diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/netfs_library.rst b/Documentation/filesystems/netfs_library.rst
index 48b95d04f72d..4cc657d743f7 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/netfs_library.rst
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/netfs_library.rst
@@ -295,7 +295,6 @@ through which it can issue requests and negotiate::
 	struct netfs_request_ops {
 		void (*init_request)(struct netfs_io_request *rreq, struct file *file);
 		void (*free_request)(struct netfs_io_request *rreq);
-		int (*begin_cache_operation)(struct netfs_io_request *rreq);
 		void (*expand_readahead)(struct netfs_io_request *rreq);
 		bool (*clamp_length)(struct netfs_io_subrequest *subreq);
 		void (*issue_read)(struct netfs_io_subrequest *subreq);
@@ -317,20 +316,6 @@ The operations are as follows:
    [Optional] This is called as the request is being deallocated so that the
    filesystem can clean up any state it has attached there.
 
- * ``begin_cache_operation()``
-
-   [Optional] This is called to ask the network filesystem to call into the
-   cache (if present) to initialise the caching state for this read.  The netfs
-   library module cannot access the cache directly, so the cache should call
-   something like fscache_begin_read_operation() to do this.
-
-   The cache gets to store its state in ->cache_resources and must set a table
-   of operations of its own there (though of a different type).
-
-   This should return 0 on success and an error code otherwise.  If an error is
-   reported, the operation may proceed anyway, just without local caching (only
-   out of memory and interruption errors cause failure here).
-
  * ``expand_readahead()``
 
    [Optional] This is called to allow the filesystem to expand the size of a
@@ -460,14 +445,14 @@ When implementing a local cache to be used by the read helpers, two things are
 required: some way for the network filesystem to initialise the caching for a
 read request and a table of operations for the helpers to call.
 
-The network filesystem's ->begin_cache_operation() method is called to set up a
-cache and this must call into the cache to do the work.  If using fscache, for
-example, the cache would call::
+To begin a cache operation on an fscache object, the following function is
+called::
 
 	int fscache_begin_read_operation(struct netfs_io_request *rreq,
 					 struct fscache_cookie *cookie);
 
-passing in the request pointer and the cookie corresponding to the file.
+passing in the request pointer and the cookie corresponding to the file.  This
+fills in the cache resources mentioned below.
 
 The netfs_io_request object contains a place for the cache to hang its
 state::
diff --git a/fs/9p/vfs_addr.c b/fs/9p/vfs_addr.c
index 8a635999a7d6..39db7c01e30a 100644
--- a/fs/9p/vfs_addr.c
+++ b/fs/9p/vfs_addr.c
@@ -82,25 +82,9 @@ static void v9fs_free_request(struct netfs_io_request *rreq)
 	p9_fid_put(fid);
 }
 
-/**
- * v9fs_begin_cache_operation - Begin a cache operation for a read
- * @rreq: The read request
- */
-static int v9fs_begin_cache_operation(struct netfs_io_request *rreq)
-{
-#ifdef CONFIG_9P_FSCACHE
-	struct fscache_cookie *cookie = v9fs_inode_cookie(V9FS_I(rreq->inode));
-
-	return fscache_begin_read_operation(&rreq->cache_resources, cookie);
-#else
-	return -ENOBUFS;
-#endif
-}
-
 const struct netfs_request_ops v9fs_req_ops = {
 	.init_request		= v9fs_init_request,
 	.free_request		= v9fs_free_request,
-	.begin_cache_operation	= v9fs_begin_cache_operation,
 	.issue_read		= v9fs_issue_read,
 };
 
diff --git a/fs/afs/file.c b/fs/afs/file.c
index d37dd201752b..8c17e37c2e59 100644
--- a/fs/afs/file.c
+++ b/fs/afs/file.c
@@ -366,18 +366,6 @@ static int afs_init_request(struct netfs_io_request *rreq, struct file *file)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int afs_begin_cache_operation(struct netfs_io_request *rreq)
-{
-#ifdef CONFIG_AFS_FSCACHE
-	struct afs_vnode *vnode = AFS_FS_I(rreq->inode);
-
-	return fscache_begin_read_operation(&rreq->cache_resources,
-					    afs_vnode_cache(vnode));
-#else
-	return -ENOBUFS;
-#endif
-}
-
 static int afs_check_write_begin(struct file *file, loff_t pos, unsigned len,
 				 struct folio **foliop, void **_fsdata)
 {
@@ -394,7 +382,6 @@ static void afs_free_request(struct netfs_io_request *rreq)
 const struct netfs_request_ops afs_req_ops = {
 	.init_request		= afs_init_request,
 	.free_request		= afs_free_request,
-	.begin_cache_operation	= afs_begin_cache_operation,
 	.check_write_begin	= afs_check_write_begin,
 	.issue_read		= afs_issue_read,
 };
diff --git a/fs/ceph/addr.c b/fs/ceph/addr.c
index 85be3bf18cdf..3b8641febeac 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/addr.c
+++ b/fs/ceph/addr.c
@@ -509,7 +509,6 @@ static void ceph_netfs_free_request(struct netfs_io_request *rreq)
 const struct netfs_request_ops ceph_netfs_ops = {
 	.init_request		= ceph_init_request,
 	.free_request		= ceph_netfs_free_request,
-	.begin_cache_operation	= ceph_begin_cache_operation,
 	.issue_read		= ceph_netfs_issue_read,
 	.expand_readahead	= ceph_netfs_expand_readahead,
 	.clamp_length		= ceph_netfs_clamp_length,
diff --git a/fs/ceph/cache.h b/fs/ceph/cache.h
index dc502daac49a..b804f1094764 100644
--- a/fs/ceph/cache.h
+++ b/fs/ceph/cache.h
@@ -57,13 +57,6 @@ static inline int ceph_fscache_dirty_folio(struct address_space *mapping,
 	return fscache_dirty_folio(mapping, folio, ceph_fscache_cookie(ci));
 }
 
-static inline int ceph_begin_cache_operation(struct netfs_io_request *rreq)
-{
-	struct fscache_cookie *cookie = ceph_fscache_cookie(ceph_inode(rreq->inode));
-
-	return fscache_begin_read_operation(&rreq->cache_resources, cookie);
-}
-
 static inline bool ceph_is_cache_enabled(struct inode *inode)
 {
 	return fscache_cookie_enabled(ceph_fscache_cookie(ceph_inode(inode)));
@@ -135,11 +128,6 @@ static inline bool ceph_is_cache_enabled(struct inode *inode)
 	return false;
 }
 
-static inline int ceph_begin_cache_operation(struct netfs_io_request *rreq)
-{
-	return -ENOBUFS;
-}
-
 static inline void ceph_fscache_note_page_release(struct inode *inode)
 {
 }
diff --git a/fs/netfs/buffered_read.c b/fs/netfs/buffered_read.c
index 2cd3ccf4c439..d39d0ffe75d2 100644
--- a/fs/netfs/buffered_read.c
+++ b/fs/netfs/buffered_read.c
@@ -147,6 +147,15 @@ static void netfs_rreq_expand(struct netfs_io_request *rreq,
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * Begin an operation, and fetch the stored zero point value from the cookie if
+ * available.
+ */
+static int netfs_begin_cache_read(struct netfs_io_request *rreq, struct netfs_inode *ctx)
+{
+	return fscache_begin_read_operation(&rreq->cache_resources, netfs_i_cookie(ctx));
+}
+
 /**
  * netfs_readahead - Helper to manage a read request
  * @ractl: The description of the readahead request
@@ -180,11 +189,9 @@ void netfs_readahead(struct readahead_control *ractl)
 	if (IS_ERR(rreq))
 		return;
 
-	if (ctx->ops->begin_cache_operation) {
-		ret = ctx->ops->begin_cache_operation(rreq);
-		if (ret == -ENOMEM || ret == -EINTR || ret == -ERESTARTSYS)
-			goto cleanup_free;
-	}
+	ret = netfs_begin_cache_read(rreq, ctx);
+	if (ret == -ENOMEM || ret == -EINTR || ret == -ERESTARTSYS)
+		goto cleanup_free;
 
 	netfs_stat(&netfs_n_rh_readahead);
 	trace_netfs_read(rreq, readahead_pos(ractl), readahead_length(ractl),
@@ -238,11 +245,9 @@ int netfs_read_folio(struct file *file, struct folio *folio)
 		goto alloc_error;
 	}
 
-	if (ctx->ops->begin_cache_operation) {
-		ret = ctx->ops->begin_cache_operation(rreq);
-		if (ret == -ENOMEM || ret == -EINTR || ret == -ERESTARTSYS)
-			goto discard;
-	}
+	ret = netfs_begin_cache_read(rreq, ctx);
+	if (ret == -ENOMEM || ret == -EINTR || ret == -ERESTARTSYS)
+		goto discard;
 
 	netfs_stat(&netfs_n_rh_readpage);
 	trace_netfs_read(rreq, rreq->start, rreq->len, netfs_read_trace_readpage);
@@ -390,11 +395,9 @@ retry:
 	rreq->no_unlock_folio	= folio_index(folio);
 	__set_bit(NETFS_RREQ_NO_UNLOCK_FOLIO, &rreq->flags);
 
-	if (ctx->ops->begin_cache_operation) {
-		ret = ctx->ops->begin_cache_operation(rreq);
-		if (ret == -ENOMEM || ret == -EINTR || ret == -ERESTARTSYS)
-			goto error_put;
-	}
+	ret = netfs_begin_cache_read(rreq, ctx);
+	if (ret == -ENOMEM || ret == -EINTR || ret == -ERESTARTSYS)
+		goto error_put;
 
 	netfs_stat(&netfs_n_rh_write_begin);
 	trace_netfs_read(rreq, pos, len, netfs_read_trace_write_begin);
diff --git a/fs/nfs/fscache.c b/fs/nfs/fscache.c
index b05717fe0d4e..2d1bfee225c3 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/fscache.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/fscache.c
@@ -274,12 +274,6 @@ static void nfs_netfs_free_request(struct netfs_io_request *rreq)
 	put_nfs_open_context(rreq->netfs_priv);
 }
 
-static inline int nfs_netfs_begin_cache_operation(struct netfs_io_request *rreq)
-{
-	return fscache_begin_read_operation(&rreq->cache_resources,
-					    netfs_i_cookie(netfs_inode(rreq->inode)));
-}
-
 static struct nfs_netfs_io_data *nfs_netfs_alloc(struct netfs_io_subrequest *sreq)
 {
 	struct nfs_netfs_io_data *netfs;
@@ -387,7 +381,6 @@ void nfs_netfs_read_completion(struct nfs_pgio_header *hdr)
 const struct netfs_request_ops nfs_netfs_ops = {
 	.init_request		= nfs_netfs_init_request,
 	.free_request		= nfs_netfs_free_request,
-	.begin_cache_operation	= nfs_netfs_begin_cache_operation,
 	.issue_read		= nfs_netfs_issue_read,
 	.clamp_length		= nfs_netfs_clamp_length
 };
diff --git a/include/linux/fscache.h b/include/linux/fscache.h
index 8e312c8323a8..9ed6696aee7a 100644
--- a/include/linux/fscache.h
+++ b/include/linux/fscache.h
@@ -437,9 +437,6 @@ const struct netfs_cache_ops *fscache_operation_valid(const struct netfs_cache_r
  * indicates the cache resources to which the operation state should be
  * attached; @cookie indicates the cache object that will be accessed.
  *
- * This is intended to be called from the ->begin_cache_operation() netfs lib
- * operation as implemented by the network filesystem.
- *
  * @cres->inval_counter is set from @cookie->inval_counter for comparison at
  * the end of the operation.  This allows invalidation during the operation to
  * be detected by the caller.
diff --git a/include/linux/netfs.h b/include/linux/netfs.h
index b11a84f6c32b..d294ff8f9ae4 100644
--- a/include/linux/netfs.h
+++ b/include/linux/netfs.h
@@ -208,7 +208,6 @@ struct netfs_io_request {
 struct netfs_request_ops {
 	int (*init_request)(struct netfs_io_request *rreq, struct file *file);
 	void (*free_request)(struct netfs_io_request *rreq);
-	int (*begin_cache_operation)(struct netfs_io_request *rreq);
 
 	void (*expand_readahead)(struct netfs_io_request *rreq);
 	bool (*clamp_length)(struct netfs_io_subrequest *subreq);
@@ -229,8 +228,7 @@ enum netfs_read_from_hole {
 };
 
 /*
- * Table of operations for access to a cache.  This is obtained by
- * rreq->ops->begin_cache_operation().
+ * Table of operations for access to a cache.
  */
 struct netfs_cache_ops {
 	/* End an operation */