diff --git a/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier.go b/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier.go
index d1fcc2dc981..ab62c9739cb 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier.go
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@ type ServiceInfo struct {
 	Timeout time.Duration
 	// ActiveClients is the cache of active UDP clients being proxied by this proxy for this service
 	ActiveClients *ClientCache
-	// ServiceRef is a full object reference to the the service described by this ServiceInfo
-	ServiceRef api.ObjectReference
 
 	isAliveAtomic       int32 // Only access this with atomic ops
 	portal              portal
@@ -358,7 +356,7 @@ func (proxier *Proxier) setServiceInfo(service proxy.ServicePortName, info *Serv
 // addServiceOnPort starts listening for a new service, returning the ServiceInfo.
 // Pass proxyPort=0 to allocate a random port. The timeout only applies to UDP
 // connections, for now.
-func (proxier *Proxier) addServiceOnPort(service proxy.ServicePortName, serviceRef api.ObjectReference, protocol api.Protocol, proxyPort int, timeout time.Duration) (*ServiceInfo, error) {
+func (proxier *Proxier) addServiceOnPort(service proxy.ServicePortName, protocol api.Protocol, proxyPort int, timeout time.Duration) (*ServiceInfo, error) {
 	sock, err := proxier.makeProxySocket(protocol, proxier.listenIP, proxyPort)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -376,7 +374,6 @@ func (proxier *Proxier) addServiceOnPort(service proxy.ServicePortName, serviceR
 	si := &ServiceInfo{
 		Timeout:       timeout,
 		ActiveClients: newClientCache(),
-		ServiceRef:    serviceRef,
 
 		isAliveAtomic:       1,
 		proxyPort:           portNum,
@@ -411,17 +408,6 @@ func (proxier *Proxier) OnServiceUpdate(services []*api.Service) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		// TODO: should this just be ref.GetReference?
-		svcGVK := service.GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind()
-		svcRef := api.ObjectReference{
-			Kind:            svcGVK.Kind,
-			Namespace:       service.Namespace,
-			Name:            service.Name,
-			UID:             service.UID,
-			APIVersion:      svcGVK.GroupVersion().String(),
-			ResourceVersion: service.ResourceVersion,
-		}
-
 		for i := range service.Spec.Ports {
 			servicePort := &service.Spec.Ports[i]
 			serviceName := proxy.ServicePortName{NamespacedName: types.NamespacedName{Namespace: service.Namespace, Name: service.Name}, Port: servicePort.Name}
@@ -452,7 +438,7 @@ func (proxier *Proxier) OnServiceUpdate(services []*api.Service) {
 			}
 
 			glog.V(1).Infof("Adding new service %q at %s:%d/%s", serviceName, serviceIP, servicePort.Port, servicePort.Protocol)
-			info, err = proxier.addServiceOnPort(serviceName, svcRef, servicePort.Protocol, proxyPort, proxier.udpIdleTimeout)
+			info, err = proxier.addServiceOnPort(serviceName, servicePort.Protocol, proxyPort, proxier.udpIdleTimeout)
 			if err != nil {
 				glog.Errorf("Failed to start proxy for %q: %v", serviceName, err)
 				continue
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier_test.go b/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier_test.go
index f00fa30162a..a3ad8eb0f24 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/userspace/proxier_test.go
@@ -218,8 +218,7 @@ func TestTCPProxy(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -246,8 +245,7 @@ func TestUDPProxy(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -274,8 +272,7 @@ func TestUDPProxyTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -314,16 +311,14 @@ func TestMultiPortProxy(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRefP := api.ObjectReference{Name: serviceP.Name, Namespace: serviceP.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfoP, err := p.addServiceOnPort(serviceP, serviceRefP, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfoP, err := p.addServiceOnPort(serviceP, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
 	testEchoTCP(t, "127.0.0.1", svcInfoP.proxyPort)
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 1)
 
-	serviceRefQ := api.ObjectReference{Name: serviceQ.Name, Namespace: serviceQ.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfoQ, err := p.addServiceOnPort(serviceQ, serviceRefQ, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfoQ, err := p.addServiceOnPort(serviceQ, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -408,8 +403,7 @@ func TestTCPProxyStop(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -453,8 +447,7 @@ func TestUDPProxyStop(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -492,8 +485,7 @@ func TestTCPProxyUpdateDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -530,8 +522,7 @@ func TestUDPProxyUpdateDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -569,8 +560,7 @@ func TestTCPProxyUpdateDeleteUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -625,8 +615,7 @@ func TestUDPProxyUpdateDeleteUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -680,8 +669,7 @@ func TestTCPProxyUpdatePort(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -729,8 +717,7 @@ func TestUDPProxyUpdatePort(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "UDP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -775,8 +762,7 @@ func TestProxyUpdatePublicIPs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}
@@ -829,8 +815,7 @@ func TestProxyUpdatePortal(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	waitForNumProxyLoops(t, p, 0)
 
-	serviceRef := api.ObjectReference{Name: service.Name, Namespace: service.Namespace, Kind: "Service", APIVersion: "v1"}
-	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, serviceRef, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
+	svcInfo, err := p.addServiceOnPort(service, "TCP", 0, time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error adding new service: %#v", err)
 	}