diff --git a/xmloff/inc/forms/property_handler.hxx b/xmloff/inc/forms/property_handler.hxx
index 25ce31c9169c..48658f129dfe 100644
--- a/xmloff/inc/forms/property_handler.hxx
+++ b/xmloff/inc/forms/property_handler.hxx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <com/sun/star/uno/Any.hxx>
 
 #include <rtl/ref.hxx>
+#include <salhelper/simplereferenceobject.hxx>
 
 #include <map>
 #include <vector>
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ namespace xmloff
     typedef ::std::map< PropertyId, ::com::sun::star::uno::Any >    PropertyValues;
 
     //= IPropertyHandler
-    class IPropertyHandler : public ::rtl::IReference
+    class IPropertyHandler : public ::salhelper::SimpleReferenceObject
     {
     public:
         /** retrieves the XML attribute value for the given property values
diff --git a/xmloff/source/forms/handler/property_handler_base.cxx b/xmloff/source/forms/handler/property_handler_base.cxx
index e92b16b4b530..ea8f16bd1a4d 100644
--- a/xmloff/source/forms/handler/property_handler_base.cxx
+++ b/xmloff/source/forms/handler/property_handler_base.cxx
@@ -27,19 +27,6 @@ namespace xmloff
     {
     }
 
-    oslInterlockedCount SAL_CALL PropertyHandlerBase::acquire()
-    {
-        return osl_atomic_increment( &m_refCount );
-    }
-
-    oslInterlockedCount SAL_CALL PropertyHandlerBase::release()
-    {
-        oslInterlockedCount decremented = osl_atomic_decrement( &m_refCount );
-        if ( 0 == decremented )
-            delete this;
-        return decremented;
-    }
-
 } // namespace xmloff
 
 /* vim:set shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 expandtab: */
diff --git a/xmloff/source/forms/handler/property_handler_base.hxx b/xmloff/source/forms/handler/property_handler_base.hxx
index 48f380f1db77..0cf4d0d43e0d 100644
--- a/xmloff/source/forms/handler/property_handler_base.hxx
+++ b/xmloff/source/forms/handler/property_handler_base.hxx
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@
 
 #include "forms/property_handler.hxx"
 
-#include <osl/interlck.h>
-
 namespace xmloff
 {
 
@@ -31,19 +29,9 @@ namespace xmloff
     class PropertyHandlerBase : public IPropertyHandler
     {
     protected:
-        PropertyHandlerBase()
-            :m_refCount( 0 )
-        {
-        }
+        PropertyHandlerBase() {}
 
         virtual ~PropertyHandlerBase();
-
-        // IReference
-        virtual oslInterlockedCount SAL_CALL acquire() SAL_OVERRIDE;
-        virtual oslInterlockedCount SAL_CALL release() SAL_OVERRIDE;
-
-    private:
-        oslInterlockedCount m_refCount;
     };
 
 } // namespace xmloff