diff --git a/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/import_saved_objects.test.ts b/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/import_saved_objects.test.ts
index dcb8d685d42c..3dda6931bd1e 100644
--- a/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/import_saved_objects.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/import_saved_objects.test.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ import { typeRegistryMock } from '../saved_objects_type_registry.mock';
 import { importSavedObjectsFromStream } from './import_saved_objects';
 
 import { collectSavedObjects } from './collect_saved_objects';
-import { regenerateIds, regenerateIdsWithReference } from './regenerate_ids';
+import { regenerateIds } from './regenerate_ids';
 import { validateReferences } from './validate_references';
 import { checkConflicts } from './check_conflicts';
 import { checkOriginConflicts } from './check_origin_conflicts';
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ describe('#importSavedObjectsFromStream', () => {
       importIdMap: new Map(),
     });
     getMockFn(regenerateIds).mockReturnValue(new Map());
-    getMockFn(regenerateIdsWithReference).mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve(new Map()));
     getMockFn(validateReferences).mockResolvedValue([]);
     getMockFn(checkConflicts).mockResolvedValue({
       errors: [],
@@ -279,15 +278,6 @@ describe('#importSavedObjectsFromStream', () => {
           ]),
         });
         getMockFn(validateReferences).mockResolvedValue([errors[1]]);
-        getMockFn(regenerateIdsWithReference).mockResolvedValue(
-          Promise.resolve(
-            new Map([
-              ['foo', {}],
-              ['bar', {}],
-              ['baz', {}],
-            ])
-          )
-        );
         getMockFn(checkConflicts).mockResolvedValue({
           errors: [errors[2]],
           filteredObjects,
diff --git a/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/import_saved_objects.ts b/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/import_saved_objects.ts
index 213d09767fbb..7cdb6970ca9d 100644
--- a/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/import_saved_objects.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/import_saved_objects.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import { validateReferences } from './validate_references';
 import { checkOriginConflicts } from './check_origin_conflicts';
 import { createSavedObjects } from './create_saved_objects';
 import { checkConflicts } from './check_conflicts';
-import { regenerateIds, regenerateIdsWithReference } from './regenerate_ids';
+import { regenerateIds } from './regenerate_ids';
 import { checkConflictsForDataSource } from './check_conflict_for_data_source';
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/regenerate_ids.ts b/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/regenerate_ids.ts
index 522a150c4e6f..f1092bed7f55 100644
--- a/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/regenerate_ids.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/saved_objects/import/regenerate_ids.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@
  */
 
 import { v4 as uuidv4 } from 'uuid';
-import { SavedObject, SavedObjectsClientContract } from '../types';
-import { SavedObjectsUtils } from '../service';
+import { SavedObject } from '../types';
 
 /**
  * Takes an array of saved objects and returns an importIdMap of randomly-generated new IDs.
@@ -48,40 +47,3 @@ export const regenerateIds = (objects: SavedObject[], dataSourceId: string | und
   }, new Map<string, { id: string; omitOriginId?: boolean }>());
   return importIdMap;
 };
-
-export const regenerateIdsWithReference = async (props: {
-  savedObjects: SavedObject[];
-  savedObjectsClient: SavedObjectsClientContract;
-  workspaces?: string[];
-  objectLimit: number;
-  importIdMap: Map<string, { id?: string; omitOriginId?: boolean }>;
-}): Promise<Map<string, { id?: string; omitOriginId?: boolean }>> => {
-  const { savedObjects, savedObjectsClient, workspaces, importIdMap } = props;
-  if (!workspaces || !workspaces.length) {
-    return savedObjects.reduce((acc, object) => {
-      return acc.set(`${object.type}:${object.id}`, { id: object.id, omitOriginId: false });
-    }, importIdMap);
-  }
-
-  const bulkGetResult = await savedObjectsClient.bulkGet(
-    savedObjects.map((item) => ({ type: item.type, id: item.id }))
-  );
-
-  return bulkGetResult.saved_objects.reduce((acc, object) => {
-    if (object.error?.statusCode === 404) {
-      acc.set(`${object.type}:${object.id}`, { id: object.id, omitOriginId: true });
-      return acc;
-    }
-
-    const filteredWorkspaces = SavedObjectsUtils.filterWorkspacesAccordingToSourceWorkspaces(
-      workspaces,
-      object.workspaces
-    );
-    if (filteredWorkspaces.length) {
-      acc.set(`${object.type}:${object.id}`, { id: uuidv4(), omitOriginId: true });
-    } else {
-      acc.set(`${object.type}:${object.id}`, { id: object.id, omitOriginId: false });
-    }
-    return acc;
-  }, importIdMap);
-};