diff --git a/libutils/RefBase.cpp b/libutils/RefBase.cpp
index 5199ef60e..3a11547a0 100644
--- a/libutils/RefBase.cpp
+++ b/libutils/RefBase.cpp
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ namespace android {
 // Same for weak counts.
 #define BAD_WEAK(c) ((c) == 0 || ((c) & (~MAX_COUNT)) != 0)
 
-// see utils/StrongPointer.h - declared there for legacy reasons
-void sp_report_stack_pointer();
+// name kept because prebuilts used to use it from inlining sp<> code
+void sp_report_stack_pointer() { LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL("RefBase used with stack pointer argument"); }
 
 // Check whether address is definitely on the calling stack.  We actually check whether it is on
 // the same 4K page as the frame pointer.
diff --git a/libutils/RefBase_test.cpp b/libutils/RefBase_test.cpp
index b89779de6..aed3b9b40 100644
--- a/libutils/RefBase_test.cpp
+++ b/libutils/RefBase_test.cpp
@@ -275,6 +275,11 @@ TEST(RefBase, DoubleOwnershipDeath) {
     EXPECT_FALSE(isDeleted);
 }
 
+TEST(RefBase, StackOwnershipDeath) {
+    bool isDeleted;
+    EXPECT_DEATH({ Foo foo(&isDeleted); foo.incStrong(nullptr); }, "");
+}
+
 // Set up a situation in which we race with visit2AndRremove() to delete
 // 2 strong references.  Bar destructor checks that there are no early
 // deletions and prior updates are visible to destructor.
diff --git a/libutils/StrongPointer.cpp b/libutils/StrongPointer.cpp
index ef467238a..ba52502ec 100644
--- a/libutils/StrongPointer.cpp
+++ b/libutils/StrongPointer.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,4 @@
 namespace android {
 
 void sp_report_race() { LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL("sp<> assignment detected data race"); }
-
-void sp_report_stack_pointer() { LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL("sp<> constructed with stack pointer argument"); }
-
 }
diff --git a/libutils/include/utils/StrongPointer.h b/libutils/include/utils/StrongPointer.h
index cbdcb5b02..54aa691e0 100644
--- a/libutils/include/utils/StrongPointer.h
+++ b/libutils/include/utils/StrongPointer.h
@@ -184,7 +184,6 @@ COMPARE_STRONG_FUNCTIONAL(>=, std::greater_equal)
 
 // For code size reasons, we do not want these inlined or templated.
 void sp_report_race();
-void sp_report_stack_pointer();
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // No user serviceable parts below here.