diff --git a/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/src/Extensions/EliminateMethodBodyPass.cs b/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/src/Extensions/EliminateMethodBodyPass.cs
index c14950aae5..96d336ca72 100644
--- a/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/src/Extensions/EliminateMethodBodyPass.cs
+++ b/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/src/Extensions/EliminateMethodBodyPass.cs
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language.Extensions
 {
     internal sealed class EliminateMethodBodyPass : IntermediateNodePassBase, IRazorOptimizationPass
     {
-        // Run late in the optimization phase
-        public override int Order => int.MaxValue;
+        // Run early in the optimization phase
+        public override int Order => int.MinValue;
 
         protected override void ExecuteCore(RazorCodeDocument codeDocument, DocumentIntermediateNode documentNode)
         {
diff --git a/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/test/IntegrationTests/ComponentDeclarationIntegrationTest.cs b/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/test/IntegrationTests/ComponentDeclarationIntegrationTest.cs
index 2e2d33795b..e9b8583cd4 100644
--- a/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/test/IntegrationTests/ComponentDeclarationIntegrationTest.cs
+++ b/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/test/IntegrationTests/ComponentDeclarationIntegrationTest.cs
@@ -70,21 +70,6 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language.IntegrationTests
             Assert.Same(typeof(StringBuilder), property.PropertyType);
         }
 
-        [Fact]
-        public void DeclarationConfiguration_IncludesRef()
-        {
-            // Arrange & Act
-            var component = CompileToComponent(@"
-@using System.Text
-<div @ref=""myDiv"" />
-");
-
-            // Assert
-            var field = component.GetType().GetField("myDiv", BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance);
-            Assert.NotNull(field);
-            Assert.Same(typeof(ElementReference), field.FieldType);
-        }
-
         [Fact]
         public void DeclarationConfiguration_IncludesInherits()
         {