diff --git a/opm/core/wells/WellsManager_impl.hpp b/opm/core/wells/WellsManager_impl.hpp
index 4967980a..abdf5f43 100644
--- a/opm/core/wells/WellsManager_impl.hpp
+++ b/opm/core/wells/WellsManager_impl.hpp
@@ -137,11 +137,7 @@ void WellsManager::createWellsFromSpecs(std::vector<WellConstPtr>& wells, size_t
             well_names.push_back(well->name());
             {
                 WellData wd;
-                // If defaulted, set refdepth to a marker
-                // value, will be changed after getting perforation
-                // data to the centroid of the cell of the top well
-                // perforation.
-                wd.reference_bhp_depth = (well->getRefDepthDefaulted()) ? -1e100 : well->getRefDepth();
+                wd.reference_bhp_depth = well->getRefDepth();
                 wd.welspecsline = -1;
                 if (well->isInjector( timeStep ))
                     wd.type = INJECTOR;
@@ -208,26 +204,6 @@ void WellsManager::createWellsFromSpecs(std::vector<WellConstPtr>& wells, size_t
     assert (dimensions == 3);
     for (int w = 0; w < num_wells; ++w) {
         num_perfs += wellperf_data[w].size();
-        if (well_data[w].reference_bhp_depth == -1e100) {
-            // It was defaulted. Set reference depth to minimum perforation depth.
-            double min_depth = 1e100;
-            int num_wperfs = wellperf_data[w].size();
-            for (int perf = 0; perf < num_wperfs; ++perf) {
-                using UgGridHelpers::increment;
-                using UgGridHelpers::getCoordinate;
-
-                const CC& cc =
-                    increment(begin_cell_centroids,
-                              wellperf_data[w][perf].cell,
-                              dimensions);
-
-                const double depth = getCoordinate(cc, 2);
-
-                min_depth = std::min(min_depth, depth);
-            }
-
-            well_data[w].reference_bhp_depth = min_depth;
-        }
     }
 
     // Create the well data structures.