diff --git a/Framework/Core/include/Framework/MessageSet.h b/Framework/Core/include/Framework/MessageSet.h
index 323c0ad4608af..6ccabd8c5ffb5 100644
--- a/Framework/Core/include/Framework/MessageSet.h
+++ b/Framework/Core/include/Framework/MessageSet.h
@@ -136,17 +136,6 @@ struct MessageSet {
     }
   }
 
-  fair::mq::MessagePtr const& associatedHeader(size_t pos) const
-  {
-    return messages[messageMap[pairMap[pos].partIndex].position];
-  }
-
-  fair::mq::MessagePtr const& associatedPayload(size_t pos) const
-  {
-    auto partIndex = pairMap[pos].partIndex;
-    auto payloadIndex = pairMap[pos].payloadIndex;
-    return messages[messageMap[partIndex].position + payloadIndex + 1];
-  }
 };
 
 } // namespace o2::framework
diff --git a/Framework/Core/test/test_MessageSet.cxx b/Framework/Core/test/test_MessageSet.cxx
index 8c9ed4a7cbf1c..bfbffb166da8d 100644
--- a/Framework/Core/test/test_MessageSet.cxx
+++ b/Framework/Core/test/test_MessageSet.cxx
@@ -50,11 +50,6 @@ TEST_CASE("MessageSet")
   // messages: [hdr, pl] — one pair
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{0}).headerIdx == 0);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{0}).payloadIdx == 1);
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < msgSet.pairMap.size(); ++i) {
-    auto indices = msgSet.messages | get_pair{i};
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.headerIdx] == &msgSet.associatedHeader(i));
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.payloadIdx] == &msgSet.associatedPayload(i));
-  }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("MessageSetWithFunction")
@@ -82,11 +77,6 @@ TEST_CASE("MessageSetWithFunction")
   CHECK_THROWS((msgSet.messages | get_pair{1}));
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_num_payloads{0}) == 1);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | count_parts{}) == 1);
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < msgSet.pairMap.size(); ++i) {
-    auto indices = msgSet.messages | get_pair{i};
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.headerIdx] == &msgSet.associatedHeader(i));
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.payloadIdx] == &msgSet.associatedPayload(i));
-  }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("MessageSetWithMultipart")
@@ -125,11 +115,6 @@ TEST_CASE("MessageSetWithMultipart")
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{0}).payloadIdx == 1);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{1}).headerIdx == 0);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{1}).payloadIdx == 2);
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < msgSet.pairMap.size(); ++i) {
-    auto indices = msgSet.messages | get_pair{i};
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.headerIdx] == &msgSet.associatedHeader(i));
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.payloadIdx] == &msgSet.associatedPayload(i));
-  }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("MessageSetAddPartRef")
@@ -206,11 +191,6 @@ TEST_CASE("MessageSetAddMultiple")
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_num_payloads{2}) == 2);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | count_parts{}) == 3);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | count_payloads{}) == 4);
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < msgSet.pairMap.size(); ++i) {
-    auto indices = msgSet.messages | get_pair{i};
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.headerIdx] == &msgSet.associatedHeader(i));
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.payloadIdx] == &msgSet.associatedPayload(i));
-  }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("GetHeaderPayloadOperators")
@@ -267,11 +247,6 @@ TEST_CASE("GetHeaderPayloadOperators")
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{0}).payloadIdx == 1);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{1}).headerIdx == 2);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{1}).payloadIdx == 3);
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < msgSet.pairMap.size(); ++i) {
-    auto indices = msgSet.messages | get_pair{i};
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.headerIdx] == &msgSet.associatedHeader(i));
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.payloadIdx] == &msgSet.associatedPayload(i));
-  }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("GetHeaderPayloadMultiPayload")
@@ -370,11 +345,6 @@ TEST_CASE("GetHeaderPayloadMultiPayload")
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{2}).payloadIdx == 4);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{3}).headerIdx == 2);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{3}).payloadIdx == 5);
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < msgSet.pairMap.size(); ++i) {
-    auto indices = msgSet.messages | get_pair{i};
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.headerIdx] == &msgSet.associatedHeader(i));
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.payloadIdx] == &msgSet.associatedPayload(i));
-  }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("TraditionalSplitParts")
@@ -449,9 +419,4 @@ TEST_CASE("TraditionalSplitParts")
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{1}).payloadIdx == 3);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{2}).headerIdx == 4);
   REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | get_pair{2}).payloadIdx == 5);
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < msgSet.pairMap.size(); ++i) {
-    auto indices = msgSet.messages | get_pair{i};
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.headerIdx] == &msgSet.associatedHeader(i));
-    REQUIRE(&msgSet.messages[indices.payloadIdx] == &msgSet.associatedPayload(i));
-  }
 }