diff --git a/poppler/Annot.cc b/poppler/Annot.cc
index 8ff40d6..79bf1c0 100644
--- a/poppler/Annot.cc
+++ b/poppler/Annot.cc
@@ -881,7 +881,6 @@
 AnnotAppearance::AnnotAppearance(PDFDoc *docA, Object *dict) {
   assert(dict->isDict());
   doc = docA;
-  xref = docA->getXRef();
   appearDict = dict->copy();
 }
 
@@ -993,7 +992,7 @@
   }
 
   // TODO: stream resources (e.g. font), AP name tree
-  xref->removeIndirectObject(refToStream);
+  doc->getXRef()->removeIndirectObject(refToStream);
 }
 
 // Removes stream if obj is a Ref, or removes pointed streams if obj is a Dict
diff --git a/poppler/Annot.h b/poppler/Annot.h
index 3a93794..3740b31 100644
--- a/poppler/Annot.h
+++ b/poppler/Annot.h
@@ -453,7 +453,6 @@
 
 protected:
   PDFDoc *doc;
-  XRef *xref;                   // the xref table for this PDF file
   Object appearDict;            // Annotation's AP
 };