diff --git a/packages/snaps-controllers/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/snaps-controllers/CHANGELOG.md
index cc6ae41682..e225996250 100644
--- a/packages/snaps-controllers/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/snaps-controllers/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Removed
 
 - **RREAKING:** Remove `AbstractExecutionService` class in favour of `ExecutionService` ([#3916](https://github.com/MetaMask/snaps/pull/3916))
-- **BREAKING:** Remove `incrementActiveReferences` and `decrementActiveReferences` actions ([#3907](https://github.com/MetaMask/snaps/pull/3907))
+- **BREAKING:** Remove `incrementActiveReferences` and `decrementActiveReferences` actions and methods ([#3907](https://github.com/MetaMask/snaps/pull/3907), [#3920](https://github.com/MetaMask/snaps/pull/3920))
+  - This was never used in production.
 
 ## [18.0.4]
 
diff --git a/packages/snaps-controllers/src/snaps/SnapController.test.tsx b/packages/snaps-controllers/src/snaps/SnapController.test.tsx
index e81c630ae1..6899f3e29f 100644
--- a/packages/snaps-controllers/src/snaps/SnapController.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/snaps-controllers/src/snaps/SnapController.test.tsx
@@ -2063,67 +2063,6 @@ describe('SnapController', () => {
     await service.terminateAllSnaps();
   });
 
-  it('does not kill snaps with open sessions', async () => {
-    const sourceCode = `
-      module.exports.onRpcRequest = () => 'foo bar';
-    `;
-
-    const rootMessenger = getRootMessenger();
-
-    const options = getSnapControllerOptions({
-      rootMessenger,
-      idleTimeCheckInterval: 10,
-      maxIdleTime: 50,
-      state: {
-        snaps: getPersistedSnapsState(
-          getPersistedSnapObject({
-            manifest: getSnapManifest({
-              shasum: await getSnapChecksum(getMockSnapFiles({ sourceCode })),
-            }),
-            sourceCode,
-          }),
-        ),
-      },
-    });
-    const [snapController, service] = await getSnapControllerWithEES(options);
-
-    const snap = snapController.getSnapExpect(MOCK_SNAP_ID);
-
-    await snapController.startSnap(snap.id);
-    expect(snapController.state.snaps[snap.id].status).toBe('running');
-
-    snapController.incrementActiveReferences(snap.id);
-
-    expect(
-      await snapController.handleRequest({
-        snapId: snap.id,
-        origin: MOCK_ORIGIN,
-        handler: HandlerType.OnRpcRequest,
-        request: {
-          jsonrpc: '2.0',
-          method: 'test',
-          params: {},
-          id: 1,
-        },
-      }),
-    ).toBe('foo bar');
-
-    await sleep(100);
-
-    // Should still be running after idle timeout
-    expect(snapController.state.snaps[snap.id].status).toBe('running');
-
-    snapController.decrementActiveReferences(snap.id);
-
-    await sleep(100);
-
-    // Should be terminated by idle timeout now
-    expect(snapController.state.snaps[snap.id].status).toBe('stopped');
-
-    snapController.destroy();
-    await service.terminateAllSnaps();
-  });
-
   it(`shouldn't time out a long running snap on start up`, async () => {
     const rootMessenger = getRootMessenger();
 
diff --git a/packages/snaps-controllers/src/snaps/SnapController.ts b/packages/snaps-controllers/src/snaps/SnapController.ts
index 2e47e79aad..f67a8cd7f6 100644
--- a/packages/snaps-controllers/src/snaps/SnapController.ts
+++ b/packages/snaps-controllers/src/snaps/SnapController.ts
@@ -293,11 +293,6 @@ export type SnapRuntimeData = {
    */
   lastRequest: null | number;
 
-  /**
-   * The current number of active references where this Snap is being used
-   */
-  activeReferences: number;
-
   /**
    * The current pending inbound requests, meaning requests that are processed by snaps.
    */
@@ -1675,7 +1670,6 @@ export class SnapController extends BaseController<
       entries
         .filter(
           ([_snapId, runtime]) =>
-            runtime.activeReferences === 0 &&
             runtime.pendingInboundRequests.length === 0 &&
             runtime.lastRequest &&
             this.#maxIdleTime &&
@@ -2569,30 +2563,6 @@ export class SnapController extends BaseController<
     }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Handles incrementing the activeReferences counter.
-   *
-   * @param snapId - The snap id of the snap that was referenced.
-   */
-  incrementActiveReferences(snapId: SnapId) {
-    const runtime = this.#getRuntimeExpect(snapId);
-    runtime.activeReferences += 1;
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Handles decrement the activeReferences counter.
-   *
-   * @param snapId - The snap id of the snap that was referenced..
-   */
-  decrementActiveReferences(snapId: SnapId) {
-    const runtime = this.#getRuntimeExpect(snapId);
-    assert(
-      runtime.activeReferences > 0,
-      'SnapController reference management is in an invalid state.',
-    );
-    runtime.activeReferences -= 1;
-  }
-
   /**
    * Gets all snaps in their truncated format.
    *
@@ -4324,7 +4294,6 @@ export class SnapController extends BaseController<
       installPromise: null,
       encryptionKey: null,
       encryptionSalt: null,
-      activeReferences: 0,
       pendingInboundRequests: [],
       pendingOutboundRequests: 0,
       interpreter,