diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
index 5bec058d13..b058e194d2 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
@@ -1637,9 +1637,8 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndex<T> {
     }
 
     pub fn unref_from_storage(&self, pubkey: &Pubkey) {
-        if let Some(locked_entry) = self.get_account_read_entry(pubkey) {
-            locked_entry.unref();
-        }
+        let map = &self.account_maps[self.bin_calculator.bin_from_pubkey(pubkey)];
+        map.read().unwrap().unref(pubkey)
     }
 
     pub fn ref_count_from_storage(&self, pubkey: &Pubkey) -> RefCount {
diff --git a/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs
index c91c48a17b..b3a25345f7 100644
--- a/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs
@@ -290,6 +290,10 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> InMemAccountsIndex<T> {
         })
     }
 
+    pub fn unref(&self, pubkey: &Pubkey) {
+        self.get_internal(pubkey, |entry| entry.map(|entry| entry.add_un_ref(false)));
+    }
+
     pub fn upsert(
         &self,
         pubkey: &Pubkey,