diff --git a/src/ripple_app/ledger/Ledger.cpp b/src/ripple_app/ledger/Ledger.cpp
index dd9cad724..150743054 100644
--- a/src/ripple_app/ledger/Ledger.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple_app/ledger/Ledger.cpp
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ Transaction::pointer Ledger::getTransaction (uint256 const& transID) const
         return txn;
 
     if (type == SHAMapTreeNode::tnTRANSACTION_NM)
-        txn = Transaction::sharedTransaction (item->getData (), true);
+        txn = Transaction::sharedTransaction (item->peekData (), true);
     else if (type == SHAMapTreeNode::tnTRANSACTION_MD)
     {
         Blob txnData;
diff --git a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMap.h b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMap.h
index 20e657f50..44e534834 100644
--- a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMap.h
+++ b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMap.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ public:
     typedef const boost::shared_ptr<SHAMap>& ref;
 
     typedef std::pair<SHAMapItem::pointer, SHAMapItem::pointer> DeltaItem;
+    typedef std::pair<SHAMapItem::ref, SHAMapItem::ref> DeltaRef;
     typedef std::map<uint256, DeltaItem> Delta;
     typedef boost::unordered_map<SHAMapNode, SHAMapTreeNode::pointer> NodeMap;
 
diff --git a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapDelta.cpp b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapDelta.cpp
index 363981445..72c624e91 100644
--- a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapDelta.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapDelta.cpp
@@ -62,17 +62,17 @@ bool SHAMap::walkBranch (SHAMapTreeNode* node, SHAMapItem::ref otherMapItem, boo
         else
         {
             // This is a leaf node, process its item
-            SHAMapItem::pointer item = node->getItem ();
+            SHAMapItem::pointer item = node->peekItem ();
 
             if (!emptyBranch && (otherMapItem->getTag () < item->getTag ()))
             {
                 // this item comes after the item from the other map, so add the other item
                 if (isFirstMap) // this is first map, so other item is from second
                     differences.insert (std::make_pair (otherMapItem->getTag (),
-                                                        std::make_pair (SHAMapItem::pointer (), otherMapItem)));
+                                                        DeltaRef (SHAMapItem::pointer (), otherMapItem)));
                 else
                     differences.insert (std::make_pair (otherMapItem->getTag (),
-                                                        std::make_pair (otherMapItem, SHAMapItem::pointer ())));
+                                                        DeltaRef (otherMapItem, SHAMapItem::pointer ())));
 
                 if (--maxCount <= 0)
                     return false;
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ bool SHAMap::walkBranch (SHAMapTreeNode* node, SHAMapItem::ref otherMapItem, boo
             {
                 // unmatched
                 if (isFirstMap)
-                    differences.insert (std::make_pair (item->getTag (), std::make_pair (item, SHAMapItem::pointer ())));
+                    differences.insert (std::make_pair (item->getTag (), DeltaRef (item, SHAMapItem::pointer ())));
                 else
-                    differences.insert (std::make_pair (item->getTag (), std::make_pair (SHAMapItem::pointer (), item)));
+                    differences.insert (std::make_pair (item->getTag (), DeltaRef (SHAMapItem::pointer (), item)));
 
                 if (--maxCount <= 0)
                     return false;
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ bool SHAMap::walkBranch (SHAMapTreeNode* node, SHAMapItem::ref otherMapItem, boo
                 {
                     // non-matching items
                     if (isFirstMap)
-                        differences.insert (std::make_pair (otherMapItem->getTag (), std::make_pair (item, otherMapItem)));
+                        differences.insert (std::make_pair (otherMapItem->getTag (), DeltaRef (item, otherMapItem)));
                     else
-                        differences.insert (std::make_pair (otherMapItem->getTag (), std::make_pair (otherMapItem, item)));
+                        differences.insert (std::make_pair (otherMapItem->getTag (), DeltaRef (otherMapItem, item)));
 
                     if (--maxCount <= 0)
                         return false;
@@ -115,10 +115,10 @@ bool SHAMap::walkBranch (SHAMapTreeNode* node, SHAMapItem::ref otherMapItem, boo
         // otherMapItem was unmatched, must add
         if (isFirstMap) // this is first map, so other item is from second
             differences.insert (std::make_pair (otherMapItem->getTag (),
-                                                std::make_pair (SHAMapItem::pointer (), otherMapItem)));
+                                                DeltaRef (SHAMapItem::pointer (), otherMapItem)));
         else
             differences.insert (std::make_pair (otherMapItem->getTag (),
-                                                std::make_pair (otherMapItem, SHAMapItem::pointer ())));
+                                                DeltaRef (otherMapItem, SHAMapItem::pointer ())));
 
         if (--maxCount <= 0)
             return false;
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ bool SHAMap::compare (SHAMap::ref otherMap, Delta& differences, int maxCount)
                 if (ourNode->peekData () != otherNode->peekData ())
                 {
                     differences.insert (std::make_pair (ourNode->getTag (),
-                                                        std::make_pair (ourNode->getItem (), otherNode->getItem ())));
+                                                        DeltaRef (ourNode->peekItem (), otherNode->peekItem ())));
 
                     if (--maxCount <= 0)
                         return false;
@@ -176,13 +176,13 @@ bool SHAMap::compare (SHAMap::ref otherMap, Delta& differences, int maxCount)
             else
             {
                 differences.insert (std::make_pair (ourNode->getTag (),
-                                                    std::make_pair (ourNode->getItem (), SHAMapItem::pointer ())));
+                                                    DeltaRef (ourNode->peekItem (), SHAMapItem::pointer ())));
 
                 if (--maxCount <= 0)
                     return false;
 
                 differences.insert (std::make_pair (otherNode->getTag (),
-                                                    std::make_pair (SHAMapItem::pointer (), otherNode->getItem ())));
+                                                    DeltaRef (SHAMapItem::pointer (), otherNode->peekItem ())));
 
                 if (--maxCount <= 0)
                     return false;
@@ -190,12 +190,12 @@ bool SHAMap::compare (SHAMap::ref otherMap, Delta& differences, int maxCount)
         }
         else if (ourNode->isInner () && otherNode->isLeaf ())
         {
-            if (!walkBranch (ourNode, otherNode->getItem (), true, differences, maxCount))
+            if (!walkBranch (ourNode, otherNode->peekItem (), true, differences, maxCount))
                 return false;
         }
         else if (ourNode->isLeaf () && otherNode->isInner ())
         {
-            if (!otherMap->walkBranch (otherNode, ourNode->getItem (), false, differences, maxCount))
+            if (!otherMap->walkBranch (otherNode, ourNode->peekItem (), false, differences, maxCount))
                 return false;
         }
         else if (ourNode->isInner () && otherNode->isInner ())
diff --git a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapItem.h b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapItem.h
index 29ccd3dfc..2704f6104 100644
--- a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapItem.h
+++ b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapItem.h
@@ -43,10 +43,6 @@ public:
     {
         return mTag;
     }
-    Blob getData () const
-    {
-        return mData.getData ();
-    }
     Blob const& peekData () const
     {
         return mData.peekData ();
diff --git a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapSync.cpp b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapSync.cpp
index a4d401397..36f9ceaf6 100644
--- a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapSync.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapSync.cpp
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ bool SHAMap::deepCompare (SHAMap& other)
 
             if (node->peekItem ()->getTag () != otherNode->peekItem ()->getTag ()) return false;
 
-            if (node->peekItem ()->getData () != otherNode->peekItem ()->getData ()) return false;
+            if (node->peekItem ()->peekData () != otherNode->peekItem ()->peekData ()) return false;
         }
         else if (node->isInner ())
         {
diff --git a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapTreeNode.cpp b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapTreeNode.cpp
index dbba8c821..219edf961 100644
--- a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapTreeNode.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapTreeNode.cpp
@@ -32,12 +32,7 @@ SHAMapTreeNode::SHAMapTreeNode (const SHAMapTreeNode& node, uint32 seq) : SHAMap
     mHash (node.mHash), mSeq (seq), mType (node.mType), mIsBranch (node.mIsBranch), mFullBelow (false)
 {
     if (node.mItem)
-    {
-        if ((mSeq == 0) && (node.mSeq == 0))
-            mItem = node.mItem; // two immutable nodes can share an item
-        else
-            mItem = boost::make_shared<SHAMapItem> (*node.mItem);
-    }
+        mItem = node.mItem;
     else
         memcpy (mHashes, node.mHashes, sizeof (mHashes));
 }
@@ -387,12 +382,6 @@ bool SHAMapTreeNode::setItem (SHAMapItem::ref i, TNType type)
     return updateHash ();
 }
 
-SHAMapItem::pointer SHAMapTreeNode::getItem () const
-{
-    assert (isLeaf ());
-    return boost::make_shared<SHAMapItem> (*mItem);
-}
-
 bool SHAMapTreeNode::isEmpty () const
 {
     return mIsBranch == 0;
diff --git a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapTreeNode.h b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapTreeNode.h
index f9f13cb54..abaee7ceb 100644
--- a/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapTreeNode.h
+++ b/src/ripple_app/shamap/SHAMapTreeNode.h
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ public:
     { // CAUTION: Do not modify the item
         return mItem;
     }
-    SHAMapItem::pointer getItem () const;
     bool setItem (SHAMapItem::ref i, TNType type);
     uint256 const& getTag () const
     {
@@ -151,10 +150,6 @@ public:
     {
         return mItem->peekData ();
     }
-    Blob getData () const
-    {
-        return mItem->getData ();
-    }
 
     // sync functions
     bool isFullBelow (void) const
diff --git a/src/ripple_app/tx/Transaction.cpp b/src/ripple_app/tx/Transaction.cpp
index 3b01e678a..dec779819 100644
--- a/src/ripple_app/tx/Transaction.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple_app/tx/Transaction.cpp
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ bool Transaction::convertToTransactions (uint32 firstLedgerSeq, uint32 secondLed
         if (!!first)
         {
             // transaction in our table
-            firstTrans = sharedTransaction (first->getData (), checkFirstTransactions);
+            firstTrans = sharedTransaction (first->peekData (), checkFirstTransactions);
 
             if ((firstTrans->getStatus () == INVALID) || (firstTrans->getID () != id ))
             {
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ bool Transaction::convertToTransactions (uint32 firstLedgerSeq, uint32 secondLed
         if (!!second)
         {
             // transaction in other table
-            secondTrans = sharedTransaction (second->getData (), checkSecondTransactions);
+            secondTrans = sharedTransaction (second->peekData (), checkSecondTransactions);
 
             if ((secondTrans->getStatus () == INVALID) || (secondTrans->getID () != id))
             {