diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index a615043b34cd6d0507d8a30f7bd69445ec9f2456..fb258ea9928ee22ca22ff9a4862993dace92dff9 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1211,7 +1211,6 @@ int delete_ref(const char *refname, const unsigned char *sha1, int delopt)
 
 int rename_ref(const char *oldref, const char *newref, const char *logmsg)
 {
-	static const char renamed_ref[] = "RENAMED-REF";
 	unsigned char sha1[20], orig_sha1[20];
 	int flag = 0, logmoved = 0;
 	struct ref_lock *lock;
@@ -1235,13 +1234,6 @@ int rename_ref(const char *oldref, const char *newref, const char *logmsg)
 	if (!is_refname_available(newref, oldref, get_loose_refs(NULL), 0))
 		return 1;
 
-	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(renamed_ref, NULL, 0, NULL);
-	if (!lock)
-		return error("unable to lock %s", renamed_ref);
-	lock->force_write = 1;
-	if (write_ref_sha1(lock, orig_sha1, logmsg))
-		return error("unable to save current sha1 in %s", renamed_ref);
-
 	if (log && rename(git_path("logs/%s", oldref), git_path(TMP_RENAMED_LOG)))
 		return error("unable to move logfile logs/%s to "TMP_RENAMED_LOG": %s",
 			oldref, strerror(errno));