diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_test.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_test.go
index a93e2433ba15..b2312e3a9515 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_test.go
@@ -286,15 +286,7 @@ func (tc *testContext) StartWithStoreConfigAndVersion(
 	if realRange {
 		if tc.bootstrapMode == bootstrapRangeOnly {
 			testDesc := testRangeDescriptor()
-			if _, err := stateloader.WriteInitialState(
-				ctx,
-				tc.store.Engine(),
-				enginepb.MVCCStats{},
-				*testDesc,
-				roachpb.Lease{},
-				hlc.Timestamp{},
-				stateloader.TruncatedStateUnreplicated,
-			); err != nil {
+			if err := stateloader.WriteInitialRangeState(ctx, tc.store.Engine(), *testDesc); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
 			repl, err := newReplica(ctx, testDesc, tc.store, 1)
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/stateloader/initial.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/stateloader/initial.go
index 51002edcc6d6..9fd76fa8568e 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/stateloader/initial.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/stateloader/initial.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ const (
 
 // WriteInitialReplicaState sets up a new Range, but without writing an
 // associated Raft state (which must be written separately via
-// synthesizeRaftState before instantiating a Replica). The main task is to
+// SynthesizeRaftState before instantiating a Replica). The main task is to
 // persist a ReplicaState which does not start from zero but presupposes a few
 // entries already having applied. The supplied MVCCStats are used for the Stats
 // field after adjusting for persisting the state itself, and the updated stats
@@ -82,26 +82,23 @@ func WriteInitialReplicaState(
 	return newMS, nil
 }
 
-// WriteInitialState calls WriteInitialReplicaState followed by
-// SynthesizeRaftState. It is typically called during bootstrap. The supplied
-// MVCCStats are used for the Stats field after adjusting for persisting the
-// state itself, and the updated stats are returned.
-func WriteInitialState(
-	ctx context.Context,
-	readWriter storage.ReadWriter,
-	ms enginepb.MVCCStats,
-	desc roachpb.RangeDescriptor,
-	lease roachpb.Lease,
-	gcThreshold hlc.Timestamp,
-	truncStateType TruncatedStateType,
-) (enginepb.MVCCStats, error) {
-	newMS, err := WriteInitialReplicaState(
-		ctx, readWriter, ms, desc, lease, gcThreshold, truncStateType)
-	if err != nil {
-		return enginepb.MVCCStats{}, err
+// WriteInitialRangeState writes the initial range state. It's called during
+// bootstrap.
+func WriteInitialRangeState(
+	ctx context.Context, readWriter storage.ReadWriter, desc roachpb.RangeDescriptor,
+) error {
+	initialLease := roachpb.Lease{}
+	initialGCThreshold := hlc.Timestamp{}
+	initialTruncStateType := TruncatedStateUnreplicated
+	initialMS := enginepb.MVCCStats{}
+
+	if _, err := WriteInitialReplicaState(
+		ctx, readWriter, initialMS, desc, initialLease, initialGCThreshold, initialTruncStateType,
+	); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	if err := Make(desc.RangeID).SynthesizeRaftState(ctx, readWriter); err != nil {
-		return enginepb.MVCCStats{}, err
+		return err
 	}
-	return newMS, nil
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/stateloader/stateloader.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/stateloader/stateloader.go
index d03b5d8173b8..3230b064314b 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/stateloader/stateloader.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/stateloader/stateloader.go
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ func (rsl StateLoader) SetHardState(
 
 // SynthesizeRaftState creates a Raft state which synthesizes both a HardState
 // and a lastIndex from pre-seeded data in the engine (typically created via
-// writeInitialReplicaState and, on a split, perhaps the activity of an
+// WriteInitialReplicaState and, on a split, perhaps the activity of an
 // uninitialized Raft group)
 func (rsl StateLoader) SynthesizeRaftState(
 	ctx context.Context, readWriter storage.ReadWriter,
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/store_init.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/store_init.go
index 7dc9ec747632..00679438e04b 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/store_init.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/store_init.go
@@ -233,20 +233,9 @@ func WriteInitialClusterData(
 			}
 		}
 
-		truncStateType := stateloader.TruncatedStateUnreplicated
-		lease := roachpb.Lease{}
-		_, err := stateloader.WriteInitialState(
-			ctx, batch,
-			enginepb.MVCCStats{},
-			*desc,
-			lease,
-			hlc.Timestamp{}, /* gcThreshold */
-			truncStateType,
-		)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err := stateloader.WriteInitialRangeState(ctx, batch, *desc); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-
 		computedStats, err := rditer.ComputeStatsForRange(desc, batch, now.WallTime)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/store_test.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/store_test.go
index b8ef7409d59a..dfaaa735c021 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/store_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/store_test.go
@@ -1424,10 +1424,7 @@ func splitTestRange(store *Store, key, splitKey roachpb.RKey, t *testing.T) *Rep
 		rangeID, splitKey, repl.Desc().EndKey, repl.Desc().Replicas())
 	// Minimal amount of work to keep this deprecated machinery working: Write
 	// some required Raft keys.
-	_, err = stateloader.WriteInitialState(
-		ctx, store.engine, enginepb.MVCCStats{}, *rhsDesc, roachpb.Lease{},
-		hlc.Timestamp{}, stateloader.TruncatedStateUnreplicated,
-	)
+	err = stateloader.WriteInitialRangeState(ctx, store.engine, *rhsDesc)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	newRng, err := newReplica(ctx, rhsDesc, store, repl.ReplicaID())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -2932,10 +2929,7 @@ func TestStoreRemovePlaceholderOnRaftIgnored(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	uninitDesc := roachpb.RangeDescriptor{RangeID: repl1.Desc().RangeID}
-	if _, err := stateloader.WriteInitialState(
-		ctx, s.Engine(), enginepb.MVCCStats{}, uninitDesc, roachpb.Lease{},
-		hlc.Timestamp{}, stateloader.TruncatedStateUnreplicated,
-	); err != nil {
+	if err := stateloader.WriteInitialRangeState(ctx, s.Engine(), uninitDesc); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	uninitRepl1, err := newReplica(ctx, &uninitDesc, s, 2)