diff --git a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/AfterAccessPolicy.cs b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/AfterAccessPolicy.cs
index 98c6c5dd..f40b0a73 100644
--- a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/AfterAccessPolicy.cs
+++ b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/AfterAccessPolicy.cs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public LongTickCountLruItem<K, V> CreateItem(K key, V value)
         public void Touch(LongTickCountLruItem<K, V> item)
         {
             item.TickCount = this.time.Last;
-            item.WasAccessed = true;
+            item.MarkAccessed();
         }
 
         ///<inheritdoc/>
diff --git a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/DiscretePolicy.cs b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/DiscretePolicy.cs
index 8e70a327..636244d9 100644
--- a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/DiscretePolicy.cs
+++ b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/DiscretePolicy.cs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public void Touch(LongTickCountLruItem<K, V> item)
             var currentExpiry = new Duration(item.TickCount - this.time.Last);
             var newExpiry = expiry.GetExpireAfterRead(item.Key, item.Value, currentExpiry);
             item.TickCount = this.time.Last + newExpiry.raw;
-            item.WasAccessed = true;
+            item.MarkAccessed();
         }
 
         ///<inheritdoc/>
diff --git a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/LruItem.cs b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/LruItem.cs
index 5a5b2bed..66743cfc 100644
--- a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/LruItem.cs
+++ b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/LruItem.cs
@@ -85,6 +85,17 @@ public bool WasRemoved
             set => this.wasRemoved = value;
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Marks the item as accessed, if it was not already accessed.
+        /// </summary>
+        public void MarkAccessed()
+        { 
+            if (!this.wasAccessed)
+            { 
+                this.wasAccessed = true;    
+            }
+        }
+
         internal V SeqLockRead()
         { 
             var spin = new SpinWait();
diff --git a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/LruPolicy.cs b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/LruPolicy.cs
index cc1d93a0..12495dd9 100644
--- a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/LruPolicy.cs
+++ b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/LruPolicy.cs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public LruItem<K, V> CreateItem(K key, V value)
         [MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.AggressiveInlining)]
         public void Touch(LruItem<K, V> item)
         {
-            item.WasAccessed = true;
+            item.MarkAccessed();
         }
 
         ///<inheritdoc/>
diff --git a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TLruLongTicksPolicy.cs b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TLruLongTicksPolicy.cs
index fb64ca3e..41ee8355 100644
--- a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TLruLongTicksPolicy.cs
+++ b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TLruLongTicksPolicy.cs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public LongTickCountLruItem<K, V> CreateItem(K key, V value)
         [MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.AggressiveInlining)]
         public void Touch(LongTickCountLruItem<K, V> item)
         {
-            item.WasAccessed = true;
+            item.MarkAccessed();
         }
 
         ///<inheritdoc/>
diff --git a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TlruDateTimePolicy.cs b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TlruDateTimePolicy.cs
index 81e3a078..b7207a5b 100644
--- a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TlruDateTimePolicy.cs
+++ b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TlruDateTimePolicy.cs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public TimeStampedLruItem<K, V> CreateItem(K key, V value)
         [MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.AggressiveInlining)]
         public void Touch(TimeStampedLruItem<K, V> item)
         {
-            item.WasAccessed = true;
+            item.MarkAccessed();
         }
 
         ///<inheritdoc/>
diff --git a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TlruTicksPolicy.cs b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TlruTicksPolicy.cs
index 1ce6bd5a..d6bc0047 100644
--- a/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TlruTicksPolicy.cs
+++ b/BitFaster.Caching/Lru/TlruTicksPolicy.cs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public TickCountLruItem<K, V> CreateItem(K key, V value)
         [MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.AggressiveInlining)]
         public void Touch(TickCountLruItem<K, V> item)
         {
-            item.WasAccessed = true;
+            item.MarkAccessed();
         }
 
         ///<inheritdoc/>