diff --git a/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/timestamp/TimestampsRegionImpl.java b/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/timestamp/TimestampsRegionImpl.java
index eae8519e5f..946ac7993f 100644
--- a/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/timestamp/TimestampsRegionImpl.java
+++ b/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/timestamp/TimestampsRegionImpl.java
@@ -84,8 +84,7 @@ public class TimestampsRegionImpl extends BaseGeneralDataRegion implements Times
       try {
          // We ensure ASYNC semantics (JBCACHE-1175) and make sure previous
          // value is not loaded from cache store cos it's not needed.
-         cacheAdapter.withFlags(FlagAdapter.FORCE_ASYNCHRONOUS,
-                                FlagAdapter.SKIP_CACHE_LOAD).put(key, value);
+         cacheAdapter.withFlags(FlagAdapter.FORCE_ASYNCHRONOUS).put(key, value);
       } catch (Exception e) {
          throw new CacheException(e);
       } finally {
diff --git a/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheAdapter.java b/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheAdapter.java
index aa61371ded..af1db37f72 100644
--- a/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheAdapter.java
+++ b/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheAdapter.java
@@ -101,27 +101,25 @@ public interface CacheAdapter {
    Object getAllowingTimeout(Object key) throws CacheException;
 
    /**
-    * Performs a <code>put(Object, Object)</code> on the cache, wrapping any exception in a {@link CacheException}.
+    * Performs a <code>put(Object, Object)</code> on the cache,
+    * wrapping any exception in a {@link CacheException}.
     * 
     * @param key key whose value will be modified
     * @param value data to store in the cache entry
-    * @return the previous value associated with <tt>key</tt>, or <tt>null</tt> 
-    *         if there was no mapping for <tt>key</tt>.
     * @throws CacheException
     */
-   Object put(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException;
+   void put(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException;
 
    /**
-    * Performs a <code>put(Object, Object)</code> on the cache ignoring any {@link TimeoutException} 
-    * and wrapping any exception in a {@link CacheException}.
+    * Performs a <code>put(Object, Object)</code> on the cache ignoring
+    * any {@link TimeoutException} and wrapping any exception in a
+    * {@link CacheException}.
     * 
     * @param key key whose value will be modified
     * @param value data to store in the cache entry
-    * @return the previous value associated with <tt>key</tt>, or <tt>null</tt> 
-    *         if there was no mapping for <tt>key</tt>.
     * @throws CacheException
     */
-   Object putAllowingTimeout(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException;
+   void putAllowingTimeout(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException;
 
    /**
     * See {@link Cache#putForExternalRead(Object, Object)} for detailed documentation.
@@ -133,14 +131,13 @@ public interface CacheAdapter {
    void putForExternalRead(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException;
 
    /**
-    * Performs a <code>remove(Object)</code>, wrapping any exception in a {@link CacheException}.
+    * Performs a <code>remove(Object)</code>, wrapping any exception in
+    * a {@link CacheException}.
     * 
     * @param key key to be removed
-    * @return the previous value associated with <tt>key</tt>, or 
-    *         <tt>null</tt> if there was no mapping for <tt>key</tt>.
     * @throws CacheException
     */
-   Object remove(Object key) throws CacheException;
+   void remove(Object key) throws CacheException;
 
    /**
     * Evict the given key from memory.
diff --git a/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheAdapterImpl.java b/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheAdapterImpl.java
index 26be9683d8..2b89508850 100644
--- a/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheAdapterImpl.java
+++ b/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheAdapterImpl.java
@@ -94,20 +94,21 @@ public class CacheAdapterImpl implements CacheAdapter {
       }
    }
 
-   public Object put(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException {
+   public void put(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException {
       try {
-         return cache.put(key, value);
+         // No previous value interest, so apply flags that avoid remote lookups.
+         getSkipRemoteGetLoadCache().put(key, value);
       } catch (Exception e) {
          throw new CacheException(e);
       }
    }
 
-   public Object putAllowingTimeout(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException {
+   public void putAllowingTimeout(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException {
       try {
-         return getFailSilentCache().put(key, value);
+         // No previous value interest, so apply flags that avoid remote lookups.
+         getFailSilentCacheSkipRemotes().put(key, value);
       } catch (TimeoutException allowed) {
          // ignore it
-         return null;
       } catch (Exception e) {
          throw new CacheException(e);
       }
@@ -115,15 +116,17 @@ public class CacheAdapterImpl implements CacheAdapter {
 
    public void putForExternalRead(Object key, Object value) throws CacheException {
       try {
-         cache.putForExternalRead(key, value);
+         // No previous value interest, so apply flags that avoid remote lookups.
+         getFailSilentCacheSkipRemotes().putForExternalRead(key, value);
       } catch (Exception e) {
          throw new CacheException(e);
       }
    }
 
-   public Object remove(Object key) throws CacheException {
+   public void remove(Object key) throws CacheException {
       try {
-         return cache.remove(key);
+         // No previous value interest, so apply flags that avoid remote lookups.
+         getSkipRemoteGetLoadCache().remove(key);
       } catch (Exception e) {
          throw new CacheException(e);
       }
@@ -214,4 +217,15 @@ public class CacheAdapterImpl implements CacheAdapter {
    private Cache getFailSilentCache() {
       return cache.getAdvancedCache().withFlags(Flag.FAIL_SILENTLY);
    }
+
+   private Cache getSkipRemoteGetLoadCache() {
+      return cache.getAdvancedCache().withFlags(
+            Flag.SKIP_CACHE_LOAD, Flag.SKIP_REMOTE_LOOKUP);
+   }
+
+   private Cache getFailSilentCacheSkipRemotes() {
+      return cache.getAdvancedCache().withFlags(
+            Flag.FAIL_SILENTLY, Flag.SKIP_CACHE_LOAD, Flag.SKIP_REMOTE_LOOKUP);
+   }
+
 }
diff --git a/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheHelper.java b/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheHelper.java
index 923c2b06a2..a563970b97 100644
--- a/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheHelper.java
+++ b/hibernate-infinispan/src/main/java/org/hibernate/cache/infinispan/util/CacheHelper.java
@@ -48,14 +48,14 @@ public class CacheHelper {
    private CacheHelper() {
    }
 
-   public static void initInternalEvict(CacheAdapter cacheAdapter, AddressAdapter member) {
+   public static void initInternalEvict(CacheAdapter cache, AddressAdapter member) {
       EvictAll eKey = new EvictAll(member == null ? NoAddress.INSTANCE : member);
-      cacheAdapter.withFlags(FlagAdapter.CACHE_MODE_LOCAL, FlagAdapter.SKIP_CACHE_LOAD).put(eKey, Internal.INIT);
+      cache.withFlags(FlagAdapter.CACHE_MODE_LOCAL).put(eKey, Internal.INIT);
    }
 
-   public static void sendEvictAllNotification(CacheAdapter cacheAdapter, AddressAdapter member) {
+   public static void sendEvictAllNotification(CacheAdapter cache, AddressAdapter member) {
       EvictAll eKey = new EvictAll(member == null ? NoAddress.INSTANCE : member);
-      cacheAdapter.withFlags(FlagAdapter.SKIP_CACHE_LOAD).put(eKey, Internal.EVICT);
+      cache.put(eKey, Internal.EVICT);
    }
 
    public static boolean isEvictAllNotification(Object key) {