diff --git a/db/system_keyspace.cc b/db/system_keyspace.cc
index d115d2b354..e7823f73db 100644
--- a/db/system_keyspace.cc
+++ b/db/system_keyspace.cc
@@ -588,22 +588,31 @@ future<db_clock::time_point> get_truncated_at(cql3::query_processor& qp, utils::
     });
 }
 
-#if 0
-    /**
-     * Record tokens being used by another node
-     */
-    public static synchronized void updateTokens(InetAddress ep, Collection<Token> tokens)
-    {
-        if (ep.equals(FBUtilities.getBroadcastAddress()))
-        {
-            removeEndpoint(ep);
-            return;
-        }
 
-        String req = "INSERT INTO system.%s (peer, tokens) VALUES (?, ?)";
-        executeInternal(String.format(req, PEERS), ep, tokensAsSet(tokens));
+set_type_impl::native_type prepare_tokens(std::unordered_set<dht::token>& tokens) {
+    set_type_impl::native_type tset;
+    for (auto& t: tokens) {
+        tset.push_back(boost::any(dht::global_partitioner().to_sstring(t)));
+    }
+    return tset;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Record tokens being used by another node
+ */
+future<> update_tokens(gms::inet_address ep, std::unordered_set<dht::token> tokens)
+{
+    if (ep == utils::fb_utilities::get_broadcast_address()) {
+        return remove_endpoint(ep);
     }
 
+    sstring req = "INSERT INTO system.%s (peer, tokens) VALUES (?, ?)";
+    return execute_cql(req, PEERS, ep, prepare_tokens(tokens)).discard_result().then([] {
+        return force_blocking_flush(PEERS);
+    });
+}
+
+#if 0
     public static synchronized void updatePreferredIP(InetAddress ep, InetAddress preferred_ip)
     {
         String req = "INSERT INTO system.%s (peer, preferred_ip) VALUES (?, ?)";
@@ -704,13 +713,8 @@ future<> update_tokens(std::unordered_set<dht::token> tokens) {
         throw std::invalid_argument("remove_endpoint should be used instead");
     }
 
-    set_type_impl::native_type tset;
-    for (auto& t: tokens) {
-        tset.push_back(boost::any(dht::global_partitioner().to_sstring(t)));
-    }
-
     sstring req = "INSERT INTO system.%s (key, tokens) VALUES (?, ?)";
-    return execute_cql(req, LOCAL, sstring(LOCAL), std::move(tset)).discard_result().then([] {
+    return execute_cql(req, LOCAL, sstring(LOCAL), prepare_tokens(tokens)).discard_result().then([] {
         return force_blocking_flush(LOCAL);
     });
 }
diff --git a/db/system_keyspace.hh b/db/system_keyspace.hh
index 4c04570ab8..245fbf21a0 100644
--- a/db/system_keyspace.hh
+++ b/db/system_keyspace.hh
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ extern schema_ptr built_indexes(); // TODO (from Cassandra): make private
 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);
+future<> update_tokens(gms::inet_address ep, std::unordered_set<dht::token> tokens);
 
 template <typename Value>
 future<> update_peer_info(gms::inet_address ep, sstring column_name, Value value);