diff --git a/flow/options.js b/flow/options.js
index e4c6ed1f968..2e138a62ab9 100644
--- a/flow/options.js
+++ b/flow/options.js
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ declare type InternalComponentOptions = {
   _isComponent: true;
   parent: Component;
   _parentVnode: VNode;
-  _parentElm: ?Node;
-  _refElm: ?Node;
   render?: Function;
   staticRenderFns?: Array<Function>
 };
@@ -81,8 +79,6 @@ declare type ComponentOptions = {
   _componentTag: ?string;
   _scopeId: ?string;
   _base: Class<Component>;
-  _parentElm: ?Node;
-  _refElm: ?Node;
 };
 
 declare type PropOptions = {
diff --git a/src/core/instance/init.js b/src/core/instance/init.js
index ed2550d09ae..9b2ec80c44d 100644
--- a/src/core/instance/init.js
+++ b/src/core/instance/init.js
@@ -77,8 +77,6 @@ export function initInternalComponent (vm: Component, options: InternalComponent
   const parentVnode = options._parentVnode
   opts.parent = options.parent
   opts._parentVnode = parentVnode
-  opts._parentElm = options._parentElm
-  opts._refElm = options._refElm
 
   const vnodeComponentOptions = parentVnode.componentOptions
   opts.propsData = vnodeComponentOptions.propsData
diff --git a/src/core/instance/lifecycle.js b/src/core/instance/lifecycle.js
index c5dc7668b98..5521e03ed35 100644
--- a/src/core/instance/lifecycle.js
+++ b/src/core/instance/lifecycle.js
@@ -59,14 +59,7 @@ export function lifecycleMixin (Vue: Class<Component>) {
     // based on the rendering backend used.
     if (!prevVnode) {
       // initial render
-      vm.$el = vm.__patch__(
-        vm.$el, vnode, hydrating, false /* removeOnly */,
-        vm.$options._parentElm,
-        vm.$options._refElm
-      )
-      // no need for the ref nodes after initial patch
-      // this prevents keeping a detached DOM tree in memory (#5851)
-      vm.$options._parentElm = vm.$options._refElm = null
+      vm.$el = vm.__patch__(vm.$el, vnode, hydrating, false /* removeOnly */)
     } else {
       // updates
       vm.$el = vm.__patch__(prevVnode, vnode)
diff --git a/src/core/vdom/create-component.js b/src/core/vdom/create-component.js
index 4062debdd25..f9ba952a2eb 100644
--- a/src/core/vdom/create-component.js
+++ b/src/core/vdom/create-component.js
@@ -34,12 +34,7 @@ import {
 
 // inline hooks to be invoked on component VNodes during patch
 const componentVNodeHooks = {
-  init (
-    vnode: VNodeWithData,
-    hydrating: boolean,
-    parentElm: ?Node,
-    refElm: ?Node
-  ): ?boolean {
+  init (vnode: VNodeWithData, hydrating: boolean): ?boolean {
     if (
       vnode.componentInstance &&
       !vnode.componentInstance._isDestroyed &&
@@ -51,9 +46,7 @@ const componentVNodeHooks = {
     } else {
       const child = vnode.componentInstance = createComponentInstanceForVnode(
         vnode,
-        activeInstance,
-        parentElm,
-        refElm
+        activeInstance
       )
       child.$mount(hydrating ? vnode.elm : undefined, hydrating)
     }
@@ -215,15 +208,11 @@ export function createComponent (
 export function createComponentInstanceForVnode (
   vnode: any, // we know it's MountedComponentVNode but flow doesn't
   parent: any, // activeInstance in lifecycle state
-  parentElm?: ?Node,
-  refElm?: ?Node
 ): Component {
   const options: InternalComponentOptions = {
     _isComponent: true,
-    parent,
     _parentVnode: vnode,
-    _parentElm: parentElm || null,
-    _refElm: refElm || null
+    parent
   }
   // check inline-template render functions
   const inlineTemplate = vnode.data.inlineTemplate
diff --git a/src/core/vdom/patch.js b/src/core/vdom/patch.js
index 9f3bcc6512c..fb28d8cd341 100644
--- a/src/core/vdom/patch.js
+++ b/src/core/vdom/patch.js
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ export function createPatchFunction (backend) {
     if (isDef(i)) {
       const isReactivated = isDef(vnode.componentInstance) && i.keepAlive
       if (isDef(i = i.hook) && isDef(i = i.init)) {
-        i(vnode, false /* hydrating */, parentElm, refElm)
+        i(vnode, false /* hydrating */)
       }
       // after calling the init hook, if the vnode is a child component
       // it should've created a child instance and mounted it. the child
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ export function createPatchFunction (backend) {
       // in that case we can just return the element and be done.
       if (isDef(vnode.componentInstance)) {
         initComponent(vnode, insertedVnodeQueue)
+        insert(parentElm, vnode.elm, refElm)
         if (isTrue(isReactivated)) {
           reactivateComponent(vnode, insertedVnodeQueue, parentElm, refElm)
         }
@@ -681,7 +682,7 @@ export function createPatchFunction (backend) {
     }
   }
 
-  return function patch (oldVnode, vnode, hydrating, removeOnly, parentElm, refElm) {
+  return function patch (oldVnode, vnode, hydrating, removeOnly) {
     if (isUndef(vnode)) {
       if (isDef(oldVnode)) invokeDestroyHook(oldVnode)
       return
@@ -693,7 +694,7 @@ export function createPatchFunction (backend) {
     if (isUndef(oldVnode)) {
       // empty mount (likely as component), create new root element
       isInitialPatch = true
-      createElm(vnode, insertedVnodeQueue, parentElm, refElm)
+      createElm(vnode, insertedVnodeQueue)
     } else {
       const isRealElement = isDef(oldVnode.nodeType)
       if (!isRealElement && sameVnode(oldVnode, vnode)) {