diff --git a/mutation_partition.cc b/mutation_partition.cc
index 8e8114d5cb..fcbdec0adc 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.cc
+++ b/mutation_partition.cc
@@ -352,12 +352,11 @@ stop_iteration mutation_partition::apply_monotonically(const schema& s, mutation
             src_e.set_continuous(false);
             if (tracker) {
                 tracker->on_remove(*i);
-                i->_lru_link.swap_nodes(src_e._lru_link);
                 // Newer evictable versions store complete rows
-                i->_row = std::move(src_e._row);
+                i->replace_with(std::move(src_e));
             } else {
                 memory::on_alloc_point();
-                i->_row.apply_monotonically(s, std::move(src_e._row));
+                i->apply_monotonically(s, std::move(src_e));
             }
             ++app_stats.row_hits;
             p_i = p._rows.erase_and_dispose(p_i, del);
@@ -1593,6 +1592,11 @@ rows_entry::rows_entry(rows_entry&& o) noexcept
     }
 }
 
+void rows_entry::replace_with(rows_entry&& o) noexcept {
+    _lru_link.swap_nodes(o._lru_link);
+    _row = std::move(o._row);
+}
+
 row::row(const schema& s, column_kind kind, const row& o)
     : _type(o._type)
     , _size(o._size)
diff --git a/mutation_partition.hh b/mutation_partition.hh
index e1c3e709e3..67e21e39e2 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.hh
+++ b/mutation_partition.hh
@@ -1025,7 +1025,6 @@ class cache_tracker;
 
 class rows_entry {
     using lru_link_type = bi::list_member_hook<bi::link_mode<bi::auto_unlink>>;
-    friend class cache_tracker;
     friend class size_calculator;
     intrusive_set_external_comparator_member_hook _link;
     clustering_key _key;
@@ -1042,8 +1041,13 @@ class rows_entry {
         bool _last_dummy : 1;
         flags() : _before_ck(0), _after_ck(0), _continuous(true), _dummy(false), _last_dummy(false) { }
     } _flags{};
-    friend class mutation_partition;
 public:
+    using container_type = intrusive_set_external_comparator<rows_entry, &rows_entry::_link>;
+    using lru_type = bi::list<rows_entry,
+        bi::member_hook<rows_entry, rows_entry::lru_link_type, &rows_entry::_lru_link>,
+        bi::constant_time_size<false>>; // we need this to have bi::auto_unlink on hooks.
+
+    void unlink_from_lru() noexcept { _lru_link.unlink(); }
     struct last_dummy_tag {};
     explicit rows_entry(clustering_key&& key)
         : _key(std::move(key))
@@ -1103,6 +1107,8 @@ public:
     bool is_last_dummy() const { return _flags._last_dummy; }
     void set_dummy(bool value) { _flags._dummy = value; }
     void set_dummy(is_dummy value) { _flags._dummy = bool(value); }
+    void replace_with(rows_entry&& other) noexcept;
+
     void apply(row_tombstone t) {
         _row.apply(t);
     }
@@ -1231,8 +1237,7 @@ struct mutation_application_stats {
 // in the doc in partition_version.hh.
 class mutation_partition final {
 public:
-    using rows_type = intrusive_set_external_comparator<rows_entry, &rows_entry::_link>;
-    friend class rows_entry;
+    using rows_type = rows_entry::container_type;
     friend class size_calculator;
 private:
     tombstone _tombstone;
diff --git a/row_cache.cc b/row_cache.cc
index 0c6c2d1b8b..5da85599d1 100644
--- a/row_cache.cc
+++ b/row_cache.cc
@@ -156,9 +156,9 @@ void cache_tracker::clear() {
 }
 
 void cache_tracker::touch(rows_entry& e) {
-    if (e._lru_link.is_linked()) { // last dummy may not be linked if evicted.
-        _lru.erase(_lru.iterator_to(e));
-    }
+    // last dummy may not be linked if evicted, but
+    // the unlink_from_lru() handles it
+    e.unlink_from_lru();
     _lru.push_front(e);
 }
 
@@ -176,10 +176,6 @@ void cache_tracker::on_partition_erase() noexcept {
     allocator().invalidate_references();
 }
 
-void cache_tracker::unlink(rows_entry& row) noexcept {
-    row._lru_link.unlink();
-}
-
 void cache_tracker::on_partition_merge() noexcept {
     ++_stats.partition_merges;
 }
@@ -1106,7 +1102,7 @@ void row_cache::unlink_from_lru(const dht::decorated_key& dk) {
             if (i != _partitions.end()) {
                 for (partition_version& pv : i->partition().versions_from_oldest()) {
                     for (rows_entry& row : pv.partition().clustered_rows()) {
-                        _tracker.unlink(row);
+                        row.unlink_from_lru();
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -1243,7 +1239,7 @@ void rows_entry::on_evicted(cache_tracker& tracker) noexcept {
         // so don't remove it, just unlink from the LRU.
         // That dummy is linked in the LRU, because there may be partitions
         // with no regular rows, and we need to track them.
-        _lru_link.unlink();
+        unlink_from_lru();
     } else {
         ++it;
         it->set_continuous(false);
diff --git a/row_cache.hh b/row_cache.hh
index c1753fe71b..0b5c44dbb0 100644
--- a/row_cache.hh
+++ b/row_cache.hh
@@ -155,10 +155,7 @@ public:
 // Tracks accesses and performs eviction of cache entries.
 class cache_tracker final {
 public:
-    using lru_type = bi::list<rows_entry,
-        bi::member_hook<rows_entry, rows_entry::lru_link_type, &rows_entry::_lru_link>,
-        bi::constant_time_size<false>>; // we need this to have bi::auto_unlink on hooks.
-public:
+    using lru_type = rows_entry::lru_type;
     friend class row_cache;
     friend class cache::read_context;
     friend class cache::autoupdating_underlying_reader;
@@ -216,7 +213,6 @@ public:
     void insert(partition_version&) noexcept;
     void insert(rows_entry&) noexcept;
     void on_remove(rows_entry&) noexcept;
-    void unlink(rows_entry&) noexcept;
     void clear_continuity(cache_entry& ce) noexcept;
     void on_partition_erase() noexcept;
     void on_partition_merge() noexcept;