diff --git a/pep2html.py b/pep2html.py
index aabb0e1465a..24b7c16fe2f 100755
--- a/pep2html.py
+++ b/pep2html.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 
 from docutils import core, nodes, utils
 from docutils.readers import standalone
-from docutils.transforms import frontmatter, misc, peps, Transform
+from docutils.transforms import frontmatter, peps, Transform
 from docutils.parsers import rst
 
 class DataError(Exception):
@@ -442,37 +442,23 @@ class PEPFooter(Transform):
     default_priority = 520
 
     def apply(self):
-        pep_source_path = Path(self.document["source"])
-        if not pep_source_path.match("pep-*"):
+        pep_source_path = Path(self.document['source'])
+        if not pep_source_path.match('pep-*'):
             return  # not a PEP file, exit early
 
-        doc = self.document
-        reference_section = None
-
         # Iterate through sections from the end of the document
-        for i, section in enumerate(reversed(doc)):
+        for section in reversed(self.document):
             if not isinstance(section, nodes.section):
                 continue
             title_words = section[0].astext().lower().split()
-            if "references" in title_words:
-                reference_section = section
+            if 'references' in title_words:
+                # Remove references section if there are no displayed
+                # footnotes (it only has title & link target nodes)
+                if all(isinstance(ref_node, (nodes.title, nodes.target))
+                       for ref_node in section):
+                    section.parent.remove(section)
                 break
 
-        # Remove references section if there are no displayed footnotes
-        if reference_section:
-            pending = nodes.pending(
-                misc.CallBack, details={"callback": _cleanup_callback})
-            reference_section.append(pending)
-            self.document.note_pending(pending, priority=1)
-
-
-def _cleanup_callback(pending):
-    """Remove an empty "References" section."""
-    for footer_node in pending.parent:
-        if isinstance(footer_node, (nodes.title, nodes.target, nodes.pending)):
-            return
-    pending.parent.parent.remove(pending.parent)
-
 
 class PEPReader(standalone.Reader):
 
diff --git a/pep_sphinx_extensions/pep_processor/transforms/pep_footer.py b/pep_sphinx_extensions/pep_processor/transforms/pep_footer.py
index 5b8cc47dd5a..39dad0404b2 100644
--- a/pep_sphinx_extensions/pep_processor/transforms/pep_footer.py
+++ b/pep_sphinx_extensions/pep_processor/transforms/pep_footer.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 from docutils import nodes
 from docutils import transforms
-from docutils.transforms import misc
 
 from pep_sphinx_extensions import config
 
@@ -29,40 +28,25 @@ def apply(self) -> None:
         if not pep_source_path.match("pep-*"):
             return  # not a PEP file, exit early
 
-        doc = self.document[0]
-        reference_section = None
-
         # Iterate through sections from the end of the document
-        for i, section in enumerate(reversed(doc)):
+        for section in reversed(self.document[0]):
             if not isinstance(section, nodes.section):
                 continue
             title_words = section[0].astext().lower().split()
             if "references" in title_words:
-                reference_section = section
+                # Remove references section if there are no displayed
+                # footnotes (it only has title & link target nodes)
+                if all(isinstance(ref_node, (nodes.title, nodes.target))
+                       for ref_node in section):
+                    section.parent.remove(section)
                 break
 
-        # Remove references section if there are no displayed footnotes
-        if reference_section:
-            pending = nodes.pending(misc.CallBack, details={"callback": _cleanup_callback})
-            reference_section.append(pending)
-            self.document.note_pending(pending, priority=1)
-
         # Add link to source text and last modified date
         if pep_source_path.stem != "pep-0000":
             self.document += _add_source_link(pep_source_path)
             self.document += _add_commit_history_info(pep_source_path)
 
 
-def _cleanup_callback(pending: nodes.pending) -> None:
-    """Remove an empty "References" section."""
-    for ref_node in pending.parent:
-        # Don't remove section if has more than title, link targets and pending
-        if not isinstance(
-                ref_node, (nodes.title, nodes.target, nodes.pending)):
-            return
-    pending.parent.parent.remove(pending.parent)
-
-
 def _add_source_link(pep_source_path: Path) -> nodes.paragraph:
     """Add link to source text on VCS (GitHub)"""
     source_link = config.pep_vcs_url + pep_source_path.name