diff --git a/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/xref.rkt b/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/xref.rkt
index 15a5a0833f..7ada4e0cd6 100644
--- a/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/xref.rkt
+++ b/collects/drracket/private/syncheck/xref.rkt
@@ -1,20 +1,9 @@
 #lang racket/base
 (require setup/xref 
-         racket/promise
-         scribble/xref
-         scribble/manual-struct)
+         scribble/xref)
 (provide get-index-entry-info)
 
-(define delayed-xref
-  (if (getenv "PLTDRXREFDELAY")
-      (begin
-        (printf "PLTDRXREFDELAY: using plain delay\n")
-        (delay (begin
-                 (printf "PLTDRXREFDELAY: loading xref\n")
-                 (begin0
-                   (load-collections-xref)
-                   (printf "PLTDRXREFDELAY: loaded xref\n")))))
-      (delay/idle (load-collections-xref))))
+(define xref (load-collections-xref))
 
 (define req-chan (make-channel))
 
@@ -25,7 +14,6 @@
        (define-values (binding-info cd resp-chan nack-evt) (apply values (channel-get req-chan)))
        (define resp
          (parameterize ([current-directory cd])
-           (define xref (force delayed-xref))
            (and xref
                 (let ([definition-tag (xref-binding->definition-tag xref binding-info #f)])
                   (and definition-tag
diff --git a/collects/tests/drracket/memory-log.rkt b/collects/tests/drracket/memory-log.rkt
index 9ed0285734..fcd6763f58 100644
--- a/collects/tests/drracket/memory-log.rkt
+++ b/collects/tests/drracket/memory-log.rkt
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
         [else
          (loop new-cmu (- n 1))]))))
     
-(void (putenv "PLTDRXREFDELAY" "yes"))
 (void (putenv "PLTDRPLACEPRINT" "yes"))
 
 (define (wait-and-print)