diff --git a/include/osg/Referenced b/include/osg/Referenced
index c807c295e..0a683232f 100644
--- a/include/osg/Referenced
+++ b/include/osg/Referenced
@@ -47,18 +47,17 @@ class OSG_EXPORT Referenced
 
         Referenced();
 
-        /// deprecated, Referenced is now always uses thread safe ref/unref, use default Refernced() constructor instead
+        /** Deprecated, Referenced is now always uses thread safe ref/unref, use default Refernced() constructor instead */
         explicit Referenced(bool threadSafeRefUnref);
 
         Referenced(const Referenced&);
 
         inline Referenced& operator = (const Referenced&) { return *this; }
 
-        /** Set whether to use a mutex to ensure ref() and unref() are thread safe.*/
-        virtual void setThreadSafeRefUnref(bool threadSafe);
+        /** Deprecated, Referenced is always theadsafe so there method now has no effect and does not need to be called.*/
+        virtual void setThreadSafeRefUnref(bool /*threadSafe*/) {}
 
         /** Get whether a mutex is used to ensure ref() and unref() are thread safe.*/
-
 #if defined(_OSG_REFERENCED_USE_ATOMIC_OPERATIONS)
         bool getThreadSafeRefUnref() const { return true; }
 #else
diff --git a/src/osg/Referenced.cpp b/src/osg/Referenced.cpp
index 11d4601c7..95b665c57 100644
--- a/src/osg/Referenced.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Referenced.cpp
@@ -293,31 +293,6 @@ void Referenced::signalObserversAndDelete(bool signalDelete, bool doDelete) cons
     }
 }
 
-
-void Referenced::setThreadSafeRefUnref(bool threadSafe)
-{
-#if !defined(_OSG_REFERENCED_USE_ATOMIC_OPERATIONS)
-    if (threadSafe)
-    {
-        if (!_refMutex)
-        {
-            // we want thread safe ref()/unref() so assign a mutex
-            _refMutex = new OpenThreads::Mutex;
-        }
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        if (_refMutex)
-        {
-            // we don't want thread safe ref()/unref() so remove any assigned mutex
-            OpenThreads::Mutex* tmpMutexPtr = _refMutex;
-            _refMutex = 0;
-            delete tmpMutexPtr;
-        }
-    }
-#endif
-}
-
 int Referenced::unref_nodelete() const
 {
 #if defined(_OSG_REFERENCED_USE_ATOMIC_OPERATIONS)