diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNode.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNode.java
index 066d33b92f..f9aab57580 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNode.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNode.java
@@ -58,18 +58,6 @@ interface AVMNode
      */
     public void setVersionID(int version);
 
-    /**
-     * Get the (possibly null) parent.
-     * @return The parent or null.
-     */
-    public DirectoryNode getParent();
-
-    /**
-     * Set the parent of this node.
-     * @param parent The DirectoryNode to set.
-     */
-    public void setParent(DirectoryNode parent);
-
     /**
      * Perform a COW if required.
      * @param lPath The lookup path.
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNodeImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNodeImpl.java
index 85e21c2a3e..560f3619fd 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNodeImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNodeImpl.java
@@ -45,11 +45,6 @@ abstract class AVMNodeImpl implements AVMNode, Serializable
      */
     private AVMNode fMergedFrom;
     
-    /**
-     * The parent of this.
-     */
-    private DirectoryNode fParent;
-    
     /**
      * The Repository that owns this.
      */
@@ -94,7 +89,6 @@ abstract class AVMNodeImpl implements AVMNode, Serializable
         fVersionID = -1;
         fAncestor = null;
         fMergedFrom = null;
-        fParent = null;
         fRepository = repo;
         fIsRoot = false;
         long time = System.currentTimeMillis();
@@ -143,25 +137,6 @@ abstract class AVMNodeImpl implements AVMNode, Serializable
         return fMergedFrom;
     }
     
-    /**
-     * Get the canonical parent of this node.  This parent
-     * is the one under which this node was created.
-     * @return The canonical parent.
-     */
-    public DirectoryNode getParent()
-    {
-        return fParent;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Set the canonical parent of this node.
-     * @param parent The canonical parent.
-     */
-    public void setParent(DirectoryNode parent)
-    {
-        fParent = parent;
-    }
-    
     /**
      * Perform a copy on write on this node and recursively
      * up to the repository root.  This is a template method
@@ -183,7 +158,7 @@ abstract class AVMNodeImpl implements AVMNode, Serializable
         newMe.setVersionID(repos.getNextVersionID());
         // Get our parent directory if we have one.
         DirectoryNode parent = null;
-        if (getParent() != null)
+        if (!getIsRoot())
         {
             parent = (DirectoryNode)lPath.getCurrentNode();
         }
@@ -193,7 +168,6 @@ abstract class AVMNodeImpl implements AVMNode, Serializable
             DirectoryNode newParent =
                 (DirectoryNode)parent.copyOnWrite(lPath);
             newParent.putChild(myName, newMe);
-            newMe.setParent(newParent);
         }
         else // Null parent means root of repository.
         {
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/LayeredDirectoryNodeImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/LayeredDirectoryNodeImpl.java
index 53dc00a181..4084266bff 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/LayeredDirectoryNodeImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/LayeredDirectoryNodeImpl.java
@@ -317,7 +317,6 @@ class LayeredDirectoryNodeImpl extends DirectoryNodeImpl implements LayeredDirec
         }
         DirectoryNode toModify = (DirectoryNode)copyOnWrite(lPath);
         toModify.putChild(name, child);
-        child.setParent(toModify);
         child.setRepository(lPath.getRepository());
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/OrphanReaper.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/OrphanReaper.java
index 915f28b7cc..4afeaafe49 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/OrphanReaper.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/OrphanReaper.java
@@ -226,15 +226,6 @@ class OrphanReaper implements Runnable
                         Query delete = session.getNamedQuery("ChildEntry.DeleteByParent");
                         delete.setEntity("parent", node);
                         delete.executeUpdate();
-                        // Now find all the nodes that point to this node as their
-                        // canonical parent and null that reference out.
-                        query = session.getNamedQuery("AVMNode.GetByParent");
-                        query.setEntity("parent", node);
-                        List<AVMNode> children = (List<AVMNode>)query.list();
-                        for (AVMNode child : children)
-                        {
-                            child.setParent(null);
-                        }
                         if (node instanceof LayeredDirectoryNode)
                         {
                             // More special work for layered directories.
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/PlainDirectoryNodeImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/PlainDirectoryNodeImpl.java
index d37a180b3b..bb4b0dbf74 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/PlainDirectoryNodeImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/PlainDirectoryNodeImpl.java
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ class PlainDirectoryNodeImpl extends DirectoryNodeImpl implements PlainDirectory
         }
         DirectoryNode toModify = (DirectoryNode)copyOnWrite(lPath);
         toModify.putChild(name, child);
-        child.setParent(toModify);
         child.setRepository(lPath.getRepository());
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/AVM.hbm.xml b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/AVM.hbm.xml
index 3a817dbc7c..5cf3bb1c7f 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/AVM.hbm.xml
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/AVM.hbm.xml
@@ -32,10 +32,6 @@
 			 complete versioning semantics. -->
 		<many-to-one name="mergedFrom" column="merged_from"
 			class="AVMNodeImpl"/>
-		<!-- Parent is a very specific notion of containment. The parent
-		     of an AVMNode is the parent in which that node was created. -->
-		<many-to-one name="parent" column="parent_id"
-			class="DirectoryNodeImpl"/>
 		<!-- This should really be not null, but I haven't figured out
 			 the right way to build the relation so that nullability constraints
 			 won't cause violations in the db during saves. -->
@@ -224,12 +220,6 @@
     	where an.mergedFrom = :merged
     ]]>
     </query>
-    <query name="AVMNode.GetByParent">
-    <![CDATA[
-    	from AVMNodeImpl an 
-    	where an.parent = :parent
-   	]]>
-    </query>
     <query name="VersionRoot.GetVersionRoot">
     <![CDATA[
     	select v.root