diff --git a/python/core/composer/qgscomposermap.sip b/python/core/composer/qgscomposermap.sip
index 00e23047ea3..6804d34d033 100644
--- a/python/core/composer/qgscomposermap.sip
+++ b/python/core/composer/qgscomposermap.sip
@@ -255,9 +255,6 @@ class QgsComposerMap : QgsComposerItem
 
     void updateItem();
 
-    /** Sets canvas pointer (necessary to query and draw map canvas items)*/
-    void setMapCanvas( QGraphicsView* canvas /Transfer/ );
-
     void setDrawAnnotations( bool draw );
     bool drawAnnotations() const;
 
diff --git a/src/app/composer/qgscomposer.cpp b/src/app/composer/qgscomposer.cpp
index 3a90df7bf13..b866028dbb0 100644
--- a/src/app/composer/qgscomposer.cpp
+++ b/src/app/composer/qgscomposer.cpp
@@ -3708,7 +3708,6 @@ void QgsComposer::addComposerMap( QgsComposerMap* map )
     return;
   }
 
-  map->setMapCanvas( mapCanvas() ); //set canvas to composer map to have the possibility to draw canvas items
   QgsComposerMapWidget* mapWidget = new QgsComposerMapWidget( map );
   connect( this, SIGNAL( zoomLevelChanged() ), map, SLOT( renderModeUpdateCachedImage() ) );
   mItemWidgetMap.insert( map, mapWidget );
diff --git a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp
index 8e920be8f9b..8726b9a69af 100644
--- a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp
+++ b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ QgsComposerMap::QgsComposerMap( QgsComposition *composition, int x, int y, int w
     , mKeepLayerStyles( false )
     , mFollowVisibilityPreset( false )
     , mUpdatesEnabled( true )
-    , mMapCanvas( nullptr )
     , mDrawAnnotations( true )
     , mAtlasDriven( false )
     , mAtlasScalingMode( Auto )
@@ -101,7 +100,6 @@ QgsComposerMap::QgsComposerMap( QgsComposition *composition )
     , mKeepLayerStyles( false )
     , mFollowVisibilityPreset( false )
     , mUpdatesEnabled( true )
-    , mMapCanvas( nullptr )
     , mDrawAnnotations( true )
     , mAtlasDriven( false )
     , mAtlasScalingMode( Auto )
diff --git a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.h b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.h
index 531dd96f266..8af948ada80 100644
--- a/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.h
+++ b/src/core/composer/qgscomposermap.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ class QgsComposerMapGrid;
 class QgsMapToPixel;
 class QDomNode;
 class QDomDocument;
-class QGraphicsView;
 class QPainter;
 class QgsFillSymbol;
 class QgsLineSymbol;
@@ -349,9 +348,6 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsComposerMap : public QgsComposerItem
 
     void updateItem() override;
 
-    //! Sets canvas pointer (necessary to query and draw map canvas items)
-    void setMapCanvas( QGraphicsView* canvas ) { mMapCanvas = canvas; }
-
     /**
      * Sets whether annotations are drawn within the composer map.
      * @see drawAnnotations()
@@ -578,7 +574,6 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsComposerMap : public QgsComposerItem
 
     //! Current bounding rectangle. This is used to check if notification to the graphics scene is necessary
     QRectF mCurrentRectangle;
-    QGraphicsView* mMapCanvas;
     //! True if annotation items, rubber band, etc. from the main canvas should be displayed
     bool mDrawAnnotations;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugingui.cpp b/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugingui.cpp
index 9fedb42bee8..e792e5135d1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugingui.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugingui.cpp
@@ -1643,7 +1643,6 @@ bool QgsGeorefPluginGui::writePDFReportFile( const QString& fileName, const QgsG
   QgsComposerMap* composerMap = new QgsComposerMap( composition, leftMargin, titleLabel->rect().bottom() + titleLabel->pos().y(), mapWidthMM, mapHeightMM );
   composerMap->setLayers( mCanvas->mapSettings().layers() );
   composerMap->zoomToExtent( layerExtent );
-  composerMap->setMapCanvas( mCanvas );
   composition->addItem( composerMap );
 
   QgsComposerTextTableV2* parameterTable = nullptr;