17 +181,6 @@ vpx_codec_err_t vp9_set_reference_dec(VP9_COMMON *cm,
   return cm->error.error_code;
 }
 
-
-int vp9_get_reference_dec(VP9Decoder *pbi, int index, YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG **fb) {
-  VP9_COMMON *cm = &pbi->common;
-
-  if (index < 0 || index >= REF_FRAMES)
-    return -1;
-
-  *fb = &cm->frame_bufs[cm->ref_frame_map[index]].buf;
-  return 0;
-}
-
 /* If any buffer updating is signaled it should be done here. */
 static void swap_frame_buffers(VP9Decoder *pbi) {
   int ref_index = 0, mask;
diff --git a/vp9/decoder/vp9_decoder.h b/vp9/decoder/vp9_decoder.h
index 8e16e1cacb16521cd95d92702230bf7ad35ea097..223b66fc7e784f5eaf18285d6c5f2ddb628824d0 100644
--- a/vp9/decoder/vp9_decoder.h
+++ b/vp9/decoder/vp9_decoder.h
@@ -74,9 +74,6 @@ vpx_codec_err_t vp9_set_reference_dec(VP9_COMMON *cm,
                                       VP9_REFFRAME ref_frame_flag,
                                       YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *sd);
 
-int vp9_get_reference_dec(struct VP9Decoder *pbi,
-                          int index, YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG **fb);
-
 struct VP9Decoder *vp9_decoder_create();
 
 void vp9_decoder_remove(struct VP9Decoder *pbi);
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encoder.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encoder.c
index ddca25e9888c1d88ad200d87cda2a207abef6436..47c2d71bd5a0d78f6bfc00868afad23155cf52d6 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encoder.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encoder.c
@@ -1303,16 +1303,6 @@ int vp9_copy_reference_enc(VP9_COMP *cpi, VP9_REFFRAME ref_frame_flag,
   }
 }
 
-int vp9_get_reference_enc(VP9_COMP *cpi, int index, YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG **fb) {
-  VP9_COMMON *cm = &cpi->common;
-
-  if (index < 0 || index >= REF_FRAMES)
-    return -1;
-
-  *fb = &cm->frame_bufs[cm->ref_frame_map[index]].buf;
-  return 0;
-}
-
 int vp9_set_reference_enc(VP9_COMP *cpi, VP9_REFFRAME ref_frame_flag,
                           YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *sd) {
   YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *cfg = get_vp9_ref_frame_buffer(cpi, ref_frame_flag);
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encoder.h b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encoder.h
index acff17351995f3d93f24b58fb78daaa033a9ff9a..19319723e7ba154970723e51f160a84911a9bf37 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encoder.h
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encoder.h
@@ -463,9 +463,6 @@ void vp9_update_reference(VP9_COMP *cpi, int ref_frame_flags);
 int vp9_copy_reference_enc(VP9_COMP *cpi, VP9_REFFRAME ref_frame_flag,
                            YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *sd);
 
-int vp9_get_reference_enc(VP9_COMP *cpi, int index,
-                          YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG **fb);
-
 int vp9_set_reference_enc(VP9_COMP *cpi, VP9_REFFRAME ref_frame_flag,
                           YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *sd);
 
diff --git a/vp9/vp9_cx_iface.c b/vp9/vp9_cx_iface.c
index 6367a979dcaa716460af8f5371a49c8311a712d6..91b1659baef0867df310f4c67bd1f24872540f2e 100644
--- a/vp9/vp9_cx_iface.c
+++ b/vp9/vp9_cx_iface.c
@@ -1053,9 +1053,9 @@ static vpx_codec_err_t ctrl_get_reference(vpx_codec_alg_priv_t *ctx,
   vp9_ref_frame_t *const frame = va_arg(args, vp9_ref_frame_t *);
 
   if (frame != NULL) {
-    YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *fb;
+    YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG *fb = get_ref_frame(&ctx->cpi->common, frame->idx);
+    if (fb == NULL) return VPX_CODEC_ERROR;
 
-    vp9_get_reference_enc(ctx->cpi, frame->idx, &fb);
     yuvconfig2image(&frame->img, fb, NULL);
     return VPX_CODEC_OK;
   } else {
diff --git a/vp9/vp9_dx_iface.c b/vp9/vp9_dx_iface.c
index 893ab19c49694c98ef8e76548bceb386310f9640..bc7801152ef31346c437e5110d0c91877886546d 100644
--- a/vp9/vp9_dx_iface.c
+++ b/vp9/vp9_dx_iface.c
@@ -583,9 +583,9 @@ static vpx_codec_err_t ctrl_get_reference(vpx_codec_alg_priv_t *ctx,
   vp9_ref_frame_t *data = va_arg(args, vp9_ref_frame_t *);
 
   if (data) {
-    YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG* fb;
+    YV12_BUFFER_CONFIG* fb = get_ref_frame(&ctx->pbi->common, data->idx);
+    if (fb == NULL) return VPX_CODEC_ERROR;
 
-    vp9_get_reference_dec(ctx->pbi, data->idx, &fb);
     yuvconfig2image(&data->img, fb, NULL);
     return VPX_CODEC_OK;
   } else {