diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/front.py b/r2/r2/controllers/front.py
index 32f86ed32..ac410fa67 100644
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/front.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/front.py
@@ -189,32 +189,6 @@ class FrontController(RedditController):
             abort(403, 'forbidden')
         return self.abort404()
 
-    def _get_comment_visits(self, article, user, new_visit):
-        timer = g.stats.get_timer("gold.comment_visits")
-        timer.start()
-
-        hc_key = "comment_visits-%s-%s" % (user.name, article._id36)
-        old_visits = g.hardcache.get(hc_key, [])
-
-        if old_visits:
-            last_visit = max(old_visits)
-            time_since_last = new_visit - last_visit
-            if time_since_last.seconds <= g.comment_visits_period:
-                # they were here recently; consider that the same visit as now
-                old_visits.pop()
-                timer.stop()
-                return old_visits
-
-        copy = list(old_visits)
-        copy.append(new_visit)
-        if len(copy) > 10:
-            copy.pop(0)
-        g.hardcache.set(hc_key, copy, 86400 * 2)
-        timer.stop()
-        CommentVisitsByUser.add_visit(user, article, new_visit)
-        return old_visits
-
-
     @csrf_exempt
     @validate(article=VLink('article'),
               comment=VCommentID('comment'),
@@ -285,8 +259,11 @@ class FrontController(RedditController):
         elif (c.user_is_loggedin and
                 (c.user.gold or sr.is_moderator(c.user)) and
                 c.user.pref_highlight_new_comments):
-            previous_visits = self._get_comment_visits(
-                article, c.user, c.start_time)
+            timer = g.stats.get_timer("gold.comment_visits")
+            timer.start()
+            previous_visits = CommentVisitsByUser.get_and_update(
+                c.user, article, c.start_time)
+            timer.stop()
 
         # check if we just came from the submit page
         infotext = None