diff --git a/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp b/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
index 112dc5ef06..2c71240de0 100644
--- a/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
+++ b/gfx/d3d/d3d.cpp
@@ -1249,11 +1249,9 @@ static void d3d_overlay_render(d3d_video_t *d3d, overlay_t *overlay)
    d3d_enable_blend_func(d3d->dev);
 
 #ifndef _XBOX1
-   if (d3d_vertex_declaration_new(d3d->dev, vElems, &vertex_decl))
-   {
-      d3d_set_vertex_declaration(d3d->dev, vertex_decl);
-      d3d_vertex_declaration_free(vertex_decl);
-   }
+   d3d->dev->CreateVertexDeclaration(vElems, &vertex_decl);
+   d3d_set_vertex_declaration(d3d->dev, vertex_decl);
+   vertex_decl->Release();
 #endif
 
    d3d_set_stream_source(d3d->dev, 0, overlay->vert_buf,
diff --git a/gfx/d3d/d3d_wrapper.cpp b/gfx/d3d/d3d_wrapper.cpp
index 750c21c74d..9088cff6dc 100644
--- a/gfx/d3d/d3d_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/gfx/d3d/d3d_wrapper.cpp
@@ -105,16 +105,6 @@ void d3d_texture_free(LPDIRECT3DTEXTURE tex)
    tex = NULL;
 }
 
-void d3d_vertex_declaration_free(void *data)
-{
-   LPDIRECT3DVERTEXDECLARATION *vertex_decl = (LPDIRECT3DVERTEXDECLARATION*)data;
-
-   if (!vertex_decl)
-      return;
-
-   vertex_decl->Release();
-}
-
 bool d3d_vertex_declaration_new(LPDIRECT3DDEVICE dev,
       const void *vertex_data, void **decl_data)
 {
diff --git a/gfx/d3d/d3d_wrapper.h b/gfx/d3d/d3d_wrapper.h
index db3ef21132..f0e3188ef8 100644
--- a/gfx/d3d/d3d_wrapper.h
+++ b/gfx/d3d/d3d_wrapper.h
@@ -104,8 +104,6 @@ void d3d_disable_blend_func(void *data);
 
 void d3d_set_vertex_declaration(void *data, void *vertex_data);
 
-void d3d_vertex_declaration_free(void *data);
-
 void d3d_enable_alpha_blend_texture_func(void *data);
 
 void d3d_frame_postprocess(void *data);