diff --git a/src/analyses/goto_check.cpp b/src/analyses/goto_check.cpp
index b907cef042f..e5bd4416fbd 100644
--- a/src/analyses/goto_check.cpp
+++ b/src/analyses/goto_check.cpp
@@ -117,11 +117,6 @@ class goto_checkt
 
   void invalidate(const exprt &lhs);
 
-  inline static bool has_dereference(const exprt &src)
-  {
-    return has_subexpr(src, ID_dereference);
-  }
-
   bool enable_bounds_check;
   bool enable_pointer_check;
   bool enable_memory_leak_check;
@@ -200,8 +195,7 @@ void goto_checkt::invalidate(const exprt &lhs)
       assertionst::iterator next=it;
       next++;
 
-      if(has_symbol(*it, find_symbols_set) ||
-         has_dereference(*it))
+      if(has_symbol(*it, find_symbols_set) || has_subexpr(*it, ID_dereference))
         assertions.erase(it);
 
       it=next;
diff --git a/src/analyses/goto_rw.cpp b/src/analyses/goto_rw.cpp
index be0f162c539..1e75359671b 100644
--- a/src/analyses/goto_rw.cpp
+++ b/src/analyses/goto_rw.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Date: April 2010
 #include <limits>
 #include <memory>
 
+#include <util/expr_util.h>
 #include <util/std_code.h>
 #include <util/std_expr.h>
 #include <util/pointer_offset_size.h>
@@ -617,8 +618,7 @@ void rw_range_set_value_sett::get_objects_dereference(
 
   // value_set_dereferencet::build_reference_to will turn *p into
   // DYNAMIC_OBJECT(p) ? *p : invalid_objectN
-  if(object.is_not_nil() &&
-     !value_set_dereferencet::has_dereference(object))
+  if(object.is_not_nil() && !has_subexpr(object, ID_dereference))
     get_objects_rec(mode, object, range_start, new_size);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pointer-analysis/goto_program_dereference.cpp b/src/pointer-analysis/goto_program_dereference.cpp
index fbcbcde2ee1..efc0dd510fd 100644
--- a/src/pointer-analysis/goto_program_dereference.cpp
+++ b/src/pointer-analysis/goto_program_dereference.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Author: Daniel Kroening, kroening@kroening.com
 
 #include "goto_program_dereference.h"
 
+#include <util/expr_util.h>
 #include <util/simplify_expr.h>
 #include <util/base_type.h>
 #include <util/std_code.h>
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ void goto_program_dereferencet::dereference_rec(
   guardt &guard,
   const value_set_dereferencet::modet mode)
 {
-  if(!dereference.has_dereference(expr))
+  if(!has_subexpr(expr, ID_dereference))
     return;
 
   if(expr.id()==ID_and || expr.id()==ID_or)
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ void goto_program_dereferencet::dereference_rec(
         throw expr.id_string()+" takes Boolean operands only, but got "+
               op.pretty();
 
-      if(dereference.has_dereference(op))
+      if(has_subexpr(op, ID_dereference))
         dereference_rec(op, guard, value_set_dereferencet::modet::READ);
 
       if(expr.id()==ID_or)
@@ -146,8 +147,8 @@ void goto_program_dereferencet::dereference_rec(
 
     dereference_rec(expr.op0(), guard, value_set_dereferencet::modet::READ);
 
-    bool o1=dereference.has_dereference(expr.op1());
-    bool o2=dereference.has_dereference(expr.op2());
+    bool o1 = has_subexpr(expr.op1(), ID_dereference);
+    bool o2 = has_subexpr(expr.op2(), ID_dereference);
 
     if(o1)
     {
diff --git a/src/pointer-analysis/value_set_dereference.cpp b/src/pointer-analysis/value_set_dereference.cpp
index c29cd31fc3c..70f07ffad59 100644
--- a/src/pointer-analysis/value_set_dereference.cpp
+++ b/src/pointer-analysis/value_set_dereference.cpp
@@ -47,11 +47,6 @@ Author: Daniel Kroening, kroening@kroening.com
 // global data, horrible
 unsigned int value_set_dereferencet::invalid_counter=0;
 
-bool value_set_dereferencet::has_dereference(const exprt &expr)
-{
-  return has_subexpr(expr, ID_dereference);
-}
-
 const exprt &value_set_dereferencet::get_symbol(const exprt &expr)
 {
   if(expr.id()==ID_member || expr.id()==ID_index)
diff --git a/src/pointer-analysis/value_set_dereference.h b/src/pointer-analysis/value_set_dereference.h
index 4687d671ec6..a2475823b1c 100644
--- a/src/pointer-analysis/value_set_dereference.h
+++ b/src/pointer-analysis/value_set_dereference.h
@@ -72,10 +72,6 @@ class value_set_dereferencet
     const guardt &guard,
     const modet mode);
 
-  /*! \brief Returns 'true' iff the given expression contains unary '*'
-  */
-  static bool has_dereference(const exprt &expr);
-
   typedef std::unordered_set<exprt, irep_hash> expr_sett;
 
 private: