diff --git a/common/json-schema.cpp b/common/json-schema.cpp
index da7e091234..8d0ebae8c1 100644
--- a/common/json-schema.cpp
+++ b/common/json-schema.cpp
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class common_schema_builder {
         if (ref.compare(0, 2, "#/") != 0) {
             fail(path, "unsupported $ref " + ref + ", only references into the same document are supported");
         }
-        if (doc_.refs.find(ref) == doc_.refs.end() && refs_.find(ref) == refs_.end()) {
+        if (refs_.find(ref) == refs_.end()) {
             // reserve the key first, so that a cycle back to this $ref stops here
             refs_[ref] = nullptr;
             refs_[ref] = build_node(resolve_ref(ref, path), ref);
@@ -343,10 +343,6 @@ common_schema_document common_schema_from_json(const common_json & schema) {
     return doc;
 }
 
-common_schema_ptr common_schema_from_json(const common_json & schema, common_schema_document & doc) {
-    return common_schema_builder(schema, doc).build();
-}
-
 static common_schema::value_type json_type(const common_json & value) {
     if (value.is_null()) {
         return common_schema::TYPE_NULL;
diff --git a/common/json-schema.h b/common/json-schema.h
index a5029081a2..cee229e6ca 100644
--- a/common/json-schema.h
+++ b/common/json-schema.h
@@ -196,8 +196,3 @@ using common_schema_document_ptr = std::shared_ptr<const common_schema_document>
 
 // Throws std::runtime_error when the schema falls outside the supported subset.
 common_schema_document common_schema_from_json(const common_json & schema);
-
-// Builds a schema that belongs to a document built earlier, e.g. one property of it.
-// A $ref it cannot resolve on its own is looked up in doc.refs, the targets it resolves itself are added there.
-// doc is unchanged when the schema is rejected.
-common_schema_ptr common_schema_from_json(const common_json & schema, common_schema_document & doc);
diff --git a/tests/test-json-schema.cpp b/tests/test-json-schema.cpp
index b740cc4a6e..3e92010637 100644
--- a/tests/test-json-schema.cpp
+++ b/tests/test-json-schema.cpp
@@ -367,29 +367,6 @@ static void test_ref(testing & t) {
         t.assert_true("target", r.target == doc.refs.at("#/$defs/t").get());
         as<common_schema_null>(t, r.target, "target");
     });
-
-    t.test("a schema parsed into a document shares its refs", [](testing & t) {
-        auto doc  = parse(R"({"properties": {"a": {"$ref": "#/$defs/t"}}, "$defs": {"t": {"type": "boolean"}}})");
-        auto node = common_schema_from_json(common_json::parse(R"({"items": {"$ref": "#/$defs/t"}})"), doc);
-        const auto & a = as<common_schema_array>(t, node.get(), "node");
-        const auto & r = as<common_schema_ref>(t, a.items.get(), "items");
-        t.assert_true("shared target", r.target == doc.refs.at("#/$defs/t").get());
-        t.assert_equal("refs", (size_t) 1, doc.refs.size());
-
-        auto added = common_schema_from_json(common_json::parse(R"({"$ref": "#/$defs/u", "$defs": {"u": {"type": "null"}}})"), doc);
-        as<common_schema_null>(t, as<common_schema_ref>(t, added.get(), "added").target, "target");
-        t.assert_equal("refs", (size_t) 2, doc.refs.size());
-    });
-
-    t.test("a rejected schema leaves the document unchanged", [](testing & t) {
-        common_schema_document doc;
-        try {
-            common_schema_from_json(common_json::parse(R"({"allOf": [{"$ref": "#/$defs/t"}, {"type": "x"}], "$defs": {"t": {"type": "null"}}})"), doc);
-            t.assert_true("rejected", false);
-        } catch (const std::runtime_error &) {
-            t.assert_true("no refs", doc.refs.empty());
-        }
-    });
 }
 
 static void test_may_be_string(testing & t) {