diff --git a/classes/cache/adapter.php b/classes/cache/adapter.php
index 88dca21b9..a61e5cb83 100644
--- a/classes/cache/adapter.php
+++ b/classes/cache/adapter.php
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ interface Cache_Adapter {
 	 * @return int|false Bytes written or false if an error occurred.
 	 */
 	public function put(string $filename, $data);
-	public function touch(string $filename): bool;
 	public function get(string $filename): ?string;
 	public function get_full_path(string $filename): string;
 	/**
diff --git a/classes/cache/local.php b/classes/cache/local.php
index 4461ef4ca..62f33662a 100644
--- a/classes/cache/local.php
+++ b/classes/cache/local.php
@@ -66,10 +66,6 @@ class Cache_Local implements Cache_Adapter {
 		return file_put_contents($this->get_full_path($filename), $data);
 	}
 
-	public function touch(string $filename): bool {
-		return touch($this->get_full_path($filename));
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * @return false|null|string false if detection failed, null if the file doesn't exist, string mime content type otherwise
 	 */
diff --git a/classes/diskcache.php b/classes/diskcache.php
index 69b48688c..80c73682f 100644
--- a/classes/diskcache.php
+++ b/classes/diskcache.php
@@ -238,8 +238,12 @@ class DiskCache implements Cache_Adapter {
 		return $this->adapter->put($filename, $data);
 	}
 
+	/** @deprecated we can't assume cached files are local, and other storages
+	 * might not support this operation (object metadata may be immutable) */
 	public function touch(string $filename): bool {
-		return $this->adapter->touch($filename);
+		user_error("DiskCache: called unsupported method touch() for $filename", E_USER_DEPRECATED);
+
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	public function get(string $filename): ?string {
diff --git a/classes/rssutils.php b/classes/rssutils.php
index 2a82a35b0..15efa77bd 100755
--- a/classes/rssutils.php
+++ b/classes/rssutils.php
@@ -1326,8 +1326,6 @@ class RSSUtils {
 						} else {
 							Debug::log("cache_enclosures: failed with ".UrlHelper::$fetch_last_error_code.": ".UrlHelper::$fetch_last_error);
 						}
-					} else if (is_writable($local_filename)) {
-						$cache->touch($local_filename);
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -1353,8 +1351,6 @@ class RSSUtils {
 			} else {
 				Debug::log("cache_media: failed with ".UrlHelper::$fetch_last_error_code.": ".UrlHelper::$fetch_last_error);
 			}
-		} else if ($cache->is_writable($local_filename)) {
-			$cache->touch($local_filename);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/plugins/cache_starred_images/init.php b/plugins/cache_starred_images/init.php
index eed5264c6..daaab2dca 100755
--- a/plugins/cache_starred_images/init.php
+++ b/plugins/cache_starred_images/init.php
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ class Cache_Starred_Images extends Plugin {
 			chmod($this->cache_status->get_dir(), 0777);
 
 		if (!$this->cache->exists(".no-auto-expiry"))
-			$this->cache->touch(".no-auto-expiry");
+			$this->cache->put(".no-auto-expiry", "");
 
 		if (!$this->cache_status->exists(".no-auto-expiry"))
-			$this->cache_status->touch(".no-auto-expiry");
+			$this->cache_status->put(".no-auto-expiry", "");
 
 		if ($this->cache->is_writable() && $this->cache_status->is_writable()) {
 			$host->add_hook($host::HOOK_HOUSE_KEEPING, $this);