diff --git a/include/qpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.hh b/include/qpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.hh
index ecb50ba0..ee424e39 100644
--- a/include/qpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.hh
+++ b/include/qpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.hh
@@ -1494,10 +1494,8 @@ class QPDFObjectHandle
     // disconnected().
     class DisconnectAccess
     {
-        friend class QPDF_Array;
         friend class QPDF_Dictionary;
         friend class QPDF_Stream;
-        friend class SparseOHArray;
 
       private:
         static void
diff --git a/libqpdf/QPDF_Array.cc b/libqpdf/QPDF_Array.cc
index afec05af..1f1ce55a 100644
--- a/libqpdf/QPDF_Array.cc
+++ b/libqpdf/QPDF_Array.cc
@@ -116,11 +116,16 @@ void
 QPDF_Array::disconnect()
 {
     if (sparse) {
-        sp_elements.disconnect();
+        for (auto& item: sp_elements.elements) {
+            auto& obj = item.second;
+            if (!obj->getObjGen().isIndirect()) {
+                obj->disconnect();
+            }
+        }
     } else {
-        for (auto const& iter: elements) {
-            if (iter) {
-                QPDFObjectHandle::DisconnectAccess::disconnect(iter);
+        for (auto& obj: elements) {
+            if (!obj->getObjGen().isIndirect()) {
+                obj->disconnect();
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/libqpdf/SparseOHArray.cc b/libqpdf/SparseOHArray.cc
index 6a1c976a..c830d035 100644
--- a/libqpdf/SparseOHArray.cc
+++ b/libqpdf/SparseOHArray.cc
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
 #include <qpdf/SparseOHArray.hh>
 
-void
-SparseOHArray::disconnect()
-{
-    for (auto& iter: this->elements) {
-        QPDFObjectHandle::DisconnectAccess::disconnect(iter.second);
-    }
-}
-
 SparseOHArray
 SparseOHArray::copy()
 {
diff --git a/libqpdf/qpdf/SparseOHArray.hh b/libqpdf/qpdf/SparseOHArray.hh
index 1b31f266..e7733472 100644
--- a/libqpdf/qpdf/SparseOHArray.hh
+++ b/libqpdf/qpdf/SparseOHArray.hh
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ class SparseOHArray
         return n_elements;
     }
     SparseOHArray copy();
-    void disconnect();
 
   private:
     friend class QPDF_Array;