diff --git a/src/libcore/sys.rs b/src/libcore/sys.rs
index 05616b0dcf3..c90b48a9342 100644
--- a/src/libcore/sys.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/sys.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ type rust_cond_lock = *libc::c_void;
 
 #[abi = "cdecl"]
 native mod rustrt {
-    pure fn refcount(t: *()) -> libc::intptr_t;
     fn unsupervise();
     pure fn shape_log_str(t: *sys::type_desc, data: *()) -> str;
 
@@ -71,10 +70,11 @@ pure fn pref_align_of<T>() -> uint {
     unchecked { rusti::pref_align_of::<T>() }
 }
 
-#[doc = "Returns the refcount of a shared box"]
-pure fn refcount<T>(t: @T) -> uint {
+#[doc = "Returns the refcount of a shared box (as just before calling this)"]
+pure fn refcount<T>(+t: @T) -> uint {
     unsafe {
-        ret rustrt::refcount(unsafe::reinterpret_cast(t)) as uint;
+        let ref_ptr: *uint = unsafe::reinterpret_cast(t);
+        *ref_ptr - 1
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libstd/dbg.rs b/src/libstd/dbg.rs
index b0abd8cb73a..39746eae55e 100644
--- a/src/libstd/dbg.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/dbg.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ export debug_box;
 export debug_tag;
 export debug_fn;
 export ptr_cast;
-export refcount;
 export breakpoint;
 
 #[abi = "cdecl"]
@@ -48,11 +47,6 @@ unsafe fn ptr_cast<T, U>(x: @T) -> @U {
                               reinterpret_cast(x)))
 }
 
-fn refcount<T>(a: @T) -> uint unsafe {
-    let p: *uint = unsafe::reinterpret_cast(a);
-    ret *p;
-}
-
 #[doc = "Triggers a debugger breakpoint"]
 fn breakpoint() {
     rustrt::rust_dbg_breakpoint();
diff --git a/src/rt/rust_builtin.cpp b/src/rt/rust_builtin.cpp
index 7ffaccece64..04d11e020ea 100644
--- a/src/rt/rust_builtin.cpp
+++ b/src/rt/rust_builtin.cpp
@@ -127,13 +127,6 @@ rust_env_pairs() {
 }
 #endif
 
-extern "C" CDECL intptr_t
-refcount(intptr_t *v) {
-    // Passed-in value has refcount 1 too high
-    // because it was ref'ed while making the call.
-    return (*v) - 1;
-}
-
 extern "C" CDECL void
 unsupervise() {
     rust_task *task = rust_get_current_task();
diff --git a/src/rt/rustrt.def.in b/src/rt/rustrt.def.in
index 78ee8e41944..0be74d20e24 100644
--- a/src/rt/rustrt.def.in
+++ b/src/rt/rustrt.def.in
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ rand_new
 rand_new_seeded
 rand_next
 rand_seed
-refcount
 rust_get_sched_id
 rust_new_sched
 rust_new_task_in_sched
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/alt-pattern-drop.rs b/src/test/run-pass/alt-pattern-drop.rs
index 0af65bd1827..caa2223671c 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/alt-pattern-drop.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/alt-pattern-drop.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 
 
 // -*- rust -*-
-use std;
-
-import std::dbg;
+import core::sys;
 
 enum t { make_t(@int), clam, }
 
 fn foo(s: @int) {
-    let count = dbg::refcount(s);
+    let count = sys::refcount(s);
     let x: t = make_t(s); // ref up
 
     alt x {
@@ -18,17 +16,17 @@ fn foo(s: @int) {
       }
       _ { #debug("?"); fail; }
     }
-    log(debug, dbg::refcount(s));
-    assert (dbg::refcount(s) == count + 1u);
+    log(debug, sys::refcount(s));
+    assert (sys::refcount(s) == count + 1u);
 }
 
 fn main() {
     let s: @int = @0; // ref up
 
-    let count = dbg::refcount(s);
+    let count = sys::refcount(s);
 
     foo(s); // ref up then down
 
-    log(debug, dbg::refcount(s));
-    assert (dbg::refcount(s) == count);
+    log(debug, sys::refcount(s));
+    assert (sys::refcount(s) == count);
 }
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/morestack6.rs b/src/test/run-pass/morestack6.rs
index 10fe6d9a340..3b0195511ef 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/morestack6.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/morestack6.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ native mod rustrt {
     fn unsupervise();
     fn last_os_error() -> str;
     fn rust_getcwd() -> str;
-    fn refcount(box: @int);
     fn get_task_id();
     fn sched_threads();
     fn rust_get_task();
@@ -20,7 +19,6 @@ native mod rustrt {
 fn calllink01() { rustrt::unsupervise(); }
 fn calllink02() { rustrt::last_os_error(); }
 fn calllink03() { rustrt::rust_getcwd(); }
-fn calllink04() { rustrt::refcount(@0); }
 fn calllink08() { rustrt::get_task_id(); }
 fn calllink09() { rustrt::sched_threads(); }
 fn calllink10() { rustrt::rust_get_task(); }
@@ -52,7 +50,6 @@ fn main() {
         calllink01,
         calllink02,
         calllink03,
-        calllink04,
         calllink08,
         calllink09,
         calllink10
@@ -63,4 +60,4 @@ fn main() {
         let frame_backoff = rng.next() % 10u32 + 1u32;
         task::try {|| runtest(f, frame_backoff) };
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}