diff --git a/src/or/circuitbuild.c b/src/or/circuitbuild.c
index c1cc3ffe49..01cff0adf0 100644
--- a/src/or/circuitbuild.c
+++ b/src/or/circuitbuild.c
@@ -2025,12 +2025,12 @@ helper_nodes_changed(void)
  * a new one out of the global helper_nodes list, and then mark
  * <b>state</b> dirty so it will know to get saved to disk.
  */
-int
+void
 helper_nodes_update_state(or_state_t *state)
 {
   config_line_t **next, *line;
   if (! helper_nodes_dirty)
-    return 0;
+    return;
 
   config_free_lines(state->HelperNodes);
   next = &state->HelperNodes;
@@ -2064,8 +2064,6 @@ helper_nodes_update_state(or_state_t *state)
     });
   state->dirty = 1;
   helper_nodes_dirty = 0;
-
-  return 1;
 }
 
 /** DOCDOC */
diff --git a/src/or/or.h b/src/or/or.h
index d51c9fec97..285155ebe0 100644
--- a/src/or/or.h
+++ b/src/or/or.h
@@ -1468,7 +1468,7 @@ const char *build_state_get_exit_nickname(cpath_build_state_t *state);
 
 void helper_node_set_status(const char *digest, int succeeded);
 void helper_nodes_set_status_from_directory(void);
-int helper_nodes_update_state(or_state_t *state);
+void helper_nodes_update_state(or_state_t *state);
 int helper_nodes_parse_state(or_state_t *state, int set, const char **err);
 int helper_nodes_getinfo_helper(const char *question, char **answer);
 void helper_nodes_free_all(void);
@@ -2031,7 +2031,7 @@ void rep_hist_note_used_internal(time_t now, int need_uptime,
 int rep_hist_get_predicted_internal(time_t now, int *need_uptime,
                                     int *need_capacity);
 
-int rep_hist_update_state(or_state_t *state);
+void rep_hist_update_state(or_state_t *state);
 int rep_hist_load_state(or_state_t *state, const char **err);
 
 void rep_hist_free_all(void);
diff --git a/src/or/rephist.c b/src/or/rephist.c
index abb4b3c75c..2bb19d557c 100644
--- a/src/or/rephist.c
+++ b/src/or/rephist.c
@@ -646,11 +646,8 @@ rep_hist_get_bandwidth_lines(void)
   return buf;
 }
 
-/** Update the state with bandwidth history
- * A return value of 0 means nothing was updated,
- * a value of 1 means something has
- */
-int
+/** Update <b>state</b> with the newest bandwidth history. */
+void
 rep_hist_update_state(or_state_t *state)
 {
   int len, r;
@@ -684,7 +681,6 @@ rep_hist_update_state(or_state_t *state)
   }
   tor_free(buf);
   state->dirty = 1;
-  return 1;
 }
 
 /** Set bandwidth history from our saved state.