diff --git a/src/backends/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h b/src/backends/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h
index ef8de4b98..590e1d259 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h
+++ b/src/backends/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ struct _MetaCursorTracker {
 
   MetaCursorReference *root_cursor;
 
-  MetaCursorReference *theme_cursors[META_CURSOR_LAST];
-
   int current_x, current_y;
   MetaRectangle current_rect;
   MetaRectangle previous_rect;
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-cursor-tracker.c b/src/backends/meta-cursor-tracker.c
index 28a6af2fc..865502cac 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-cursor-tracker.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-cursor-tracker.c
@@ -84,10 +84,6 @@ meta_cursor_tracker_finalize (GObject *object)
   if (self->root_cursor)
     meta_cursor_reference_unref (self->root_cursor);
 
-  for (i = 0; i < META_CURSOR_LAST; i++)
-    if (self->theme_cursors[i])
-      meta_cursor_reference_unref (self->theme_cursors[i]);
-
   if (self->pipeline)
     cogl_object_unref (self->pipeline);
   if (self->gbm)
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-cursor.c b/src/backends/meta-cursor.c
index 2a78328ef..7da0bc971 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-cursor.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-cursor.c
@@ -273,9 +273,6 @@ meta_cursor_reference_from_theme (MetaCursorTracker  *tracker,
   MetaCursorReference *self;
   XcursorImage *image;
 
-  if (tracker->theme_cursors[cursor])
-    return meta_cursor_reference_ref (tracker->theme_cursors[cursor]);
-
   image = load_cursor_on_client (tracker->screen->display, cursor);
   if (!image)
     return NULL;