diff --git a/lib/dns/qpcache.c b/lib/dns/qpcache.c
index 25a93431d2..633d527a80 100644
--- a/lib/dns/qpcache.c
+++ b/lib/dns/qpcache.c
@@ -954,15 +954,20 @@ setttl(dns_slabheader_t *header, dns_ttl_t newttl) {
 	}
 }
 
+static void
+mark_ancient(dns_slabheader_t *header) {
+	setttl(header, 0);
+	mark(header, DNS_SLABHEADERATTR_ANCIENT);
+	HEADERNODE(header)->dirty = 1;
+}
+
 /*
  * Caller must hold the node (write) lock.
  */
 static void
 expireheader(dns_slabheader_t *header, isc_rwlocktype_t *nlocktypep,
 	     isc_rwlocktype_t *tlocktypep, dns_expire_t reason DNS__DB_FLARG) {
-	setttl(header, 0);
-	mark(header, DNS_SLABHEADERATTR_ANCIENT);
-	HEADERNODE(header)->dirty = 1;
+	mark_ancient(header);
 
 	if (isc_refcount_current(&HEADERNODE(header)->erefs) == 0) {
 		qpcache_t *qpdb = (qpcache_t *)header->db;
@@ -1271,8 +1276,7 @@ check_stale_header(qpcnode_t *node, dns_slabheader_t *header,
 				}
 				dns_slabheader_destroy(&header);
 			} else {
-				mark(header, DNS_SLABHEADERATTR_ANCIENT);
-				HEADERNODE(header)->dirty = 1;
+				mark_ancient(header);
 				*header_prev = header;
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -2234,8 +2238,7 @@ findrdataset(dns_db_t *db, dns_dbnode_t *node, dns_dbversion_t *version,
 				 * non-zero.  This is so because 'node' is an
 				 * argument to the function.
 				 */
-				mark(header, DNS_SLABHEADERATTR_ANCIENT);
-				HEADERNODE(header)->dirty = 1;
+				mark_ancient(header);
 			}
 		} else if (EXISTS(header) && !ANCIENT(header)) {
 			if (header->type == matchtype) {
@@ -2586,13 +2589,6 @@ qpdb_destroy(dns_db_t *arg) {
 	qpcache_detach(&qpdb);
 }
 
-static void
-mark_ancient(dns_slabheader_t *header) {
-	setttl(header, 0);
-	mark(header, DNS_SLABHEADERATTR_ANCIENT);
-	HEADERNODE(header)->dirty = 1;
-}
-
 /*%
  * Clean up dead nodes.  These are nodes which have no references, and
  * have no data.  They are dead but we could not or chose not to delete
@@ -3163,7 +3159,6 @@ find_header:
 			newheader->next = topheader->next;
 			newheader->down = topheader;
 			topheader->next = newheader;
-			qpnode->dirty = 1;
 			mark_ancient(header);
 			if (sigheader != NULL) {
 				mark_ancient(sigheader);
diff --git a/lib/dns/rbt-cachedb.c b/lib/dns/rbt-cachedb.c
index f449e90cfd..7a77739869 100644
--- a/lib/dns/rbt-cachedb.c
+++ b/lib/dns/rbt-cachedb.c
@@ -417,9 +417,7 @@ check_stale_header(dns_rbtnode_t *node, dns_slabheader_t *header,
 				}
 				dns_slabheader_destroy(&header);
 			} else {
-				dns__rbtdb_mark(header,
-						DNS_SLABHEADERATTR_ANCIENT);
-				RBTDB_HEADERNODE(header)->dirty = 1;
+				dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(header);
 				*header_prev = header;
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -1401,9 +1399,7 @@ cache_findrdataset(dns_db_t *db, dns_dbnode_t *node, dns_dbversion_t *version,
 				 * non-zero.  This is so because 'node' is an
 				 * argument to the function.
 				 */
-				dns__rbtdb_mark(header,
-						DNS_SLABHEADERATTR_ANCIENT);
-				RBTDB_HEADERNODE(header)->dirty = 1;
+				dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(header);
 			}
 		} else if (EXISTS(header) && !ANCIENT(header)) {
 			if (header->type == matchtype) {
@@ -1589,9 +1585,7 @@ void
 dns__cacherbt_expireheader(dns_slabheader_t *header,
 			   isc_rwlocktype_t *tlocktypep,
 			   dns_expire_t reason DNS__DB_FLARG) {
-	dns__rbtdb_setttl(header, 0);
-	dns__rbtdb_mark(header, DNS_SLABHEADERATTR_ANCIENT);
-	RBTDB_HEADERNODE(header)->dirty = 1;
+	dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(header);
 
 	if (isc_refcount_current(&RBTDB_HEADERNODE(header)->references) == 0) {
 		isc_rwlocktype_t nlocktype = isc_rwlocktype_write;
diff --git a/lib/dns/rbtdb.c b/lib/dns/rbtdb.c
index cd81fe4550..cb69d6be0c 100644
--- a/lib/dns/rbtdb.c
+++ b/lib/dns/rbtdb.c
@@ -857,8 +857,8 @@ dns__rbtdb_mark(dns_slabheader_t *header, uint_least16_t flag) {
 	}
 }
 
-static void
-mark_ancient(dns_slabheader_t *header) {
+void
+dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(dns_slabheader_t *header) {
 	dns__rbtdb_setttl(header, 0);
 	dns__rbtdb_mark(header, DNS_SLABHEADERATTR_ANCIENT);
 	RBTDB_HEADERNODE(header)->dirty = 1;
@@ -2604,7 +2604,7 @@ dns__rbtdb_add(dns_rbtdb_t *rbtdb, dns_rbtnode_t *rbtnode,
 				     topheader != NULL;
 				     topheader = topheader->next)
 				{
-					mark_ancient(topheader);
+					dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(topheader);
 				}
 				goto find_header;
 			}
@@ -2667,7 +2667,7 @@ dns__rbtdb_add(dns_rbtdb_t *rbtdb, dns_rbtnode_t *rbtnode,
 				 * The new rdataset is better.  Expire the
 				 * ncache entry.
 				 */
-				mark_ancient(topheader);
+				dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(topheader);
 				topheader = NULL;
 				goto find_header;
 			}
@@ -3013,9 +3013,9 @@ find_header:
 				changed->dirty = true;
 			}
 			if (rbtversion == NULL) {
-				mark_ancient(header);
+				dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(header);
 				if (sigheader != NULL) {
-					mark_ancient(sigheader);
+					dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(sigheader);
 				}
 			}
 			if (rbtversion != NULL && !header_nx) {
@@ -3119,7 +3119,7 @@ find_header:
 					expireheader = newheader;
 				}
 
-				mark_ancient(expireheader);
+				dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(expireheader);
 				/*
 				 * FIXME: In theory, we should mark the RRSIG
 				 * and the header at the same time, but there is
diff --git a/lib/dns/rbtdb_p.h b/lib/dns/rbtdb_p.h
index 45ab1bcc90..1b2c7dca2e 100644
--- a/lib/dns/rbtdb_p.h
+++ b/lib/dns/rbtdb_p.h
@@ -486,6 +486,8 @@ dns__zonerbt_addwildcards(dns_rbtdb_t *rbtdb, const dns_name_t *name,
  * Cache-specific functions that are called from rbtdb.c
  */
 void
+dns__rbtdb_mark_ancient(dns_slabheader_t *header);
+void
 dns__cacherbt_expireheader(dns_slabheader_t *header,
 			   isc_rwlocktype_t *tlocktypep,
 			   dns_expire_t reason DNS__DB_FLARG);