diff --git a/include/osg/ref_ptr b/include/osg/ref_ptr
index e09108282..00b768833 100644
--- a/include/osg/ref_ptr
+++ b/include/osg/ref_ptr
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ class ref_ptr
         ref_ptr(T* ptr) : _ptr(ptr) { if (_ptr) _ptr->ref(); }
         ref_ptr(const ref_ptr& rp) : _ptr(rp._ptr) { if (_ptr) _ptr->ref(); }
 
-        template<class Y>
-        ref_ptr(const ref_ptr<Y>& rp) : _ptr(rp.get()) { if (_ptr) _ptr->ref(); }
-
         ~ref_ptr() { if (_ptr) _ptr->unref();  _ptr = 0; }
 
         ref_ptr& operator = (const ref_ptr& rp)
@@ -45,20 +42,6 @@ class ref_ptr
             return *this;
         }
 
-        template<class Y>
-        ref_ptr& operator = (const ref_ptr<Y>& rp)
-        {
-            if (_ptr==rp._ptr) return *this;
-            T* tmp_ptr = _ptr;
-            _ptr = rp._ptr;
-            if (_ptr) _ptr->ref();
-            // unref second to prevent any deletion of any object which might
-            // be referenced by the other object. i.e rp is child of the
-            // original _ptr.
-            if (tmp_ptr) tmp_ptr->unref();
-            return *this;
-        }
-
         inline ref_ptr& operator = (T* ptr)
         {
             if (_ptr==ptr) return *this;
@@ -73,13 +56,11 @@ class ref_ptr
         }
 
         // comparison operators for ref_ptr.
-        template<class Y>
-        bool operator == (const ref_ptr<Y>& rp) const { return (_ptr==rp.get()); }
+        bool operator == (const ref_ptr& rp) const { return (_ptr==rp._ptr); }
         bool operator == (const T* ptr) const { return (_ptr==ptr); }
         friend bool operator == (const T* ptr, const ref_ptr& rp) { return (ptr==rp._ptr); }
 
-        template<class Y>
-        bool operator != (const ref_ptr<Y>& rp) const { return (_ptr!=rp.get()); }
+        bool operator != (const ref_ptr& rp) const { return (_ptr!=rp._ptr); }
         bool operator != (const T* ptr) const { return (_ptr!=ptr); }
         friend bool operator != (const T* ptr, const ref_ptr& rp) { return (ptr!=rp._ptr); }