diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
index acf2160b70..b64fc8d1bb 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
@@ -1651,22 +1651,9 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> AccountsIndex<T> {
         let new_item = PreAllocatedAccountMapEntry::new(slot, account_info, &self.storage.storage);
         let map = &self.account_maps[self.bin_calculator.bin_from_pubkey(pubkey)];
 
-        let r_account_maps = map.read().unwrap();
-        let (updated, new_item) = r_account_maps.update_key_if_exists(
-            pubkey,
-            new_item,
-            reclaims,
-            previous_slot_entry_was_cached,
-        );
-        if !updated {
-            drop(r_account_maps);
-            let w_account_maps = map.write().unwrap();
-            w_account_maps.upsert(
-                pubkey,
-                new_item.unwrap(),
-                reclaims,
-                previous_slot_entry_was_cached,
-            );
+        {
+            let r_account_maps = map.read().unwrap();
+            r_account_maps.upsert(pubkey, new_item, reclaims, previous_slot_entry_was_cached);
         }
         self.update_secondary_indexes(pubkey, account_owner, account_data, account_indexes);
     }
@@ -2999,20 +2986,6 @@ pub mod tests {
         let new_entry =
             PreAllocatedAccountMapEntry::new(slot, account_info, &index.storage.storage);
         assert_eq!(0, account_maps_len_expensive(&index));
-
-        // will fail because key doesn't exist
-        let r_account_maps = index.get_account_maps_read_lock(&key.pubkey());
-        assert!(
-            !r_account_maps
-                .update_key_if_exists(
-                    &key.pubkey(),
-                    new_entry.clone(),
-                    &mut SlotList::default(),
-                    UPSERT_PREVIOUS_SLOT_ENTRY_WAS_CACHED_FALSE,
-                )
-                .0
-        );
-        drop(r_account_maps);
         assert_eq!((slot, account_info), new_entry.clone().into());
 
         assert_eq!(0, account_maps_len_expensive(&index));
diff --git a/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs
index 2e4462bd1a..69c2e7fd23 100644
--- a/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> InMemAccountsIndex<T> {
     ) {
         let m = Measure::start("entry");
         let mut map = self.map().write().unwrap();
+        // note: an optimization is to use read lock and use get here instead of write lock entry
         let entry = map.entry(*pubkey);
         let stats = &self.stats();
         let (count, time) = if matches!(entry, Entry::Occupied(_)) {
@@ -363,28 +364,6 @@ impl<T: IndexValue> InMemAccountsIndex<T> {
         ))
     }
 
-    // returns true if upsert was successful. new_value is modified in this case. new_value contains a RwLock
-    // otherwise, new_value has not been modified and the pubkey has to be added to the maps with a write lock. call upsert_new
-    pub fn update_key_if_exists(
-        &self,
-        pubkey: &Pubkey,
-        new_value: PreAllocatedAccountMapEntry<T>,
-        reclaims: &mut SlotList<T>,
-        previous_slot_entry_was_cached: bool,
-    ) -> (bool, Option<PreAllocatedAccountMapEntry<T>>) {
-        if let Some(current) = self.map().read().unwrap().get(pubkey) {
-            Self::lock_and_update_slot_list(
-                current,
-                new_value.into(),
-                reclaims,
-                previous_slot_entry_was_cached,
-            );
-            (true, None)
-        } else {
-            (false, Some(new_value))
-        }
-    }
-
     pub fn len(&self) -> usize {
         self.map().read().unwrap().len()
     }