diff --git a/src/rt/rust_refcount.h b/src/rt/rust_refcount.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 1ed05ec8339..00000000000
--- a/src/rt/rust_refcount.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2012 The Rust Project Developers. See the COPYRIGHT
-// file at the top-level directory of this distribution and at
-// http://rust-lang.org/COPYRIGHT.
-//
-// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
-// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
-// <LICENSE-MIT or http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
-// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
-// except according to those terms.
-
-
-#ifndef RUST_REFCOUNT_H
-#define RUST_REFCOUNT_H
-
-#include "sync/sync.h"
-
-// Refcounting defines
-typedef unsigned long ref_cnt_t;
-
-#define RUST_ATOMIC_REFCOUNT()                                             \
-private:                                                                   \
-   intptr_t ref_count;                                                     \
-public:                                                                    \
-   void ref() {                                                            \
-       intptr_t old = sync::increment(ref_count);                          \
-       assert(old > 0);                                                    \
-   }                                                                       \
-   void deref() { if(0 == sync::decrement(ref_count)) { delete_this(); } } \
-   intptr_t get_ref_count() { return sync::read(ref_count); }
-
-#endif
diff --git a/src/rt/rust_type.h b/src/rt/rust_type.h
index 57538f1ec75..abe9a90c5fd 100644
--- a/src/rt/rust_type.h
+++ b/src/rt/rust_type.h
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #define RUST_TYPE_H
 
 #include "rust_globals.h"
-#include "rust_refcount.h"
 
 struct rust_opaque_box;
 
@@ -28,6 +27,8 @@ struct type_desc;
 typedef void CDECL (glue_fn)(void *,
                              void *);
 
+typedef unsigned long ref_cnt_t;
+
 // Corresponds to the boxed data in the @ region.  The body follows the
 // header; you can obtain a ptr via box_body() below.
 struct rust_opaque_box {