diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/DeleteRefCommand.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/DeleteRefCommand.java
index 40e03f1..ea5b35a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/DeleteRefCommand.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/DeleteRefCommand.java
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestApiException;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.events.EventDispatcher;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.GitRepositoryManager;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackend;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackendException;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.RefPermission;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectCache;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectState;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
@@ -49,7 +47,6 @@
   private final ApplyObject applyObject;
   private final DynamicItem<EventDispatcher> eventDispatcher;
   private final ProjectCache projectCache;
-  private final PermissionBackend permissionBackend;
   private final GitRepositoryManager gitManager;
 
   @Inject
@@ -57,14 +54,12 @@
       PullReplicationStateLogger fetchStateLog,
       ProjectCache projectCache,
       ApplyObject applyObject,
-      PermissionBackend permissionBackend,
       DynamicItem<EventDispatcher> eventDispatcher,
       LocalGitRepositoryManagerProvider gitManagerProvider) {
     this.fetchStateLog = fetchStateLog;
     this.projectCache = projectCache;
     this.applyObject = applyObject;
     this.eventDispatcher = eventDispatcher;
-    this.permissionBackend = permissionBackend;
     this.gitManager = gitManagerProvider.get();
   }
 
@@ -78,12 +73,6 @@
       }
 
       try {
-        projectState.get().checkStatePermitsWrite();
-        permissionBackend
-            .currentUser()
-            .project(projectState.get().getNameKey())
-            .ref(refName)
-            .check(RefPermission.DELETE);
 
         Context.setLocalEvent(true);
         deleteRef(name, refName);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/DeleteRefCommandTest.java b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/DeleteRefCommandTest.java
index eb4d322..30d212c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/DeleteRefCommandTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/DeleteRefCommandTest.java
@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.server.events.Event;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.events.EventDispatcher;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.LocalDiskRepositoryManager;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackend;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackend.ForProject;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackend.ForRef;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.permissions.PermissionBackend.WithUser;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectCache;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectState;
 import com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull.FetchRefReplicatedEvent;
@@ -62,10 +58,6 @@
   @Mock private ProjectCache projectCache;
   @Mock private ApplyObject applyObject;
   @Mock private ProjectState projectState;
-  @Mock private PermissionBackend permissionBackend;
-  @Mock private WithUser currentUser;
-  @Mock private ForProject forProject;
-  @Mock private ForRef forRef;
   @Mock private LocalDiskRepositoryManager gitManager;
   @Mock private RefUpdate refUpdate;
   @Mock private Repository repository;
@@ -79,9 +71,6 @@
   public void setup() throws Exception {
     when(eventDispatcherDataItem.get()).thenReturn(eventDispatcher);
     when(projectCache.get(any())).thenReturn(Optional.of(projectState));
-    when(permissionBackend.currentUser()).thenReturn(currentUser);
-    when(currentUser.project(any())).thenReturn(forProject);
-    when(forProject.ref(any())).thenReturn(forRef);
     when(gitManager.openRepository(any())).thenReturn(repository);
     when(repository.updateRef(any())).thenReturn(refUpdate);
     when(repository.getRefDatabase()).thenReturn(refDb);
@@ -93,7 +82,6 @@
             fetchStateLog,
             projectCache,
             applyObject,
-            permissionBackend,
             eventDispatcherDataItem,
             new LocalGitRepositoryManagerProvider(gitManager));
   }