diff --git a/gcc/cobol/parse.y b/gcc/cobol/parse.y
index 99c55295b906bdbf73cc0fa27dcb1ae734e078e4..dd354aea882115a28d71ebc52e3c49a0f651318e 100644
--- a/gcc/cobol/parse.y
+++ b/gcc/cobol/parse.y
@@ -7817,8 +7817,6 @@ ffi_by_ref:     scalar_arg[refer]
 ffi_by_con:     expr
                 {
 		  cbl_refer_t *r = new cbl_refer_t(*$1);
-		  r->field = new_temporary_clone($1->field);
-		  parser_move(r->field, $1->field);
                   $$ = new cbl_ffi_arg_t(by_content_e, r);
                 }
         |       LITERAL
diff --git a/gcc/cobol/symbols.h b/gcc/cobol/symbols.h
index 7fa780255391007459e9363f824e814dc0b2b8ed..c6a7c34d3d4892ff3d505cf7c78da9a77d80c9ca 100644
--- a/gcc/cobol/symbols.h
+++ b/gcc/cobol/symbols.h
@@ -820,7 +820,6 @@ struct cbl_refer_t {
   }
 
   bool is_pointer() const { return addr_of || field->type == FldPointer; }
-
   bool is_reference() const { return nsubscript > 0 || refmod.is_active(); }
   bool is_table_reference() const  { return nsubscript > 0; }
   bool is_refmod_reference() const  { return refmod.is_active(); }