diff --git a/CHANGES.current b/CHANGES.current
index 5b97b20ed..6b1884fa4 100644
--- a/CHANGES.current
+++ b/CHANGES.current
@@ -468,6 +468,8 @@ Version 4.2.0 (in progress)
 	    them replacements are noted below:
 
 	    %addmethods		Use %extend instead.
+	    %attribute_ref      Use %attributeref instead (NB: If called with
+				4 parameters, the 3rd and 4th need switching).
 	    %disabledoc		Use Doxygen support instead.
 	    %doconly		Use Doxygen support instead.
 	    %enabledoc		Use Doxygen support instead.
diff --git a/Examples/test-suite/iadd.i b/Examples/test-suite/iadd.i
index 536730296..a3e6645b6 100644
--- a/Examples/test-suite/iadd.i
+++ b/Examples/test-suite/iadd.i
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 
 %include attribute.i
 class Foo; 
-%attribute_ref(test::Foo, test::A& , AsA);
-%attribute_ref(test::Foo, long, AsLong);
+%attributeref(test::Foo, test::A&, AsA);
+%attributeref(test::Foo, long, AsLong);
 
 
 %inline %{
diff --git a/Lib/typemaps/attribute.swg b/Lib/typemaps/attribute.swg
index 7d4767f52..abdf44dfd 100644
--- a/Lib/typemaps/attribute.swg
+++ b/Lib/typemaps/attribute.swg
@@ -102,16 +102,6 @@
   #endif
 %enddef
 
-// deprecated (same as %attributeref, but there is an argument order inconsistency)
-%define %attribute_ref(Class, AttributeType, AccessorMethod, AttributeName...)
-  #if #AttributeName != ""
-    %attribute_custom(%arg(Class), %arg(AttributeType), AttributeName, AccessorMethod, AccessorMethod, self_->AccessorMethod(), self_->AccessorMethod() = val_)
-  #else
-    %attribute_custom(%arg(Class), %arg(AttributeType), AccessorMethod, AccessorMethod, AccessorMethod, self_->AccessorMethod(), self_->AccessorMethod() = val_)
-  #endif
-%enddef
-
-
 %define %attributeval(Class, AttributeType, AttributeName, GetMethod, SetMethod...)
   %{
     #define %mangle(Class) ##_## AttributeName ## _get(self_) new AttributeType(self_->GetMethod())