diff --git a/replica/distributed_loader.cc b/replica/distributed_loader.cc
index 18ab981449..c5e376b186 100644
--- a/replica/distributed_loader.cc
+++ b/replica/distributed_loader.cc
@@ -626,6 +626,10 @@ public:
         return _highest_generation;
     }
 
+    using allow_offstrategy_compaction = bool_class<struct allow_offstrategy_compaction_tag>;
+    using must_exist = bool_class<struct must_exist_tag>;
+    future<> populate_column_family(sstring subdir, allow_offstrategy_compaction, must_exist = must_exist::yes);
+
 private:
     future<> start_subdir(sstring subdir);
 };
@@ -684,7 +688,8 @@ sstables::shared_sstable make_sstable(replica::table& table, fs::path dir, sstab
     return table.get_sstables_manager().make_sstable(table.schema(), dir.native(), generation, v, sstables::sstable_format_types::big);
 }
 
-future<> distributed_loader::populate_column_family(table_population_metadata& metadata, sstring subdir, allow_offstrategy_compaction do_allow_offstrategy_compaction, must_exist dir_must_exist) {
+future<> table_population_metadata::populate_column_family(sstring subdir, allow_offstrategy_compaction do_allow_offstrategy_compaction, must_exist dir_must_exist) {
+    auto& metadata = *this;
     auto& db = metadata.db();
     const auto& ks = metadata.ks();
     const auto& cf = metadata.cf();
@@ -707,7 +712,7 @@ future<> distributed_loader::populate_column_family(table_population_metadata& m
     auto& directory = *metadata.sstable_directories().at(subdir);
     auto sst_version = metadata.highest_version();
 
-    co_await reshard(directory, db, ks, cf, [&global_table, sstdir, sst_version] (shard_id shard) mutable {
+    co_await distributed_loader::reshard(directory, db, ks, cf, [&global_table, sstdir, sst_version] (shard_id shard) mutable {
         auto gen = smp::submit_to(shard, [&global_table] () {
             return global_table->calculate_generation_for_new_table();
         }).get0();
@@ -727,7 +732,7 @@ future<> distributed_loader::populate_column_family(table_population_metadata& m
         return sst->get_origin() != sstables::repair_origin;
     };
 
-    co_await reshape(directory, db, sstables::reshape_mode::relaxed, ks, cf, [global_table, sstdir, sst_version] (shard_id shard) {
+    co_await distributed_loader::reshape(directory, db, sstables::reshape_mode::relaxed, ks, cf, [global_table, sstdir, sst_version] (shard_id shard) {
         auto gen = global_table->calculate_generation_for_new_table();
         return make_sstable(*global_table, sstdir, gen, sst_version);
     }, eligible_for_reshape_on_boot, default_priority_class());
@@ -770,9 +775,9 @@ future<> distributed_loader::populate_keyspace(distributed<replica::database>& d
             co_await ks.make_directory_for_column_family(cfname, uuid);
 
             co_await metadata.start();
-            co_await distributed_loader::populate_column_family(metadata, sstables::staging_dir, allow_offstrategy_compaction::no);
-            co_await distributed_loader::populate_column_family(metadata, sstables::quarantine_dir, allow_offstrategy_compaction::no, must_exist::no);
-            co_await distributed_loader::populate_column_family(metadata, "", allow_offstrategy_compaction::yes);
+            co_await metadata.populate_column_family(sstables::staging_dir, table_population_metadata::allow_offstrategy_compaction::no);
+            co_await metadata.populate_column_family(sstables::quarantine_dir, table_population_metadata::allow_offstrategy_compaction::no, table_population_metadata::must_exist::no);
+            co_await metadata.populate_column_family("", table_population_metadata::allow_offstrategy_compaction::yes);
         } catch (...) {
             std::exception_ptr eptr = std::current_exception();
             std::string msg =
diff --git a/replica/distributed_loader.hh b/replica/distributed_loader.hh
index f3904ac945..d47b1d5646 100644
--- a/replica/distributed_loader.hh
+++ b/replica/distributed_loader.hh
@@ -75,9 +75,6 @@ class distributed_loader {
     static future<size_t> make_sstables_available(sstables::sstable_directory& dir,
             sharded<replica::database>& db, sharded<db::view::view_update_generator>& view_update_generator,
             std::filesystem::path datadir, sstring ks, sstring cf);
-    using allow_offstrategy_compaction = bool_class<struct allow_offstrategy_compaction_tag>;
-    using must_exist = bool_class<struct must_exist_tag>;
-    static future<> populate_column_family(table_population_metadata& metadata, sstring subdir, allow_offstrategy_compaction, must_exist = must_exist::yes);
     static future<> populate_keyspace(distributed<replica::database>& db, sstring datadir, sstring ks_name);
     static future<> cleanup_column_family_temp_sst_dirs(sstring sstdir);
     static future<> handle_sstables_pending_delete(sstring pending_deletes_dir);