return 0;
 }
 
-int dm_cache_begin_hints(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, struct dm_cache_policy *policy)
+static int save_hint(void *context, dm_cblock_t cblock, dm_oblock_t oblock, uint32_t hint)
 {
+       struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd = context;
+       __le32 value = cpu_to_le32(hint);
        int r;
 
-       down_write(&cmd->root_lock);
-       r = begin_hints(cmd, policy);
-       up_write(&cmd->root_lock);
-
-       return r;
-}
-
-static int save_hint(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, dm_cblock_t cblock,
-                    uint32_t hint)
-{
-       int r;
-       __le32 value = cpu_to_le32(hint);
        __dm_bless_for_disk(&value);
 
        r = dm_array_set_value(&cmd->hint_info, cmd->hint_root,
        return r;
 }
 
-int dm_cache_save_hint(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, dm_cblock_t cblock,
-                      uint32_t hint)
+static int write_hints(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, struct dm_cache_policy *policy)
 {
        int r;
 
-       if (!hints_array_initialized(cmd))
-               return 0;
+       r = begin_hints(cmd, policy);
+       if (r) {
+               DMERR("begin_hints failed");
+               return r;
+       }
+
+       return policy_walk_mappings(policy, save_hint, cmd);
+}
+
+int dm_cache_write_hints(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, struct dm_cache_policy *policy)
+{
+       int r;
 
        down_write(&cmd->root_lock);
-       r = save_hint(cmd, cblock, hint);
+       r = write_hints(cmd, policy);
        up_write(&cmd->root_lock);
 
        return r;
 
  * rather than querying the policy for each cblock, we let it walk its data
  * structures and fill in the hints in whatever order it wishes.
  */
-
-int dm_cache_begin_hints(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, struct dm_cache_policy *p);
-
-/*
- * requests hints for every cblock and stores in the metadata device.
- */
-int dm_cache_save_hint(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd,
-                      dm_cblock_t cblock, uint32_t hint);
+int dm_cache_write_hints(struct dm_cache_metadata *cmd, struct dm_cache_policy *p);
 
 /*
  * Query method.  Are all the blocks in the cache clean?
 
        return 0;
 }
 
-static int save_hint(void *context, dm_cblock_t cblock, dm_oblock_t oblock,
-                    uint32_t hint)
-{
-       struct cache *cache = context;
-       return dm_cache_save_hint(cache->cmd, cblock, hint);
-}
-
-static int write_hints(struct cache *cache)
-{
-       int r;
-
-       r = dm_cache_begin_hints(cache->cmd, cache->policy);
-       if (r) {
-               DMERR("dm_cache_begin_hints failed");
-               return r;
-       }
-
-       r = policy_walk_mappings(cache->policy, save_hint, cache);
-       if (r)
-               DMERR("policy_walk_mappings failed");
-
-       return r;
-}
-
 /*
  * returns true on success
  */
 
        save_stats(cache);
 
-       r3 = write_hints(cache);
+       r3 = dm_cache_write_hints(cache->cmd, cache->policy);
        if (r3)
                DMERR("could not write hints");
 
 
 static struct target_type cache_target = {
        .name = "cache",
-       .version = {1, 3, 0},
+       .version = {1, 4, 0},
        .module = THIS_MODULE,
        .ctr = cache_ctr,
        .dtr = cache_dtr,