These methods doesn't have to be protected

actionview/lib/action_view/helpers/url_helper.rb

@@ -42,12 +42,11 @@ def url_for(options = nil) # :nodoc:
         end
       end
 
-      def _back_url # :nodoc:
+      private def _back_url # :nodoc:
         _filtered_referrer || "javascript:history.back()"
       end
-      protected :_back_url
 
-      def _filtered_referrer # :nodoc:
+      private def _filtered_referrer # :nodoc:
         if controller.respond_to?(:request)
           referrer = controller.request.env["HTTP_REFERER"]
           if referrer && URI(referrer).scheme != "javascript"
@@ -56,7 +55,6 @@ def _filtered_referrer # :nodoc:
         end
       rescue URI::InvalidURIError
       end
-      protected :_filtered_referrer
 
       # Creates an anchor element of the given +name+ using a URL created by the set of +options+.
       # See the valid options in the documentation for +url_for+. It's also possible to

actionview/lib/action_view/layouts.rb

@@ -305,8 +305,7 @@ def _write_layout_method # :nodoc:
               end
             RUBY
           when Proc
-            define_method :_layout_from_proc, &_layout
-            protected :_layout_from_proc
+            private define_method :_layout_from_proc, &_layout
             <<-RUBY
               result = _layout_from_proc(#{_layout.arity == 0 ? '' : 'self'})
               return #{default_behavior} if result.nil?