diff --git a/channels/chan_sip.c b/channels/chan_sip.c
index b7603b69144e066d95249d9ea74e7d11c5693074..f6c8b90c063e116bd2c98b3da542892ecd2e1afe 100644
--- a/channels/chan_sip.c
+++ b/channels/chan_sip.c
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@ ASTERISK_FILE_VERSION(__FILE__, "$Revision$")
    balanced, along with the complete history for that object.
    In normal operation, the macros defined will throw away the tags, so they do not
    affect the speed of the program at all. They can be considered to be documentation.
+
+   Note: This must also be enabled in channels/sip/security_events.c
 */
 /* #define  REF_DEBUG 1 */
 
@@ -3291,9 +3293,7 @@ cleanup:
 }
 
 #ifdef REF_DEBUG
-#define sip_ref_peer(arg1,arg2) _ref_peer((arg1),(arg2), __FILE__, __LINE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__)
-#define sip_unref_peer(arg1,arg2) _unref_peer((arg1),(arg2), __FILE__, __LINE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__)
-static struct sip_peer *_ref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag, char *file, int line, const char *func)
+struct sip_peer *_ref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag, char *file, int line, const char *func)
 {
 	if (peer)
 		__ao2_ref_debug(peer, 1, tag, file, line, func);
@@ -3302,7 +3302,7 @@ static struct sip_peer *_ref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag, char *file,
 	return peer;
 }
 
-static struct sip_peer *_unref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag, char *file, int line, const char *func)
+void *_unref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag, char *file, int line, const char *func)
 {
 	if (peer)
 		__ao2_ref_debug(peer, -1, tag, file, line, func);
diff --git a/channels/sip/include/sip.h b/channels/sip/include/sip.h
index f51ac774950f068a2abce06ee78801a8442129d2..f74446ab848ed609154cc56d6055a939a6cd6b34 100644
--- a/channels/sip/include/sip.h
+++ b/channels/sip/include/sip.h
@@ -1918,7 +1918,15 @@ struct sip_peer *sip_find_peer(const char *peer, struct ast_sockaddr *addr, int
 void sip_auth_headers(enum sip_auth_type code, char **header, char **respheader);
 const char *sip_get_header(const struct sip_request *req, const char *name);
 const char *sip_get_transport(enum sip_transport t);
-void *sip_unref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag);
+
+#ifdef REF_DEBUG
+#define sip_ref_peer(arg1,arg2) _ref_peer((arg1),(arg2), __FILE__, __LINE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__)
+#define sip_unref_peer(arg1,arg2) _unref_peer((arg1),(arg2), __FILE__, __LINE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__)
+struct sip_peer *_ref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag, char *file, int line, const char *func);
+void *_unref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag, char *file, int line, const char *func);
+#else
 struct sip_peer *sip_ref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag);
+void *sip_unref_peer(struct sip_peer *peer, char *tag);
+#endif /* REF_DEBUG */
 
 #endif
diff --git a/channels/sip/security_events.c b/channels/sip/security_events.c
index cde9f12f3d2fbc9ec44823503082aa6b64353e2a..4045ae14d098f2c5fc2680298d163a5e89af6fdb 100644
--- a/channels/sip/security_events.c
+++ b/channels/sip/security_events.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 
 ASTERISK_FILE_VERSION(__FILE__, "$Revision$")
 
+/* #define  REF_DEBUG 1 */
+
 #include "include/sip.h"
 #include "include/security_events.h"