diff --git a/api/src/Link.php b/api/src/Link.php
index 7707b4e689..0829e11273 100644
--- a/api/src/Link.php
+++ b/api/src/Link.php
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ class Link extends Link\Storage
 				Storage\History::static_add($app,$id,$GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['account_id'],'~link~','',$app2.':'.$id2);
 				Storage\History::static_add($app2,$id2,$GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['account_id'],'~link~','',$app.':'.$id);
 			}
-			$deleted =& Link\Storage::unlink($link_id,$app,$id,$owner,$app2 != '!'.self::VFS_APPNAME ? $app2 : '',$id2,$hold_for_purge);
+			$deleted = Link\Storage::unlink($link_id,$app,$id,$owner,$app2 != '!'.self::VFS_APPNAME ? $app2 : '',$id2,$hold_for_purge);
 
 			// only notify on real links, not the one cached for writing or fileattachments
 			self::notify_unlink($deleted);