diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/NativeDecoratedKey.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/NativeDecoratedKey.java
index e824b9716515..019209ec9e2b 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/NativeDecoratedKey.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/NativeDecoratedKey.java
@@ -46,10 +46,4 @@ public ByteBuffer getKey()
     {
         return MemoryUtil.getByteBuffer(peer + 4, MemoryUtil.getInt(peer), ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN);
     }
-
-    @Override
-    public DecoratedKey onHeapCopy()
-    {
-        return new BufferDecoratedKey(getToken(), HeapAllocator.instance.clone(getKey()));
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/rows/NativeCell.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/rows/NativeCell.java
index 3312c1ebf788..9d816f319dbf 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/rows/NativeCell.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/rows/NativeCell.java
@@ -109,39 +109,27 @@ private static long simpleSize(int length)
 
     public long timestamp()
     {
-        if (peer == 0)
-            throw new IllegalStateException();
         return MemoryUtil.getLong(peer + TIMESTAMP);
     }
 
     public int ttl()
     {
-        if (peer == 0)
-            throw new IllegalStateException();
         return MemoryUtil.getInt(peer + TTL);
     }
 
     public int localDeletionTime()
     {
-        if (peer == 0)
-            throw new IllegalStateException();
         return MemoryUtil.getInt(peer + DELETION);
     }
 
     public ByteBuffer value()
     {
-        if (peer == 0)
-            throw new IllegalStateException();
-
         int length = MemoryUtil.getInt(peer + LENGTH);
         return MemoryUtil.getByteBuffer(peer + VALUE, length, ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN);
     }
 
     public CellPath path()
     {
-        if (peer == 0)
-            throw new IllegalStateException();
-
         if (MemoryUtil.getByte(peer+ HAS_CELLPATH) == 0)
             return null;