diff --git a/runtime/gc_root-inl.h b/runtime/gc_root-inl.h
index 2661e54..482f7bc 100644
--- a/runtime/gc_root-inl.h
+++ b/runtime/gc_root-inl.h
@@ -29,10 +29,5 @@
   return ReadBarrier::BarrierForRoot<MirrorType, kReadBarrierOption>(&root_);
 }
 
-template<class MirrorType>
-inline void GcRoot<MirrorType>::Assign(MirrorType* value) {
-  root_ = value;
-}
-
 }  // namespace art
 #endif  // ART_RUNTIME_GC_ROOT_INL_H_
diff --git a/runtime/gc_root.h b/runtime/gc_root.h
index 3928f5d..b10a55c 100644
--- a/runtime/gc_root.h
+++ b/runtime/gc_root.h
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
  public:
   template<ReadBarrierOption kReadBarrierOption = kWithReadBarrier>
   ALWAYS_INLINE MirrorType* Read() SHARED_LOCKS_REQUIRED(Locks::mutator_lock_);
-  ALWAYS_INLINE void Assign(MirrorType* value) SHARED_LOCKS_REQUIRED(Locks::mutator_lock_);
 
   void VisitRoot(RootCallback* callback, void* arg, uint32_t thread_id, RootType root_type) {
     callback(reinterpret_cast<mirror::Object**>(&root_), arg, thread_id, root_type);
diff --git a/runtime/intern_table.cc b/runtime/intern_table.cc
index c66f99e..f6e6661 100644
--- a/runtime/intern_table.cc
+++ b/runtime/intern_table.cc
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
   Locks::intern_table_lock_->AssertHeld(Thread::Current());
   auto it = table->find(GcRoot<mirror::String>(s));
   if (LIKELY(it != table->end())) {
-    return const_cast<GcRoot<mirror::String>&>(*it).Read<kWithReadBarrier>();
+    return const_cast<GcRoot<mirror::String>&>(*it).Read();
   }
   return nullptr;
 }
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@
     if (new_object == nullptr) {
       it = weak_interns_.erase(it);
     } else {
-      root.Assign(down_cast<mirror::String*>(new_object));
+      root = GcRoot<mirror::String>(down_cast<mirror::String*>(new_object));
       ++it;
     }
   }
@@ -309,8 +309,7 @@
   if (kIsDebugBuild) {
     Locks::mutator_lock_->AssertSharedHeld(Thread::Current());
   }
-  return static_cast<size_t>(
-      const_cast<GcRoot<mirror::String>&>(root).Read<kWithoutReadBarrier>()->GetHashCode());
+  return static_cast<size_t>(const_cast<GcRoot<mirror::String>&>(root).Read()->GetHashCode());
 }
 
 bool InternTable::StringHashEquals::operator()(const GcRoot<mirror::String>& a,
@@ -318,8 +317,8 @@
   if (kIsDebugBuild) {
     Locks::mutator_lock_->AssertSharedHeld(Thread::Current());
   }
-  return const_cast<GcRoot<mirror::String>&>(a).Read<kWithoutReadBarrier>()->Equals(
-      const_cast<GcRoot<mirror::String>&>(b).Read<kWithoutReadBarrier>());
+  return const_cast<GcRoot<mirror::String>&>(a).Read()->Equals(
+      const_cast<GcRoot<mirror::String>&>(b).Read());
 }
 
 }  // namespace art