diff --git a/ctdb/common/common.h b/ctdb/common/common.h
index 0085fcfa989..8aeec82b6fc 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/common.h
+++ b/ctdb/common/common.h
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ bool ctdb_db_readonly(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db);
 void ctdb_db_set_readonly(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db);
 void ctdb_db_reset_readonly(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db);
 
+bool ctdb_db_sticky(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db);
+void ctdb_db_set_sticky(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db);
+
 uint32_t ctdb_lmaster(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, const TDB_DATA *key);
 
 int ctdb_ltdb_fetch(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db,
diff --git a/ctdb/common/ctdb_ltdb.c b/ctdb/common/ctdb_ltdb.c
index 818ac76d387..aa1db9de6ea 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/ctdb_ltdb.c
+++ b/ctdb/common/ctdb_ltdb.c
@@ -103,6 +103,16 @@ void ctdb_db_reset_readonly(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db)
 	ctdb_db->readonly = false;
 }
 
+bool ctdb_db_sticky(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db)
+{
+	return ctdb_db->sticky;
+}
+
+void ctdb_db_set_sticky(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db)
+{
+	ctdb_db->sticky = true;
+}
+
 /*
   return the lmaster given a key
 */
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_call.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_call.c
index 86498cf3a96..5b2e2f5a02e 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_call.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_call.c
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ static void ctdb_become_dmaster(struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db,
 	   see if the record is flagged as "hot" and set up a pin-down
 	   context to stop migrations for a little while if so
 	*/
-	if (ctdb_db->sticky) {
+	if (ctdb_db_sticky(ctdb_db)) {
 		ctdb_set_sticky_pindown(ctdb, ctdb_db, key);
 	}
 
@@ -929,7 +929,7 @@ void ctdb_request_call(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct ctdb_req_header *hdr)
 	/* If this record is pinned down we should defer the
 	   request until the pindown times out
 	*/
-	if (ctdb_db->sticky) {
+	if (ctdb_db_sticky(ctdb_db)) {
 		if (ctdb_defer_pinned_down_request(ctdb, ctdb_db, call->key, hdr) == 0) {
 			DEBUG(DEBUG_WARNING,
 			      ("Defer request for pinned down record in %s\n", ctdb_db->db_name));
@@ -1105,7 +1105,8 @@ void ctdb_request_call(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct ctdb_req_header *hdr)
 	   hopcount is big. If it is it means the record is hot and we
 	   should make it sticky.
 	*/
-	if (ctdb_db->sticky && c->hopcount >= ctdb->tunable.hopcount_make_sticky) {
+	if (ctdb_db_sticky(ctdb_db) &&
+	    c->hopcount >= ctdb->tunable.hopcount_make_sticky) {
 		ctdb_make_record_sticky(ctdb, ctdb_db, call->key);
 	}
 
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_ltdb_server.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_ltdb_server.c
index 1282929366c..57611e29fbc 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_ltdb_server.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_ltdb_server.c
@@ -1570,7 +1570,7 @@ int32_t ctdb_ltdb_enable_seqnum(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, uint32_t db_id)
 
 int ctdb_set_db_sticky(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_db)
 {
-	if (ctdb_db->sticky) {
+	if (ctdb_db_sticky(ctdb_db)) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -1582,7 +1582,7 @@ int ctdb_set_db_sticky(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct ctdb_db_context *ctdb_d
 
 	ctdb_db->sticky_records = trbt_create(ctdb_db, 0);
 
-	ctdb_db->sticky = true;
+	ctdb_db_set_sticky(ctdb_db);
 
 	DEBUG(DEBUG_NOTICE,("set db sticky %s\n", ctdb_db->db_name));
 
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_recover.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_recover.c
index 9097f7a3ffa..0af6309c28e 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_recover.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_recover.c
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ ctdb_control_getdbmap(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, uint32_t opcode, TDB_DATA indat
 		if (ctdb_db_readonly(ctdb_db)) {
 			dbid_map->dbs[i].flags |= CTDB_DB_FLAGS_READONLY;
 		}
-		if (ctdb_db->sticky != 0) {
+		if (ctdb_db_sticky(ctdb_db)) {
 			dbid_map->dbs[i].flags |= CTDB_DB_FLAGS_STICKY;
 		}
 	}