diff --git a/wp-includes/query.php b/wp-includes/query.php
index 66311fffae..fe3e24f0ed 100644
--- a/wp-includes/query.php
+++ b/wp-includes/query.php
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ function set_query_var($var, $value) {
  * @return array List of posts
  */
 function query_posts($query) {
-	unset($GLOBALS['wp_query']);
 	$GLOBALS['wp_query'] = new WP_Query();
 	return $GLOBALS['wp_query']->query($query);
 }
@@ -103,7 +102,6 @@ function query_posts($query) {
  * @uses $wp_query
  */
 function wp_reset_query() {
-	unset($GLOBALS['wp_query']);
 	$GLOBALS['wp_query'] = $GLOBALS['wp_the_query'];
 	wp_reset_postdata();
 }
diff --git a/wp-settings.php b/wp-settings.php
index 470ed9a77a..ac331c2cf4 100644
--- a/wp-settings.php
+++ b/wp-settings.php
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ $wp_the_query = new WP_Query();
  * @global object $wp_query
  * @since 1.5.0
  */
-$wp_query =& $wp_the_query;
+$wp_query = $wp_the_query;
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress Rewrite object for creating pretty URLs