diff --git a/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/IMessagesStore.java b/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/IMessagesStore.java
index d4288e07..8be4af80 100644
--- a/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/IMessagesStore.java
+++ b/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/IMessagesStore.java
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ public interface IMessagesStore {
         //Optional attribute, available only fo QoS 1 and 2
         private Integer m_msgID;
         private MessageGUID m_guid;
-        private AtomicInteger referenceCounter = new AtomicInteger(0);
 
         public StoredMessage(byte[] message, AbstractMessage.QOSType qos, String topic) {
             m_qos = qos;
@@ -93,18 +92,6 @@ public interface IMessagesStore {
             return m_retained;
         }
 
-        public void incReferenceCounter() {
-            this.referenceCounter.incrementAndGet();
-        }
-
-        public void decReferenceCounter() {
-            this.referenceCounter.decrementAndGet();
-        }
-
-        public int getReferenceCounter() {
-            return this.referenceCounter.get();
-        }
-
         @Override
         public String toString() {
             return "PublishEvent{" +
@@ -149,8 +136,4 @@ public interface IMessagesStore {
     StoredMessage getMessageByGuid(MessageGUID guid);
 
     void cleanRetained(String topic);
-
-    void incUsageCounter(MessageGUID guid);
-
-    void decUsageCounter(MessageGUID guid);
 }
diff --git a/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/impl/ProtocolProcessor.java b/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/impl/ProtocolProcessor.java
index e09eb0ca..b8cf89ae 100644
--- a/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/impl/ProtocolProcessor.java
+++ b/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/impl/ProtocolProcessor.java
@@ -427,9 +427,9 @@ public class ProtocolProcessor {
 
         String topic = inflightMsg.getTopic();
 
-        MessageGUID guid = inflightMsg.getGuid();
+//        MessageGUID guid = inflightMsg.getGuid();
         //Remove the message from message store
-        m_messagesStore.decUsageCounter(guid);
+//        m_messagesStore.decUsageCounter(guid);
 
         m_interceptor.notifyMessageAcknowledged(new InterceptAcknowledgedMessage(inflightMsg, topic, username));
     }
diff --git a/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/persistence/MapDBMessagesStore.java b/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/persistence/MapDBMessagesStore.java
index 3991685a..62f29275 100644
--- a/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/persistence/MapDBMessagesStore.java
+++ b/broker/src/main/java/io/moquette/spi/persistence/MapDBMessagesStore.java
@@ -101,10 +101,7 @@ class MapDBMessagesStore implements IMessagesStore {
     void removeStoredMessage(MessageGUID guid) {
         //remove only the not retained and no more referenced
         StoredMessage storedMessage = m_persistentMessageStore.get(guid);
-        if (!storedMessage.isRetained() && storedMessage.getReferenceCounter() <= 0) {
-            if(storedMessage.getReferenceCounter() < 0) {
-                LOG.error("we should never have gotten a reference count less than zero");
-            }
+        if (!storedMessage.isRetained()) {
             LOG.debug("Cleaning not retained message guid {}", guid);
             m_persistentMessageStore.remove(guid);
         }
@@ -119,18 +116,4 @@ class MapDBMessagesStore implements IMessagesStore {
     public void cleanRetained(String topic) {
         m_retainedStore.remove(topic);
     }
-
-    @Override
-    public void incUsageCounter(MessageGUID guid) {
-        IMessagesStore.StoredMessage storedMessage = m_persistentMessageStore.get(guid);
-        storedMessage.incReferenceCounter();
-        m_persistentMessageStore.put(guid, storedMessage);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public void decUsageCounter(MessageGUID guid) {
-        IMessagesStore.StoredMessage storedMessage = m_persistentMessageStore.get(guid);
-        storedMessage.decReferenceCounter();
-        m_persistentMessageStore.put(guid, storedMessage);
-    }
 }
diff --git a/broker/src/test/java/io/moquette/spi/impl/MemoryMessagesStore.java b/broker/src/test/java/io/moquette/spi/impl/MemoryMessagesStore.java
index 79814fed..cad1d230 100644
--- a/broker/src/test/java/io/moquette/spi/impl/MemoryMessagesStore.java
+++ b/broker/src/test/java/io/moquette/spi/impl/MemoryMessagesStore.java
@@ -98,18 +98,4 @@ public class MemoryMessagesStore implements IMessagesStore {
     public void cleanRetained(String topic) {
         m_retainedStore.remove(topic);
     }
-
-    @Override
-    public void incUsageCounter(MessageGUID guid) {
-        IMessagesStore.StoredMessage storedMessage = m_persistentMessageStore.get(guid);
-        storedMessage.incReferenceCounter();
-        m_persistentMessageStore.put(guid, storedMessage);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public void decUsageCounter(MessageGUID guid) {
-        IMessagesStore.StoredMessage storedMessage = m_persistentMessageStore.get(guid);
-        storedMessage.decReferenceCounter();
-        m_persistentMessageStore.put(guid, storedMessage);
-    }
 }