diff --git a/mono/metadata/appdomain.c b/mono/metadata/appdomain.c
index 9b73ccd..579b93a 100644
--- a/mono/metadata/appdomain.c
+++ b/mono/metadata/appdomain.c
@@ -1927,20 +1927,6 @@ mono_domain_assembly_search (MonoAssemblyName *aname,
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static gboolean
-prevent_running_reference_assembly (MonoAssembly *ass, MonoError *error)
-{
-	mono_error_init (error);
-	gboolean refasm = mono_assembly_get_reference_assembly_attribute (ass, error);
-	if (!is_ok (error))
-		return TRUE;
-	if (refasm) {
-		mono_error_set_bad_image (error, ass->image, "Could not load file or assembly or one of its dependencies. Reference assemblies should not be loaded for execution.  They can only be loaded in the Reflection-only loader context.\n");
-		return TRUE;
-	}
-	return FALSE;
-}
-
 MonoReflectionAssembly *
 ves_icall_System_Reflection_Assembly_LoadFrom (MonoString *fname, MonoBoolean refOnly)
 {
@@ -1949,40 +1935,37 @@ ves_icall_System_Reflection_Assembly_LoadFrom (MonoString *fname, MonoBoolean re
 	MonoDomain *domain = mono_domain_get ();
 	char *name, *filename;
 	MonoImageOpenStatus status = MONO_IMAGE_OK;
-	MonoAssembly *ass = NULL;
-
-	name = NULL;
-	result = NULL;
-
-	mono_error_init (&error);
+	MonoAssembly *ass;
 
 	if (fname == NULL) {
-		mono_error_set_argument_null (&error, "assemblyFile", "");
-		goto leave;
+		MonoException *exc = mono_get_exception_argument_null ("assemblyFile");
+		mono_set_pending_exception (exc);
+		return NULL;
 	}
 		
 	name = filename = mono_string_to_utf8_checked (fname, &error);
-	if (!is_ok (&error))
-		goto leave;
+	if (mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error))
+		return NULL;
 	
 	ass = mono_assembly_open_full (filename, &status, refOnly);
 	
 	if (!ass) {
+		MonoException *exc;
+
 		if (status == MONO_IMAGE_IMAGE_INVALID)
-			mono_error_set_bad_image_name (&error, name, "");
+			exc = mono_get_exception_bad_image_format2 (NULL, fname);
 		else
-			mono_error_set_exception_instance (&error, mono_get_exception_file_not_found2 (NULL, fname));
-		goto leave;
+			exc = mono_get_exception_file_not_found2 (NULL, fname);
+		g_free (name);
+		mono_set_pending_exception (exc);
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	if (!refOnly && prevent_running_reference_assembly (ass, &error))
-		goto leave;
+	g_free (name);
 
 	result = mono_assembly_get_object_checked (domain, ass, &error);
-
-leave:
-	mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
-	g_free (name);
+	if (!result)
+		mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
 	return result;
 }
 
@@ -2017,11 +2000,6 @@ ves_icall_System_AppDomain_LoadAssemblyRaw (MonoAppDomain *ad,
 		return NULL; 
 	}
 
-	if (!refonly && prevent_running_reference_assembly (ass, &error)) {
-		mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
 	refass = mono_assembly_get_object_checked (domain, ass, &error);
 	if (!refass)
 		mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
@@ -2039,7 +2017,7 @@ ves_icall_System_AppDomain_LoadAssembly (MonoAppDomain *ad,  MonoString *assRef,
 	MonoAssembly *ass;
 	MonoAssemblyName aname;
 	MonoReflectionAssembly *refass = NULL;
-	gchar *name = NULL;
+	gchar *name;
 	gboolean parsed;
 
 	g_assert (assRef);
@@ -2048,13 +2026,16 @@ ves_icall_System_AppDomain_LoadAssembly (MonoAppDomain *ad,  MonoString *assRef,
 	if (mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error))
 		return NULL;
 	parsed = mono_assembly_name_parse (name, &aname);
+	g_free (name);
 
 	if (!parsed) {
 		/* This is a parse error... */
 		if (!refOnly) {
 			refass = mono_try_assembly_resolve (domain, assRef, NULL, refOnly, &error);
-			if (!is_ok (&error))
-				goto leave;
+			if (!mono_error_ok (&error)) {
+				mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
+				return NULL;
+			}
 		}
 		return refass;
 	}
@@ -2066,31 +2047,25 @@ ves_icall_System_AppDomain_LoadAssembly (MonoAppDomain *ad,  MonoString *assRef,
 		/* MS.NET doesn't seem to call the assembly resolve handler for refonly assemblies */
 		if (!refOnly) {
 			refass = mono_try_assembly_resolve (domain, assRef, NULL, refOnly, &error);
-			if (!is_ok (&error))
-				goto leave;
+			if (!mono_error_ok (&error)) {
+				mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
+				return NULL;
+			}
 		}
 		else
 			refass = NULL;
-		if (!refass)
-			goto leave;
-		ass = refass->assembly;
+		if (!refass) {
+			return NULL;
+		}
 	}
 
-	if (!refOnly && prevent_running_reference_assembly (ass, &error))
-		goto leave;
-
-	g_assert (ass);
-	if (refass == NULL) {
+	if (refass == NULL)
 		refass = mono_assembly_get_object_checked (domain, ass, &error);
-		if (!is_ok (&error))
-			goto leave;
-	}
-
-	MONO_OBJECT_SETREF (refass, evidence, evidence);
 
-leave:
-	g_free (name);
-	mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
+	if (refass == NULL)
+		mono_error_set_pending_exception (&error);
+	else
+		MONO_OBJECT_SETREF (refass, evidence, evidence);
 	return refass;
 }
 
diff --git a/mono/metadata/assembly.c b/mono/metadata/assembly.c
index 7bd02ff..c1e88da 100644
--- a/mono/metadata/assembly.c
+++ b/mono/metadata/assembly.c
@@ -1176,23 +1176,6 @@ mono_assembly_load_reference (MonoImage *image, int index)
 				   aname.major, aname.minor, aname.build, aname.revision,
 				   strlen ((char*)aname.public_key_token) == 0 ? "(none)" : (char*)aname.public_key_token, extra_msg);
 		g_free (extra_msg);
-
-	} else if (!image->assembly->ref_only) {
-		MonoError error;
-		if (mono_assembly_get_reference_assembly_attribute (reference, &error)) {
-			mono_trace (G_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING, MONO_TRACE_ASSEMBLY, "The following reference assembly assembly referenced from %s was not loaded.  Reference assemblies should not be loaded for execution.  They can only be loaded in the Reflection-only loader context:\n"
-				    "     Assembly:   %s    (assemblyref_index=%d)\n"
-				    "     Version:    %d.%d.%d.%d\n"
-				    "     Public Key: %s\n",
-				    image->name, aname.name, index,
-				    aname.major, aname.minor, aname.build, aname.revision,
-				    strlen ((char*)aname.public_key_token) == 0 ? "(none)" : (char*)aname.public_key_token);
-			reference = NULL; /* don't load reference assemblies for execution */
-		}
-		if (!is_ok (&error)) {
-			reference = NULL;
-			mono_error_cleanup (&error);
-		}
 	}
 
 	mono_assemblies_lock ();
diff --git a/mono/metadata/class.c b/mono/metadata/class.c
index 56e12ad..17da478 100644
--- a/mono/metadata/class.c
+++ b/mono/metadata/class.c
@@ -5544,7 +5544,6 @@ mono_class_setup_parent (MonoClass *klass, MonoClass *parent)
 			/* set the parent to something useful and safe, but mark the type as broken */
 			parent = mono_defaults.object_class;
 			mono_class_set_failure (klass, MONO_EXCEPTION_TYPE_LOAD, NULL);
-			g_assert (parent);
 		}
 
 		klass->parent = parent;
diff --git a/mono/metadata/domain.c b/mono/metadata/domain.c
index 93aced6..a3ba4a7 100644
--- a/mono/metadata/domain.c
+++ b/mono/metadata/domain.c
@@ -807,16 +807,6 @@ mono_init_internal (const char *filename, const char *exe_filename, const char *
 
 	mono_profiler_appdomain_name (domain, domain->friendly_name);
 
-	/* Have to do this quite late so that we at least have System.Object */
-	MonoError custom_attr_error;
-	if (mono_assembly_get_reference_assembly_attribute (ass, &custom_attr_error)) {
-		char *corlib_file = g_build_filename (mono_assembly_getrootdir (), "mono", current_runtime->framework_version, "mscorlib.dll", NULL);
-		g_print ("Could not load file or assembly %s. Reference assemblies should not be loaded for execution.  They can only be loaded in the Reflection-only loader context.", corlib_file);
-		g_free (corlib_file);
-		exit (1);
-	}
-	mono_error_assert_ok (&custom_attr_error);
-
 	return domain;
 }