diff --git a/src/document.cpp b/src/document.cpp
index af627281dff5b5c38928ff7e6e8da4472e4876bb..391429f42310aae7c6a2fc9a27bb143c617648f1 100644
--- a/src/document.cpp
+++ b/src/document.cpp
@@ -750,16 +750,6 @@ SPDocument *SPDocument::createNewDocFromMem(gchar const *buffer, gint length, bo
     return doc;
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<SPDocument> SPDocument::doRef()
-{
-    Inkscape::GC::anchor(this);
-    return std::unique_ptr<SPDocument>(this);
-}
-std::unique_ptr<SPDocument const> SPDocument::doRef() const
-{
-    return const_cast<SPDocument*>(this)->doRef();
-}
-
 /// guaranteed not to return nullptr
 Inkscape::Util::Unit const* SPDocument::getDisplayUnit()
 {
diff --git a/src/document.h b/src/document.h
index 596847f93544f0de4860d0473629694b45a85ec1..6c9eb93f8f11bed2d9b5a153cb0cb29386000162 100644
--- a/src/document.h
+++ b/src/document.h
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@
 
 #include "3rdparty/libcroco/src/cr-cascade.h"  // for CRCascade
 
-#include "gc-anchored.h"
-#include "gc-finalized.h"
-
 #include "inkgc/gc-managed.h"
 
 #include "composite-undo-stack-observer.h"
@@ -100,9 +97,7 @@ namespace Inkscape {
 } // namespace Inkscape
 
 /// Typed SVG document implementation.
-class SPDocument : public Inkscape::GC::Managed<>,
-                   public Inkscape::GC::Finalized,
-                   public Inkscape::GC::Anchored
+class SPDocument : public Inkscape::GC::Managed<Inkscape::GC::SCANNED, Inkscape::GC::MANUAL>
 {
 
 public:
@@ -113,7 +108,7 @@ public:
 
     // Fundamental ------------------------
     SPDocument();
-    ~SPDocument() override;
+    ~SPDocument();
     SPDocument(SPDocument const &) = delete; // no copy
     void operator=(SPDocument const &) = delete; // no assign
 
@@ -145,10 +140,6 @@ public:
     bool getVirgin() { return virgin; }
     const SPDocument *getOriginalDocument() const { return _original_document; }
 
-    //! Increment reference count by one and return a self-dereferencing pointer.
-    std::unique_ptr<SPDocument> doRef();
-    std::unique_ptr<SPDocument const> doRef() const;
-
     bool isModifiedSinceSave() const { return modified_since_save; }
     bool isModifiedSinceAutoSave() const { return modified_since_autosave; }
     void setModifiedSinceSave(bool const modified = true);
@@ -508,21 +499,6 @@ public:
     void emitReconstructionFinish();
 };
 
-namespace std {
-template <>
-struct default_delete<SPDocument> {
-    void operator()(SPDocument *ptr) const {
-        Inkscape::GC::release(ptr);
-        if (ptr->_anchored_refcount() == 0) {
-            // Explicit delete required to free SPDocument
-            // see https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape/-/issues/2723
-            delete ptr;
-        }
-    }
-};
-
-}; // namespace std
-
 /*
  * Ideas: How to overcome style invalidation nightmare
  *
diff --git a/src/inkscape-application.cpp b/src/inkscape-application.cpp
index fff9eddcaf0f9a0f06a9aa262831fe4c36272437..6186044f2ec296f1ab00f35a97941dbe9f6b9d1a 100644
--- a/src/inkscape-application.cpp
+++ b/src/inkscape-application.cpp
@@ -359,8 +359,6 @@ InkscapeApplication::document_close(SPDocument* document)
             std::cerr << "InkscapeApplication::close_document: Document not registered with application." << std::endl;
         }
 
-        Inkscape::GC::release(document);
-        assert(document->_anchored_refcount() == 0);
         delete document;
 
     } else {
diff --git a/src/ui/dialog/symbols.cpp b/src/ui/dialog/symbols.cpp
index fb240a01a4b216bcb80f89017d601f7ae173a526..dd3a9a508dd7f9a91fb10f97f9f72eccc0cb445a 100644
--- a/src/ui/dialog/symbols.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/dialog/symbols.cpp
@@ -439,8 +439,6 @@ SymbolsDialog::SymbolsDialog(const char* prefsPath)
 
 SymbolsDialog::~SymbolsDialog()
 {
-    Inkscape::GC::release(preview_document);
-    assert(preview_document->_anchored_refcount() == 0);
     delete preview_document;
 }