diff --git filefield.module filefield.module
index 726b55b..db4a79e 100755
--- filefield.module
+++ filefield.module
@@ -927,14 +927,14 @@ function filefield_get_field_list($node_type = NULL, $field = NULL) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Count the number of times the file is referenced within a field.
+ * Check if the file is referenced within a field.
  *
  * @param $file
  *   A file object.
  * @param $field
  *   Optional. The CCK field array or field name as a string.
  * @return
- *   An integer value.
+ *   An positive integer, if the file is referenced, or 0.
  */
 function filefield_get_file_reference_count($file, $field = NULL) {
   $fields = filefield_get_field_list(NULL, $field);
@@ -943,28 +943,29 @@ function filefield_get_file_reference_count($file, $field = NULL) {
   $references = 0;
   foreach ($fields as $field) {
     $db_info = content_database_info($field);
-    $references += db_result(db_query(
-      'SELECT count('. $db_info['columns']['fid']['column'] .')
-        FROM {'. $db_info['table'] .'}
-        WHERE '. $db_info['columns']['fid']['column'] .' = %d', $file->fid
-    ));
-
+    $query = 'SELECT 1 FROM {'. $db_info['table'] .'}
+              WHERE '. $db_info['columns']['fid']['column'] .' = %d';
+    $args = array($file->fid);
+    $offset = 0;
+    
     // If a field_name is present in the file object, the file is being deleted
     // from this field.
     if (isset($file->field_name) && $field['field_name'] == $file->field_name) {
-      // If deleting the entire node, count how many references to decrement.
+      // If deleting the entire node, skip node files. 
       if (isset($file->delete_nid)) {
-        $node_references = db_result(db_query(
-          'SELECT count('. $db_info['columns']['fid']['column'] .')
-            FROM {'. $db_info['table'] .'}
-            WHERE '. $db_info['columns']['fid']['column'] .' = %d AND nid = %d', $file->fid, $file->delete_nid
-        ));
-        $references = $references - $node_references;
+        $query .= " AND nid != %d";
+        $args[] = $file->delete_nid;
       }
       else {
-        $references = $references - 1;
+        // We only care if there are any references besides the one being
+        // deleted.
+        $offset = 1;
       }
     }
+    $result = db_query_range($query, $args, $offset, 1);
+    if (db_fetch_array($result)) {
+      $references++;
+    }
   }
 
   return $references;