Index: includes/common.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/common.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.1003
diff -u -p -r1.1003 common.inc
--- includes/common.inc	1 Oct 2009 19:04:25 -0000	1.1003
+++ includes/common.inc	1 Oct 2009 20:45:54 -0000
@@ -4150,33 +4150,9 @@ function drupal_system_listing($mask, $d
  *   Any additional params will be passed on to the called
  *   hook_$type_alter functions.
  */
-function drupal_alter($type, &$data) {
-  // PHP's func_get_args() always returns copies of params, not references, so
-  // drupal_alter() can only manipulate data that comes in via the required first
-  // param. For the edge case functions that must pass in an arbitrary number of
-  // alterable parameters (hook_form_alter() being the best example), an array of
-  // those params can be placed in the __drupal_alter_by_ref key of the $data
-  // array. This is somewhat ugly, but is an unavoidable consequence of a flexible
-  // drupal_alter() function, and the limitations of func_get_args().
-  // @todo: Remove this in Drupal 7.
-  if (is_array($data) && isset($data['__drupal_alter_by_ref'])) {
-    $by_ref_parameters = $data['__drupal_alter_by_ref'];
-    unset($data['__drupal_alter_by_ref']);
-  }
-
-  // Hang onto a reference to the data array so that it isn't blown away later.
-  // Also, merge in any parameters that need to be passed by reference.
-  $args = array(&$data);
-  if (isset($by_ref_parameters)) {
-    $args = array_merge($args, $by_ref_parameters);
-  }
-
-  // Now, use func_get_args() to pull in any additional parameters passed into
-  // the drupal_alter() call.
-  $additional_args = func_get_args();
-  array_shift($additional_args);
-  array_shift($additional_args);
-  $args = array_merge($args, $additional_args);
+function drupal_alter($type) {
+  $args = func_get_args();
+  array_shift($args);
 
   foreach (module_implements($type . '_alter') as $module) {
     $function = $module . '_' . $type . '_alter';
Index: includes/form.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/form.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.376
diff -u -p -r1.376 form.inc
--- includes/form.inc	29 Sep 2009 15:31:13 -0000	1.376
+++ includes/form.inc	1 Oct 2009 20:38:44 -0000
@@ -669,20 +669,11 @@ function drupal_prepare_form($form_id, &
     }
   }
 
-  // Normally, we would call drupal_alter($form_id, $form, $form_state).
-  // However, drupal_alter() normally supports just one byref parameter. Using
-  // the __drupal_alter_by_ref key, we can store any additional parameters
-  // that need to be altered, and they'll be split out into additional params
-  // for the hook_form_alter() implementations.
-  // @todo: Remove this in Drupal 7.
-  $data = &$form;
-  $data['__drupal_alter_by_ref'] = array(&$form_state);
-  drupal_alter('form_' . $form_id, $data);
-
-  // __drupal_alter_by_ref is unset in the drupal_alter() function, we need
-  // to repopulate it to ensure both calls get the data.
-  $data['__drupal_alter_by_ref'] = array(&$form_state);
-  drupal_alter('form', $data, $form_id);
+  // Invoke hook_form_FORM_ID_alter() implementations.
+  drupal_alter('form_' . $form_id, $form, $form_state);
+
+  // Invoke hook_form_alter() implementations.
+  drupal_alter('form', $form, $form_state, $form_id);
 }