diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
index 6bfbc49f0..2a5a65da3 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
@@ -618,12 +618,10 @@ class Globals(object):
         # memcaches used in front of the permacache CF in cassandra.
         # XXX: this is a legacy thing; permacache was made when C* didn't have
         # a row cache.
-        if self.permacache_memcaches:
-            permacache_memcaches = CMemcache(self.permacache_memcaches,
-                                             min_compress_len=50 * 1024,
-                                             num_clients=num_mc_clients)
-        else:
-            permacache_memcaches = None
+        permacache_memcaches = CMemcache("perma",
+                                         self.permacache_memcaches,
+                                         min_compress_len=50 * 1024,
+                                         num_clients=num_mc_clients)
 
         # the stalecache is a memcached local to the current app server used
         # for data that's frequently fetched but doesn't need to be fresh.
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/cache.py b/r2/r2/lib/cache.py
index cf0a5e0b9..d3fdf9643 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/cache.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/cache.py
@@ -781,12 +781,8 @@ CL_QUORUM = ConsistencyLevel.QUORUM
 CL_ALL = ConsistencyLevel.ALL
 
 class CassandraCacheChain(CacheChain):
-    def __init__(self, localcache, cassa, lock_factory, memcache=None, **kw):
-        if memcache:
-            caches = (localcache, memcache, cassa)
-        else:
-            caches = (localcache, cassa)
-
+    def __init__(self, localcache, cassa, lock_factory, memcache, **kw):
+        caches = (localcache, memcache, cassa)
         self.cassa = cassa
         self.memcache = memcache
         self.make_lock = lock_factory
@@ -810,12 +806,9 @@ class CassandraCacheChain(CacheChain):
             rcl = wcl = self.cassa.write_consistency_level
             if willread:
                 try:
-                    value = None
-                    if self.memcache:
-                        value = self.memcache.get(key)
+                    value = self.memcache.get(key)
                     if value is None:
-                        value = self.cassa.get(key,
-                                               read_consistency_level = rcl)
+                        value = self.cassa.get(key, read_consistency_level=rcl)
                 except CassandraNotFound:
                     value = default