diff --git a/db/system_keyspace.cc b/db/system_keyspace.cc
index 45789bbc17..26eaa91794 100644
--- a/db/system_keyspace.cc
+++ b/db/system_keyspace.cc
@@ -372,12 +372,51 @@ static future<> setup_version() {
 future<> check_health();
 future<> force_blocking_flush(sstring cfname);
 
+// Changing the real load_dc_rack_info into a future would trigger a tidal wave of futurization that would spread
+// even into simple string operations like get_rack() / get_dc(). We will cache those at startup, and then change
+// our view of it every time we do updates on those values.
+//
+// The cache must be distributed, because the values themselves may not update atomically, so a shard reading that
+// is different than the one that wrote, may see a corrupted value. invoke_on_all will be used to guarantee that all
+// updates are propagated correctly.
+struct local_cache {
+    std::unordered_map<gms::inet_address, locator::endpoint_dc_rack> _cached_dc_rack_info;
+    future<> stop() {
+        return make_ready_future<>();
+    }
+};
+static distributed<local_cache> _local_cache;
+
+static future<> build_dc_rack_info() {
+    return _local_cache.start().then([] {
+        return execute_cql("SELECT peer, data_center, rack from system.%s", PEERS).then([] (::shared_ptr<cql3::untyped_result_set> msg) {
+            return do_for_each(*msg, [] (auto& row) {
+                // Not ideal to assume ipv4 here, but currently this is what the cql types wraps.
+                net::ipv4_address peer = row.template get_as<net::ipv4_address>("peer");
+                if (!row.has("data_center") || !row.has("rack")) {
+                    return make_ready_future<>();
+                }
+                gms::inet_address gms_addr(std::move(peer));
+                sstring dc = row.template get_as<sstring>("data_center");
+                sstring rack = row.template get_as<sstring>("rack");
+
+                locator::endpoint_dc_rack  element = { dc, rack };
+                return _local_cache.invoke_on_all([gms_addr = std::move(gms_addr), element = std::move(element)] (local_cache& lc) {
+                    lc._cached_dc_rack_info.emplace(gms_addr, element);
+                });
+            });
+        });
+    });
+}
+
 future<> setup(distributed<database>& db, distributed<cql3::query_processor>& qp) {
     auto new_ctx = std::make_unique<query_context>(db, qp);
     qctx.swap(new_ctx);
     assert(!new_ctx);
     return setup_version().then([] {
         return update_schema_version(utils::make_random_uuid()); // FIXME: should not be random
+    }).then([] {
+        return build_dc_rack_info();
     }).then([] {
         return check_health();
     }).then([] {
@@ -571,16 +610,46 @@ future<db_clock::time_point> get_truncated_at(cql3::query_processor& qp, utils::
         executeInternal(String.format(req, PEERS), ep, preferred_ip);
         forceBlockingFlush(PEERS);
     }
+#endif
 
-    public static synchronized void updatePeerInfo(InetAddress ep, String columnName, Object value)
-    {
-        if (ep.equals(FBUtilities.getBroadcastAddress()))
-            return;
+template <typename Value>
+static future<> update_cached_values(gms::inet_address ep, sstring column_name, Value value) {
+    return make_ready_future<>();
+}
 
-        String req = "INSERT INTO system.%s (peer, %s) VALUES (?, ?)";
-        executeInternal(String.format(req, PEERS, columnName), ep, value);
+template <>
+future<> update_cached_values(gms::inet_address ep, sstring column_name, sstring value) {
+    return _local_cache.invoke_on_all([ep = std::move(ep),
+                                       column_name = std::move(column_name),
+                                       value = std::move(value)] (local_cache& lc) {
+        if (column_name == "data_center") {
+            lc._cached_dc_rack_info[ep].dc = value;
+        } else if (column_name == "rack") {
+            lc._cached_dc_rack_info[ep].rack = value;
+        }
+        return make_ready_future<>();
+    });
+}
+
+template <typename Value>
+future<> update_peer_info(gms::inet_address ep, sstring column_name, Value value) {
+    if (ep == utils::fb_utilities::get_broadcast_address()) {
+        return make_ready_future<>();
     }
 
+    return update_cached_values(ep, column_name, value).then([ep, column_name, value] {
+        sstring clause = sprint("(peer, %s) VALUES (?, ?)", column_name);
+        sstring req = "INSERT INTO system.%s " + clause;
+        return execute_cql(req, PEERS, ep.addr(), value).discard_result();
+    });
+}
+// sets are not needed, since tokens are updated by another method
+template future<> update_peer_info<sstring>(gms::inet_address ep, sstring column_name, sstring);
+template future<> update_peer_info<utils::UUID>(gms::inet_address ep, sstring column_name, utils::UUID);
+template future<> update_peer_info<net::ipv4_address>(gms::inet_address ep, sstring column_name, net::ipv4_address);
+
+#if 0
+
     public static synchronized void updateHintsDropped(InetAddress ep, UUID timePeriod, int value)
     {
         // with 30 day TTL
@@ -614,16 +683,19 @@ future<> update_schema_version(utils::UUID version) {
         return tokens;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Remove stored tokens being used by another node
-     */
-    public static synchronized void removeEndpoint(InetAddress ep)
-    {
-        String req = "DELETE FROM system.%s WHERE peer = ?";
-        executeInternal(String.format(req, PEERS), ep);
-    }
-
 #endif
+/**
+ * Remove stored tokens being used by another node
+ */
+future<> remove_endpoint(gms::inet_address ep) {
+    return _local_cache.invoke_on_all([ep] (local_cache& lc) {
+        lc._cached_dc_rack_info.erase(ep);
+    }).then([ep] {
+        sstring req = "DELETE FROM system.%s WHERE peer = ?";
+        return execute_cql(req, PEERS, ep).discard_result();
+    });
+}
+
     /**
      * This method is used to update the System Keyspace with the new tokens for this node
     */
@@ -1086,23 +1158,8 @@ future<utils::UUID> set_local_host_id(const utils::UUID& host_id) {
 }
 
 std::unordered_map<gms::inet_address, locator::endpoint_dc_rack>
-load_dc_rack_info()
-{
-    std::unordered_map<gms::inet_address, locator::endpoint_dc_rack> result;
-#if 0 //TODO
-    for (UntypedResultSet.Row row : executeInternal("SELECT peer, data_center, rack from system." + PEERS))
-    {
-        InetAddress peer = row.getInetAddress("peer");
-        if (row.has("data_center") && row.has("rack"))
-        {
-            Map<String, String> dcRack = new HashMap<>();
-            dcRack.put("data_center", row.getString("data_center"));
-            dcRack.put("rack", row.getString("rack"));
-            result.put(peer, dcRack);
-        }
-    }
-#endif
-    return result;
+load_dc_rack_info() {
+    return _local_cache.local()._cached_dc_rack_info;
 }
 
 future<lw_shared_ptr<query::result_set>>
diff --git a/db/system_keyspace.hh b/db/system_keyspace.hh
index fb9b09c70d..c481f178fb 100644
--- a/db/system_keyspace.hh
+++ b/db/system_keyspace.hh
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ future<> setup(distributed<database>& db, distributed<cql3::query_processor>& qp
 future<> update_schema_version(utils::UUID version);
 future<> update_tokens(std::unordered_set<dht::token> tokens);
 
+template <typename Value>
+future<> update_peer_info(gms::inet_address ep, sstring column_name, Value value);
+
+future<> remove_endpoint(gms::inet_address ep);
+
 std::vector<schema_ptr> all_tables();
 void make(database& db, bool durable);
 
diff --git a/gms/inet_address.hh b/gms/inet_address.hh
index 95fcfb75a9..8813c91fce 100644
--- a/gms/inet_address.hh
+++ b/gms/inet_address.hh
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ public:
     inet_address(int32_t ip)
         : _addr(uint32_t(ip)) {
     }
+    inet_address(net::ipv4_address&& addr) : _addr(std::move(addr)) {}
+
+    const net::ipv4_address& addr() const {
+        return _addr;
+    }
+
     inet_address(const sstring& addr) {
         // FIXME: We need a real DNS resolver
         if (addr == "localhost") {
diff --git a/types.hh b/types.hh
index 55f4b28c30..c72b0f79a8 100644
--- a/types.hh
+++ b/types.hh
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <boost/range/algorithm/for_each.hpp>
 #include <boost/range/numeric.hpp>
 #include <boost/range/combine.hpp>
+#include "net/ip.hh"
 
 class tuple_type_impl;
 
@@ -674,6 +675,12 @@ shared_ptr<const abstract_type> data_type_for<db_clock::time_point>() {
     return date_type;
 }
 
+template <>
+inline
+shared_ptr<const abstract_type> data_type_for<net::ipv4_address>() {
+    return inet_addr_type;
+}
+
 namespace std {
 
 template <>