diff --git a/td/telegram/files/FileLocation.h b/td/telegram/files/FileLocation.h
index 69f725ce4..c0d3355cd 100644
--- a/td/telegram/files/FileLocation.h
+++ b/td/telegram/files/FileLocation.h
@@ -331,10 +331,6 @@ class FullRemoteFileLocation {
     }
   }
 
-  void clear_file_reference() {
-    file_reference_.clear();
-  }
-
   bool delete_file_reference(Slice bad_file_reference) {
     if (file_reference_ != FileReferenceView::invalid_file_reference() && file_reference_ == bad_file_reference) {
       file_reference_ = FileReferenceView::invalid_file_reference().str();
diff --git a/td/telegram/files/FileManager.cpp b/td/telegram/files/FileManager.cpp
index 8fa627dd6..c8fb0e1e6 100644
--- a/td/telegram/files/FileManager.cpp
+++ b/td/telegram/files/FileManager.cpp
@@ -2726,9 +2726,7 @@ string FileManager::get_persistent_id(const FullGenerateFileLocation &location)
 }
 
 string FileManager::get_persistent_id(const FullRemoteFileLocation &location) {
-  auto location_copy = location;
-  location_copy.clear_file_reference();
-  auto binary = serialize(location_copy);
+  auto binary = serialize(location);
 
   binary = zero_encode(binary);
   binary.push_back(static_cast<char>(narrow_cast<uint8>(Version::Next) - 1));