diff --git a/include/boost/core/ref.hpp b/include/boost/core/ref.hpp
index d258c76..47dc858 100644
--- a/include/boost/core/ref.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/core/ref.hpp
@@ -141,15 +141,6 @@ template<class T> BOOST_FORCEINLINE reference_wrapper<T> BOOST_REF_CONST ref( T
 #endif
 }
 
-/**
- @return `ref(t.get())`
- @remark Does not throw.
-*/
-template<class T> BOOST_FORCEINLINE reference_wrapper<T> BOOST_REF_CONST ref( reference_wrapper<T> t )
-{
-    return t;
-}
-
 // cref
 
 /**
@@ -161,15 +152,6 @@ template<class T> BOOST_FORCEINLINE reference_wrapper<T const> BOOST_REF_CONST c
     return reference_wrapper<T const>(t);
 }
 
-/**
- @return `cref(t.get())`
- @remark Does not throw.
-*/
-template<class T> BOOST_FORCEINLINE reference_wrapper<T const> BOOST_REF_CONST cref( reference_wrapper<T> t )
-{
-    return reference_wrapper<T const>(t.get());
-}
-
 #undef BOOST_REF_CONST
 
 #if !defined(BOOST_NO_CXX11_RVALUE_REFERENCES)
diff --git a/test/ref_ref_test.cpp b/test/ref_ref_test.cpp
index b667a7f..46be561 100644
--- a/test/ref_ref_test.cpp
+++ b/test/ref_ref_test.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 //
-// Test for ref(ref(x))
+// Test that ref(ref(x)) does NOT collapse to ref(x)
+//
+// This irregularity of std::ref is questionable and breaks
+// existing Boost code such as proto::make_expr
 //
 // Copyright 2014 Peter Dimov
 //
@@ -11,28 +14,50 @@
 #include <boost/ref.hpp>
 #include <boost/core/lightweight_test.hpp>
 
+template<class T> void test( T const & t )
+{
+    {
+        boost::reference_wrapper< T const > r = boost::ref( t );
+        BOOST_TEST_EQ( &r.get(), &t );
+    }
+
+    {
+        boost::reference_wrapper< T const > r = boost::cref( t );
+        BOOST_TEST_EQ( &r.get(), &t );
+    }
+}
+
+template<class T> void test_nonconst( T & t )
+{
+    {
+        boost::reference_wrapper< T > r = boost::ref( t );
+        BOOST_TEST_EQ( &r.get(), &t );
+    }
+
+    {
+        boost::reference_wrapper< T const > r = boost::cref( t );
+        BOOST_TEST_EQ( &r.get(), &t );
+    }
+}
+
 int main()
 {
     int x = 0;
 
+    test( x );
+    test( boost::ref( x ) );
+    test( boost::cref( x ) );
+
+    test_nonconst( x );
+
     {
-        boost::reference_wrapper< int > r = boost::ref( boost::ref( x ) );
-        BOOST_TEST_EQ( &r.get(), &x );
+        boost::reference_wrapper< int > r = boost::ref( x );
+        test_nonconst( r );
     }
 
     {
-        boost::reference_wrapper< int const > r = boost::ref( boost::cref( x ) );
-        BOOST_TEST_EQ( &r.get(), &x );
-    }
-
-    {
-        boost::reference_wrapper< int const > r = boost::cref( boost::ref( x ) );
-        BOOST_TEST_EQ( &r.get(), &x );
-    }
-
-    {
-        boost::reference_wrapper< int const > r = boost::cref( boost::cref( x ) );
-        BOOST_TEST_EQ( &r.get(), &x );
+        boost::reference_wrapper< int const > r = boost::cref( x );
+        test_nonconst( r );
     }
 
     return boost::report_errors();