diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/cache.py b/r2/r2/lib/cache.py
index 3c1a3ec81..52831b730 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/cache.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/cache.py
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ from r2.lib.sgm import sgm # get this into our namespace so that it's
 class NoneResult(object): pass
 
 class CacheUtils(object):
+    # Caches that never expire entries should set this to true, so that
+    # CacheChain can properly count hits and misses.
+    permanent = False
+
     def incr_multi(self, keys, delta=1, prefix=''):
         for k in keys:
             try:
@@ -185,6 +189,7 @@ class CMemcache(CacheUtils):
 
 class HardCache(CacheUtils):
     backend = None
+    permanent = True
 
     def __init__(self, gc):
         self.backend = HardCacheBackend(gc)
@@ -354,37 +359,41 @@ class CacheChain(CacheUtils, local):
     flush_all = make_set_fn('flush_all')
     cache_negative_results = False
 
-    def get(self, key, default = None, allow_local = True):
-        for c in self.caches:
-            if not allow_local and isinstance(c,LocalCache):
-                continue
+    def get(self, key, default = None, allow_local = True, stale=None):
+        stat_outcome = False  # assume a miss until a result is found
+        try:
+            for c in self.caches:
+                if not allow_local and isinstance(c,LocalCache):
+                    continue
 
-            val = c.get(key)
+                val = c.get(key)
 
-            if val is not None:
-                if self.stats:
+                if val is not None:
+                    if not c.permanent:
+                        stat_outcome = True
+
+                    #update other caches
+                    for d in self.caches:
+                        if c is d:
+                            break # so we don't set caches later in the chain
+                        d.set(key, val)
+
+                    if val == NoneResult:
+                        return default
+                    else:
+                        return val
+
+            if self.cache_negative_results:
+                for c in self.caches[:-1]:
+                    c.set(key, NoneResult)
+
+            return default
+        finally:
+            if self.stats:
+                if stat_outcome:
                     self.stats.cache_hit()
-
-                #update other caches
-                for d in self.caches:
-                    if c is d:
-                        break # so we don't set caches later in the chain
-                    d.set(key, val)
-
-                if val == NoneResult:
-                    return default
                 else:
-                    return val
-
-        #didn't find anything
-        if self.stats:
-            self.stats.cache_miss()
-
-        if self.cache_negative_results:
-            for c in self.caches[:-1]:
-                c.set(key, NoneResult)
-
-        return default
+                    self.stats.cache_miss()
 
     def get_multi(self, keys, prefix='', allow_local = True, **kw):
         l = lambda ks: self.simple_get_multi(ks, allow_local = allow_local, **kw)
@@ -393,16 +402,25 @@ class CacheChain(CacheUtils, local):
     def simple_get_multi(self, keys, allow_local = True, stale=None):
         out = {}
         need = set(keys)
+        hits = 0
+        misses = 0
         for c in self.caches:
             if not allow_local and isinstance(c, LocalCache):
                 continue
 
+            if c.permanent and not misses:
+                # Once we reach a "permanent" cache, we count any outstanding
+                # items as misses.
+                misses = len(need)
+
             if len(out) == len(keys):
                 # we've found them all
                 break
             r = c.simple_get_multi(need)
             #update other caches
             if r:
+                if not c.permanent:
+                    hits += len(r)
                 for d in self.caches:
                     if c is d:
                         break # so we don't set caches later in the chain
@@ -421,8 +439,8 @@ class CacheChain(CacheUtils, local):
                    if v != NoneResult)
 
         if self.stats:
-            self.stats.cache_hit(len(out))
-            self.stats.cache_miss(len(need))
+            self.stats.cache_hit(hits)
+            self.stats.cache_miss(misses)
 
         return out
 
@@ -638,6 +656,8 @@ class CassandraCacheChain(CacheChain):
 
 
 class CassandraCache(CacheUtils):
+    permanent = True
+
     """A cache that uses a Cassandra ColumnFamily. Uses only the
        column-name 'value'"""
     def __init__(self, column_family, client,