diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index 51c49965c..c4e97abcc 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ func (db *DB) reloadBlocks() error {
 
 		if meta.Compaction.Generation == 0 {
 			if !ok {
-				b, err = OpenHeadBlock(dirs[i], db.logger)
+				b, err = db.openHeadBlock(dirs[i])
 				if err != nil {
 					return errors.Wrapf(err, "load head at %s", dirs[i])
 				}
@@ -709,6 +709,24 @@ func (db *DB) blocksForInterval(mint, maxt int64) []Block {
 	return bs
 }
 
+// openHeadBlock opens the head block at dir.
+func (db *DB) openHeadBlock(dir string) (*HeadBlock, error) {
+	var (
+		wdir = filepath.Join(dir, "wal")
+		l    = log.With(db.logger, "wal", wdir)
+	)
+	wal, err := OpenSegmentWAL(wdir, l, 5*time.Second)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "open WAL %s")
+	}
+
+	h, err := OpenHeadBlock(dir, log.With(db.logger, "block", dir), wal)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "open head block %s", dir)
+	}
+	return h, nil
+}
+
 // cut starts a new head block to append to. The completed head block
 // will still be appendable for the configured grace period.
 func (db *DB) cut(mint int64) (headBlock, error) {
@@ -718,7 +736,10 @@ func (db *DB) cut(mint int64) (headBlock, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	newHead, err := CreateHeadBlock(dir, seq, db.logger, mint, maxt)
+	if err := TouchHeadBlock(dir, seq, mint, maxt); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "touch head block %s", dir)
+	}
+	newHead, err := db.openHeadBlock(dir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/head.go b/head.go
index 6edbae894..b71bbafc0 100644
--- a/head.go
+++ b/head.go
@@ -69,20 +69,21 @@ type HeadBlock struct {
 	meta BlockMeta
 }
 
-// CreateHeadBlock creates a new head block in dir that holds samples in the range [mint,maxt).
-func CreateHeadBlock(dir string, seq int, l log.Logger, mint, maxt int64) (*HeadBlock, error) {
+// TouchHeadBlock atomically touches a new head block in dir for
+// samples in the range [mint,maxt).
+func TouchHeadBlock(dir string, seq int, mint, maxt int64) error {
 	// Make head block creation appear atomic.
 	tmp := dir + ".tmp"
 
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(tmp, 0777); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
 
 	entropy := rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano()))
 
 	ulid, err := ulid.New(ulid.Now(), entropy)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
 
 	if err := writeMetaFile(tmp, &BlockMeta{
@@ -91,20 +92,13 @@ func CreateHeadBlock(dir string, seq int, l log.Logger, mint, maxt int64) (*Head
 		MinTime:  mint,
 		MaxTime:  maxt,
 	}); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
-	if err := renameFile(tmp, dir); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return OpenHeadBlock(dir, l)
+	return renameFile(tmp, dir)
 }
 
 // OpenHeadBlock opens the head block in dir.
-func OpenHeadBlock(dir string, l log.Logger) (*HeadBlock, error) {
-	wal, err := OpenSegmentWAL(dir, log.With(l, "component", "wal"), 5*time.Second)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
+func OpenHeadBlock(dir string, l log.Logger, wal WAL) (*HeadBlock, error) {
 	meta, err := readMetaFile(dir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -119,8 +113,11 @@ func OpenHeadBlock(dir string, l log.Logger) (*HeadBlock, error) {
 		postings: &memPostings{m: make(map[term][]uint32)},
 		meta:     *meta,
 	}
+	return h, h.init()
+}
 
-	r := wal.Reader()
+func (h *HeadBlock) init() error {
+	r := h.wal.Reader()
 
 	for r.Next() {
 		series, samples := r.At()
@@ -131,21 +128,17 @@ func OpenHeadBlock(dir string, l log.Logger) (*HeadBlock, error) {
 		}
 		for _, s := range samples {
 			if int(s.Ref) >= len(h.series) {
-				return nil, errors.Errorf("unknown series reference %d (max %d); abort WAL restore", s.Ref, len(h.series))
+				return errors.Errorf("unknown series reference %d (max %d); abort WAL restore", s.Ref, len(h.series))
 			}
 			h.series[s.Ref].append(s.T, s.V)
 
 			if !h.inBounds(s.T) {
-				return nil, errors.Wrap(ErrOutOfBounds, "consume WAL")
+				return errors.Wrap(ErrOutOfBounds, "consume WAL")
 			}
 			h.meta.Stats.NumSamples++
 		}
 	}
-	if err := r.Err(); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "consume WAL")
-	}
-
-	return h, nil
+	return errors.Wrap(r.Err(), "consume WAL")
 }
 
 // inBounds returns true if the given timestamp is within the valid
diff --git a/head_test.go b/head_test.go
index 45b4f49d0..aa9138060 100644
--- a/head_test.go
+++ b/head_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"sort"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -30,6 +31,19 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+// createTestHeadBlock creates a new head block with a SegmentWAL.
+func createTestHeadBlock(t testing.TB, dir string, mint, maxt int64) *HeadBlock {
+	err := TouchHeadBlock(dir, 0, mint, maxt)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	wal, err := OpenSegmentWAL(dir, nil, 5*time.Second)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	h, err := OpenHeadBlock(dir, nil, wal)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return h
+}
+
 func BenchmarkCreateSeries(b *testing.B) {
 	lbls, err := readPrometheusLabels("cmd/tsdb/testdata.1m", 1e6)
 	require.NoError(b, err)
@@ -39,8 +53,7 @@ func BenchmarkCreateSeries(b *testing.B) {
 		require.NoError(b, err)
 		defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 
-		h, err := CreateHeadBlock(dir, 0, nil, 0, 1)
-		require.NoError(b, err)
+		h := createTestHeadBlock(b, dir, 0, 1)
 
 		b.ReportAllocs()
 		b.ResetTimer()
@@ -90,14 +103,13 @@ func readPrometheusLabels(fn string, n int) ([]labels.Labels, error) {
 }
 
 func TestAmendDatapointCausesError(t *testing.T) {
-	tmpdir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
-	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+	dir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 
-	hb, err := CreateHeadBlock(tmpdir+"/hb", 0, nil, 0, 1000)
-	require.NoError(t, err, "Error creating head block")
+	hb := createTestHeadBlock(t, dir, 0, 1000)
 
 	app := hb.Appender()
-	_, err = app.Add(labels.Labels{}, 0, 0)
+	_, err := app.Add(labels.Labels{}, 0, 0)
 	require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to add sample")
 	require.NoError(t, app.Commit(), "Unexpected error committing appender")
 
@@ -107,14 +119,13 @@ func TestAmendDatapointCausesError(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestDuplicateNaNDatapointNoAmendError(t *testing.T) {
-	tmpdir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
-	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+	dir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 
-	hb, err := CreateHeadBlock(tmpdir+"/hb", 0, nil, 0, 1000)
-	require.NoError(t, err, "Error creating head block")
+	hb := createTestHeadBlock(t, dir, 0, 1000)
 
 	app := hb.Appender()
-	_, err = app.Add(labels.Labels{}, 0, math.NaN())
+	_, err := app.Add(labels.Labels{}, 0, math.NaN())
 	require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to add sample")
 	require.NoError(t, app.Commit(), "Unexpected error committing appender")
 
@@ -124,14 +135,13 @@ func TestDuplicateNaNDatapointNoAmendError(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestNonDuplicateNaNDatapointsCausesAmendError(t *testing.T) {
-	tmpdir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
-	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+	dir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 
-	hb, err := CreateHeadBlock(tmpdir+"/hb", 0, nil, 0, 1000)
-	require.NoError(t, err, "Error creating head block")
+	hb := createTestHeadBlock(t, dir, 0, 1000)
 
 	app := hb.Appender()
-	_, err = app.Add(labels.Labels{}, 0, math.Float64frombits(0x7ff0000000000001))
+	_, err := app.Add(labels.Labels{}, 0, math.Float64frombits(0x7ff0000000000001))
 	require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to add sample")
 	require.NoError(t, app.Commit(), "Unexpected error committing appender")
 
@@ -141,15 +151,14 @@ func TestNonDuplicateNaNDatapointsCausesAmendError(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSkippingInvalidValuesInSameTxn(t *testing.T) {
-	tmpdir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
-	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+	dir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 
-	hb, err := CreateHeadBlock(tmpdir+"/hb", 0, nil, 0, 1000)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	hb := createTestHeadBlock(t, dir, 0, 1000)
 
 	// Append AmendedValue.
 	app := hb.Appender()
-	_, err = app.Add(labels.Labels{{"a", "b"}}, 0, 1)
+	_, err := app.Add(labels.Labels{{"a", "b"}}, 0, 1)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	_, err = app.Add(labels.Labels{{"a", "b"}}, 0, 2)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -243,11 +252,10 @@ func TestHeadBlock_e2e(t *testing.T) {
 		seriesMap[labels.New(l...).String()] = []sample{}
 	}
 
-	tmpdir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
-	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+	dir, _ := ioutil.TempDir("", "test")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 
-	hb, err := CreateHeadBlock(tmpdir+"/hb", 0, nil, minTime, maxTime)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	hb := createTestHeadBlock(t, dir, minTime, maxTime)
 	app := hb.Appender()
 
 	for _, l := range lbls {