diff --git a/src/third_party/wiredtiger/src/conn/conn_prefetch.c b/src/third_party/wiredtiger/src/conn/conn_prefetch.c
index f9d9dfc0e79..e9217e8e0a2 100644
--- a/src/third_party/wiredtiger/src/conn/conn_prefetch.c
+++ b/src/third_party/wiredtiger/src/conn/conn_prefetch.c
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ int
 __wt_prefetch_thread_run(WT_SESSION_IMPL *session, WT_THREAD *thread)
 {
     WT_CONNECTION_IMPL *conn;
-    WT_DECL_ITEM(tmp);
     WT_DECL_RET;
     WT_PREFETCH_QUEUE_ENTRY *pe;
 
@@ -77,8 +76,6 @@ __wt_prefetch_thread_run(WT_SESSION_IMPL *session, WT_THREAD *thread)
     WT_ASSERT(session, session->id != 0);
     conn = S2C(session);
 
-    WT_RET(__wt_scr_alloc(session, 0, &tmp));
-
     if (F_ISSET(conn, WT_CONN_PREFETCH_RUN))
         __wt_cond_wait(session, conn->prefetch_threads.wait_cond, 10 * WT_THOUSAND, NULL);
 
@@ -129,7 +126,6 @@ __wt_prefetch_thread_run(WT_SESSION_IMPL *session, WT_THREAD *thread)
     }
 
 err:
-    __wt_scr_free(session, &tmp);
     return (ret);
 }