Index: kernel/generic/src/mm/as.c
===================================================================
--- kernel/generic/src/mm/as.c	(revision 6f7071b562c845499c96c4a1354e9a5d3ce94a05)
+++ kernel/generic/src/mm/as.c	(revision ac9e79d3a90877ce1c23d880e260120e23f9deaf)
@@ -137,10 +137,4 @@
 	if (!AS_KERNEL)
 		panic("Cannot create kernel address space.");
-
-	/*
-	 * Make sure the kernel address space
-	 * reference count never drops to zero.
-	 */
-	as_hold(AS_KERNEL);
 }
 
Index: kernel/generic/src/proc/task.c
===================================================================
--- kernel/generic/src/proc/task.c	(revision 6f7071b562c845499c96c4a1354e9a5d3ce94a05)
+++ kernel/generic/src/proc/task.c	(revision ac9e79d3a90877ce1c23d880e260120e23f9deaf)
@@ -252,9 +252,4 @@
 	futex_task_init(task);
 
-	/*
-	 * Get a reference to the address space.
-	 */
-	as_hold(task->as);
-
 	irq_spinlock_lock(&tasks_lock, true);