diff --git a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs
index c09c02b..bd5db0e 100644
--- a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs
+++ b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ module Hash2Pub.FediChordTypes (
   , CacheEntry(..)
   , RingEntry(..)
   , RingMap(..)
+  , rMapSize
   , cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated
   , initCache
   , cacheEntries
@@ -39,7 +40,8 @@ import           Control.Exception
 import           Data.Function                 (on)
 import           Data.List                     (delete, nub, sortBy)
 import qualified Data.Map.Strict               as Map
-import           Data.Maybe                    (fromMaybe, isJust, mapMaybe)
+import           Data.Maybe                    (fromMaybe, isJust, isNothing,
+                                                mapMaybe)
 import qualified Data.Set                      as Set
 import           Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
 import           Network.Socket
@@ -253,6 +255,7 @@ data RingEntry a = KeyEntry a
 
 -- | 'RingEntry' type for usage as a node cache
 data CacheEntry = CacheEntry Bool RemoteNodeState POSIXTime
+    deriving (Show, Eq)
 
 
 -- | as a compromise, only KeyEntry components are ordered by their NodeID
@@ -308,6 +311,18 @@ cacheLookup :: NodeID       -- ^lookup key
             -> Maybe CacheEntry
 cacheLookup = rMapLookup
 
+-- | returns number of present 'KeyEntry' in a properly initialised 'RingMap'
+rMapSize :: (HasKeyID a, Integral i)
+         => RingMap a
+         -> i
+rMapSize rmap = fromIntegral $ Map.size innerMap - oneIfEntry minBound - oneIfEntry maxBound
+  where
+    innerMap = getRingMap rmap
+    oneIfEntry :: Integral i => NodeID -> i
+    oneIfEntry nid
+      | isNothing (rMapLookup nid rmap) = 1
+      | otherwise = 0
+
 -- | a wrapper around lookup functions, making the lookup redirectable by a @ProxyEntry@
 -- to simulate a modular ring
 lookupWrapper :: HasKeyID a
@@ -371,10 +386,8 @@ cacheLookupPred = rMapLookupPred
 -- transfer difference now - entry to other node
 
 -- | return the @NodeState@ data from a cache entry without checking its validation status
-cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated :: RingEntry CacheEntry -> RemoteNodeState
-cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated (KeyEntry (CacheEntry _ nState _)) = nState
-cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated (ProxyEntry _ (Just entry)) = cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated entry
-cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated _ = error "trying to pure empty node state, please report a bug"
+cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated :: CacheEntry -> RemoteNodeState
+cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated (CacheEntry _ nState _) = nState
 
 -- | converts a 'HostAddress6' IP address to a big-endian strict ByteString
 ipAddrAsBS :: HostAddress6 -> BS.ByteString
diff --git a/test/FediChordSpec.hs b/test/FediChordSpec.hs
index ab9f1b2..0ac0ea9 100644
--- a/test/FediChordSpec.hs
+++ b/test/FediChordSpec.hs
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
 module FediChordSpec where
 
 import           Control.Exception
-import           Data.ASN1.Parse       (runParseASN1)
-import qualified Data.ByteString       as BS
-import qualified Data.Map.Strict       as Map
-import           Data.Maybe            (fromJust, isJust)
-import qualified Data.Set              as Set
+import           Data.ASN1.Parse         (runParseASN1)
+import qualified Data.ByteString         as BS
+import qualified Data.Map.Strict         as Map
+import           Data.Maybe              (fromJust, isJust)
+import qualified Data.Set                as Set
 import           Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
 import           Network.Socket
 import           Test.Hspec
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import           Test.Hspec
 import           Hash2Pub.ASN1Coding
 import           Hash2Pub.DHTProtocol
 import           Hash2Pub.FediChord
+import           Hash2Pub.FediChordTypes
 
 spec :: Spec
 spec = do
@@ -79,8 +80,8 @@ spec = do
             newCache = addCacheEntryPure 10 (RemoteCacheEntry exampleNodeState 10) (addCacheEntryPure 10 (RemoteCacheEntry anotherNode 10) emptyCache)
             exampleID = nid exampleNodeState
         it "entries can be added to a node cache and looked up again" $ do
-            -- the cache includes 2 additional proxy elements right from the start
-            Map.size newCache - Map.size emptyCache `shouldBe` 2
+            rMapSize emptyCache `shouldBe` 0
+            rMapSize newCache `shouldBe` 2
             -- normal entry lookup
             nid . cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated <$> cacheLookup anotherID newCache `shouldBe` Just anotherID
             nid . cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated <$> cacheLookup (anotherID+1) newCache `shouldBe` Nothing