diff --git a/src/compiler/codegen/directives/el.js b/src/compiler/codegen/directives/el.js
deleted file mode 100644
index c8625fcb..00000000
--- a/src/compiler/codegen/directives/el.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-export function ref (el, dir) {
-  if (!el.hooks) el.hooks = {}
-  const code = `$refs["${dir.arg}"]=vnode.elm || vnode.data.child`
-  if (el.hooks.insert) {
-    el.hooks.insert = el.hooks.insert
-      .replace(/^function\(vnode\)\{(.*)\}$/, `function(vnode){$1;${code}}`)
-  } else {
-    el.hooks.insert = `function(vnode){${code}}`
-  }
-}