diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow.c
index fdf650fef8..ad686f0a15 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow.c
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ gst_vaapi_window_new_internal (GType type, GstVaapiDisplay * display,
   /* ERRORS */
 error:
   {
-    gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+    gst_object_unref (window);
     return NULL;
   }
 }
@@ -331,33 +331,6 @@ gst_vaapi_window_new (GstVaapiDisplay * display, guint width, guint height)
       height);
 }
 
-/**
- * gst_vaapi_window_ref:
- * @window: a #GstVaapiWindow
- *
- * Atomically increases the reference count of the given @window by one.
- *
- * Returns: The same @window argument
- */
-GstVaapiWindow *
-gst_vaapi_window_ref (GstVaapiWindow * window)
-{
-  return (GstVaapiWindow *) gst_object_ref (window);
-}
-
-/**
- * gst_vaapi_window_unref:
- * @window: a #GstVaapiWindow
- *
- * Atomically decreases the reference count of the @window by one. If
- * the reference count reaches zero, the window will be free'd.
- */
-void
-gst_vaapi_window_unref (GstVaapiWindow * window)
-{
-  gst_object_unref (window);
-}
-
 /**
  * gst_vaapi_window_replace:
  * @old_window_ptr: a pointer to a #GstVaapiWindow
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow.h b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow.h
index 040db6c223..0796d20ddf 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow.h
@@ -48,12 +48,6 @@ gst_vaapi_window_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 GstVaapiWindow *
 gst_vaapi_window_new (GstVaapiDisplay * display, guint width, guint height);
 
-GstVaapiWindow *
-gst_vaapi_window_ref (GstVaapiWindow * window);
-
-void
-gst_vaapi_window_unref (GstVaapiWindow * window);
-
 void
 gst_vaapi_window_replace (GstVaapiWindow ** old_window_ptr,
     GstVaapiWindow * new_window);
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow_glx.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow_glx.c
index fe823b97b0..d2003dff56 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow_glx.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiwindow_glx.c
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ gst_vaapi_window_glx_new (GstVaapiDisplay * display, guint width, guint height)
   /* ERRORS */
 error:
   {
-    gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+    gst_object_unref (window);
     return NULL;
   }
 }
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ gst_vaapi_window_glx_new_with_xid (GstVaapiDisplay * display, Window xid)
   /* ERRORS */
 error:
   {
-    gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+    gst_object_unref (window);
     return NULL;
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/test-decode.c b/tests/test-decode.c
index 81bab85d86..ef16aa157c 100644
--- a/tests/test-decode.c
+++ b/tests/test-decode.c
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
     gst_vaapi_pixmap_unref (pixmap);
   gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_unref (proxy);
   gst_object_unref (decoder);
-  gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+  gst_object_unref (window);
   gst_object_unref (display);
   gst_object_unref (display2);
   g_free (g_codec_str);
diff --git a/tests/test-filter.c b/tests/test-filter.c
index 8e6b20807c..ab57775a04 100644
--- a/tests/test-filter.c
+++ b/tests/test-filter.c
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   gst_object_unref (filter);
   gst_vaapi_object_unref (dst_surface);
   gst_vaapi_object_unref (src_surface);
-  gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+  gst_object_unref (window);
   gst_object_unref (display);
   video_output_exit ();
   g_free (g_src_format_str);
diff --git a/tests/test-subpicture.c b/tests/test-subpicture.c
index b193e10319..ee000560b9 100644
--- a/tests/test-subpicture.c
+++ b/tests/test-subpicture.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   gst_video_overlay_composition_unref (compo);
   gst_vaapi_surface_proxy_unref (proxy);
   gst_object_unref (decoder);
-  gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+  gst_object_unref (window);
   gst_object_unref (display);
   g_free (g_codec_str);
   video_output_exit ();
diff --git a/tests/test-textures.c b/tests/test-textures.c
index 97c82df527..46e2b91609 100644
--- a/tests/test-textures.c
+++ b/tests/test-textures.c
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   gst_vaapi_texture_unref (textures[1]);
   glDeleteTextures (1, &texture_id);
 
-  gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+  gst_object_unref (window);
   gst_object_unref (display);
   gst_deinit ();
   return 0;
diff --git a/tests/test-windows.c b/tests/test-windows.c
index 28b2683a17..4985e350da 100644
--- a/tests/test-windows.c
+++ b/tests/test-windows.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
       g_error ("could not render surface");
 
     pause ();
-    gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+    gst_object_unref (window);
   }
 
   gst_vaapi_object_unref (surface);
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
       g_error ("could not render surface");
 
     pause ();
-    gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+    gst_object_unref (window);
   }
 
   g_print ("#\n");
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
       g_error ("could not render surface");
 
     pause ();
-    gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+    gst_object_unref (window);
     XUnmapWindow (dpy, win);
     XDestroyWindow (dpy, win);
   }
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
       g_error ("could not render surface");
 
     pause ();
-    gst_vaapi_window_unref (window);
+    gst_object_unref (window);
   }
 
   gst_vaapi_object_unref (surface);