diff --git a/js/id/connection.js b/js/id/connection.js
index 62a6cad11..6da57f45c 100644
--- a/js/id/connection.js
+++ b/js/id/connection.js
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ iD.Connection = function() {
         if (!dom || !dom.childNodes) return new Error('Bad request');
         var root = dom.childNodes[0];
         var entities = {};
-        refNodes = {};
         var rparentsOf = {},
             wparentsOf = {};