diff --git a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/impl/QueueImpl.java b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/impl/QueueImpl.java
index 04a47ad3aa4..a96e15eac9b 100644
--- a/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/impl/QueueImpl.java
+++ b/artemis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/core/server/impl/QueueImpl.java
@@ -2223,7 +2223,7 @@ public void destroyPaging() throws Exception {
    }
 
    @Override
-   public synchronized boolean deleteReference(final long messageID) throws Exception {
+   public boolean deleteReference(final long messageID) throws Exception {
       return iterQueue("deleteReference", DEFAULT_FLUSH_LIMIT, null, new QueueIterateAction(messageID) {
          @Override
          public boolean actMessage(Transaction tx, MessageReference ref) throws Exception {