diff --git a/include/rtdef.h b/include/rtdef.h
index f8c7503b5a9..4ce4229a7d9 100644
--- a/include/rtdef.h
+++ b/include/rtdef.h
@@ -986,7 +986,6 @@ struct rt_thread
 #endif
 #endif
 
-    rt_atomic_t                 ref_count;
     struct rt_spinlock          spinlock;
     rt_ubase_t                  user_data;              /**< private user data beyond this thread */
 };
@@ -998,11 +997,6 @@ typedef struct rt_thread *rt_thread_t;
 
 /**@}*/
 
-#define rt_atomic_inc(v)                rt_atomic_add((v), 1)
-#define rt_atomic_dec(v)                rt_atomic_sub((v), 1)
-#define rt_get_thread_struct(object)    do { rt_atomic_inc(&(object)->ref_count); } while(0)
-#define rt_put_thread_struct(object)    do { rt_atomic_dec(&(object)->ref_count); } while(0)
-
 /**
  * @addtogroup IPC
  */
diff --git a/src/clock.c b/src/clock.c
index a029e191106..bfff996e41c 100644
--- a/src/clock.c
+++ b/src/clock.c
@@ -103,20 +103,17 @@ void rt_tick_increase(void)
 
     /* check time slice */
     thread = rt_thread_self();
-    rt_get_thread_struct(thread);
     level = rt_spin_lock_irqsave(&(thread->spinlock));
     rt_atomic_sub(&(thread->remaining_tick), 1);
     if (rt_atomic_compare_exchange_strong(&(thread->remaining_tick), &oldval, thread->init_tick))
     {
         thread->stat |= RT_THREAD_STAT_YIELD;
         rt_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&(thread->spinlock), level);
-        rt_put_thread_struct(thread);
         rt_schedule();
     }
     else
     {
         rt_spin_unlock_irqrestore(&(thread->spinlock), level);
-        rt_put_thread_struct(thread);
     }
 
     /* check timer */
diff --git a/src/cpu.c b/src/cpu.c
index 344a70b32e8..686b67a4ea6 100644
--- a/src/cpu.c
+++ b/src/cpu.c
@@ -232,11 +232,8 @@ void rt_cpus_lock_status_restore(struct rt_thread *thread)
         {
             rt_schedule_insert_thread(pcpu->current_thread);
         }
-        rt_put_thread_struct(pcpu->current_thread);
-
     }
     pcpu->current_thread = thread;
-    rt_get_thread_struct(thread);
 }
 RTM_EXPORT(rt_cpus_lock_status_restore);
 #endif /* RT_USING_SMP */
diff --git a/src/idle.c b/src/idle.c
index 0302a1230d1..5e86bdffa47 100644
--- a/src/idle.c
+++ b/src/idle.c
@@ -209,10 +209,6 @@ static void rt_defunct_execute(void)
             break;
         }
 
-        while (rt_atomic_load(&(thread->ref_count)))
-        {
-            rt_thread_delay(5);
-        }
 #ifdef RT_USING_MODULE
         module = (struct rt_dlmodule*)thread->parent.module_id;
         if (module)
diff --git a/src/thread.c b/src/thread.c
index 9f2a89ee4f5..190785307cc 100644
--- a/src/thread.c
+++ b/src/thread.c
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ static rt_err_t _thread_init(struct rt_thread *thread,
 #ifdef RT_USING_MODULE
     thread->parent.module_id = 0;
 #endif /* RT_USING_MODULE */
-    rt_atomic_store(&thread->ref_count, 0);
+
     rt_spin_lock_init(&thread->spinlock);
 
     RT_OBJECT_HOOK_CALL(rt_thread_inited_hook, (thread));