diff --git a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactChildFiber.new.js b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactChildFiber.new.js
index 07cacc0dbbf..6a984baec0c 100644
--- a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactChildFiber.new.js
+++ b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactChildFiber.new.js
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ import {
   createFiberFromText,
   createFiberFromPortal,
 } from './ReactFiber.new';
-import {emptyRefsObject} from './ReactFiberClassComponent.new';
 import {isCompatibleFamilyForHotReloading} from './ReactFiberHotReloading.new';
 import {StrictLegacyMode} from './ReactTypeOfMode';
 import {getIsHydrating} from './ReactFiberHydrationContext.new';
@@ -192,11 +191,7 @@ function coerceRef(
         return current.ref;
       }
       const ref = function(value) {
-        let refs = resolvedInst.refs;
-        if (refs === emptyRefsObject) {
-          // This is a lazy pooled frozen object, so we need to initialize.
-          refs = resolvedInst.refs = {};
-        }
+        const refs = resolvedInst.refs;
         if (value === null) {
           delete refs[stringRef];
         } else {
diff --git a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactChildFiber.old.js b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactChildFiber.old.js
index 7bad30d0d3c..8b6d4b8130d 100644
--- a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactChildFiber.old.js
+++ b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactChildFiber.old.js
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ import {
   createFiberFromText,
   createFiberFromPortal,
 } from './ReactFiber.old';
-import {emptyRefsObject} from './ReactFiberClassComponent.old';
 import {isCompatibleFamilyForHotReloading} from './ReactFiberHotReloading.old';
 import {StrictLegacyMode} from './ReactTypeOfMode';
 import {getIsHydrating} from './ReactFiberHydrationContext.old';
@@ -192,11 +191,7 @@ function coerceRef(
         return current.ref;
       }
       const ref = function(value) {
-        let refs = resolvedInst.refs;
-        if (refs === emptyRefsObject) {
-          // This is a lazy pooled frozen object, so we need to initialize.
-          refs = resolvedInst.refs = {};
-        }
+        const refs = resolvedInst.refs;
         if (value === null) {
           delete refs[stringRef];
         } else {
diff --git a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberClassComponent.new.js b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberClassComponent.new.js
index 67352b1ca18..14524865749 100644
--- a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberClassComponent.new.js
+++ b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberClassComponent.new.js
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import type {Lanes} from './ReactFiberLane.new';
 import type {UpdateQueue} from './ReactFiberClassUpdateQueue.new';
 import type {Flags} from './ReactFiberFlags';
 
-import * as React from 'react';
 import {
   LayoutStatic,
   Update,
@@ -80,12 +79,6 @@ import {
 
 const fakeInternalInstance = {};
 
-// React.Component uses a shared frozen object by default.
-// We'll use it to determine whether we need to initialize legacy refs.
-export const emptyRefsObject: $FlowFixMe = React.Component
-  ? new React.Component().refs
-  : {};
-
 let didWarnAboutStateAssignmentForComponent;
 let didWarnAboutUninitializedState;
 let didWarnAboutGetSnapshotBeforeUpdateWithoutDidUpdate;
@@ -836,7 +829,7 @@ function mountClassInstance(
   const instance = workInProgress.stateNode;
   instance.props = newProps;
   instance.state = workInProgress.memoizedState;
-  instance.refs = emptyRefsObject;
+  instance.refs = {};
 
   initializeUpdateQueue(workInProgress);
 
diff --git a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberClassComponent.old.js b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberClassComponent.old.js
index 78962f3587a..295367d7a90 100644
--- a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberClassComponent.old.js
+++ b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberClassComponent.old.js
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import type {Lanes} from './ReactFiberLane.old';
 import type {UpdateQueue} from './ReactFiberClassUpdateQueue.old';
 import type {Flags} from './ReactFiberFlags';
 
-import * as React from 'react';
 import {
   LayoutStatic,
   Update,
@@ -80,12 +79,6 @@ import {
 
 const fakeInternalInstance = {};
 
-// React.Component uses a shared frozen object by default.
-// We'll use it to determine whether we need to initialize legacy refs.
-export const emptyRefsObject: $FlowFixMe = React.Component
-  ? new React.Component().refs
-  : {};
-
 let didWarnAboutStateAssignmentForComponent;
 let didWarnAboutUninitializedState;
 let didWarnAboutGetSnapshotBeforeUpdateWithoutDidUpdate;
@@ -836,7 +829,7 @@ function mountClassInstance(
   const instance = workInProgress.stateNode;
   instance.props = newProps;
   instance.state = workInProgress.memoizedState;
-  instance.refs = emptyRefsObject;
+  instance.refs = {};
 
   initializeUpdateQueue(workInProgress);