diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php b/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
index 665ee78ab2..c27f6dfb58 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ function _wp_ajax_add_hierarchical_term() {
 		$term_id = $parent->term_id;
 
 		while ( $parent->parent ) { // get the top parent
-			$parent = &get_term( $parent->parent, $taxonomy->name );
+			$parent = get_term( $parent->parent, $taxonomy->name );
 			if ( is_wp_error( $parent ) )
 				break;
 			$term_id = $parent->term_id;
diff --git a/wp-includes/category-template.php b/wp-includes/category-template.php
index ce29c90c47..ceff339e49 100644
--- a/wp-includes/category-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/category-template.php
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function get_category_link( $category ) {
  */
 function get_category_parents( $id, $link = false, $separator = '/', $nicename = false, $visited = array() ) {
 	$chain = '';
-	$parent = &get_category( $id );
+	$parent = get_category( $id );
 	if ( is_wp_error( $parent ) )
 		return $parent;
 
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ function _usort_terms_by_ID( $a, $b ) {
  */
 function get_the_category_by_ID( $cat_ID ) {
 	$cat_ID = (int) $cat_ID;
-	$category = &get_category( $cat_ID );
+	$category = get_category( $cat_ID );
 	if ( is_wp_error( $category ) )
 		return $category;
 	return $category->name;