diff --git a/classes/Profile.php b/classes/Profile.php
index e4c68724ee..862e8ff11a 100644
--- a/classes/Profile.php
+++ b/classes/Profile.php
@@ -97,37 +97,29 @@ class Profile extends Managed_DataObject
     public function getUser()
     {
         if (!isset($this->_user[$this->id])) {
-            $this->_setUser(User::getKV('id', $this->id));
+            $user = User::getKV('id', $this->id);
+            if (!$user instanceof User) {
+                throw new NoSuchUserException(array('id'=>$this->id));
+            }
+            $this->_user[$this->id] = $user;
         }
         return $this->_user[$this->id];
     }
 
-    public function _setUser(User $user=null)
-    {
-        if (!$user instanceof User) {
-            throw new NoSuchUserException(array('id'=>$this->id));
-        }
-        $this->_user[$this->id] = $user;
-    }
-
     protected $_group = array();
 
     public function getGroup()
     {
         if (!isset($this->_group[$this->id])) {
-            $this->_setGroup(User_group::getKV('profile_id', $this->id));
+            $group = User_group::getKV('profile_id', $this->id);
+            if (!$group instanceof User_group) {
+                throw new NoSuchGroupException(array('profile_id'=>$this->id));
+            }
+            $this->_group[$this->id] = $group;
         }
         return $this->_group[$this->id];
     }
 
-    public function _setGroup(User_group $group=null)
-    {
-        if (!$group instanceof User_group) {
-            throw new NoSuchGroupException(array('profile_id'=>$this->id));
-        }
-        $this->_group[$this->id] = $group;
-    }
-
     public function isGroup()
     {
         try {
diff --git a/classes/User.php b/classes/User.php
index c23b0a0b0a..9b3ebed057 100644
--- a/classes/User.php
+++ b/classes/User.php
@@ -123,19 +123,15 @@ class User extends Managed_DataObject
     public function getProfile()
     {
         if (!isset($this->_profile[$this->id])) {
-            $this->_setProfile(Profile::getKV('id', $this->id));
+            $profile = Profile::getKV('id', $this->id);
+            if (!$profile instanceof Profile) {
+                throw new UserNoProfileException($this);
+            }
+            $this->_profile[$this->id] = $profile;
         }
         return $this->_profile[$this->id];
     }
 
-    public function _setProfile(Profile $profile=null)
-    {
-        if (!$profile instanceof Profile) {
-            throw new UserNoProfileException($this);
-        }
-        $this->_profile[$this->id] = $profile;
-    }
-
     public function getUri()
     {
         return $this->uri;
diff --git a/classes/User_group.php b/classes/User_group.php
index a9dfacd498..d81449faa1 100644
--- a/classes/User_group.php
+++ b/classes/User_group.php
@@ -84,19 +84,15 @@ class User_group extends Managed_DataObject
     public function getProfile()
     {
         if (!isset($this->_profile[$this->profile_id])) {
-            $this->_setProfile(Profile::getKV('id', $this->profile_id));
+            $profile = Profile::getKV('id', $this->profile_id);
+            if (!$profile instanceof Profile) {
+                throw new GroupNoProfileException($this);
+            }
+            $this->_profile[$this->profile_id] = $profile;
         }
         return $this->_profile[$this->profile_id];
     }
 
-    public function _setProfile(Profile $profile=null)
-    {
-        if (!$profile instanceof Profile) {
-            throw new GroupNoProfileException($this);
-        }
-        $this->_profile[$this->profile_id] = $profile;
-    }
-
     public static function defaultLogo($size)
     {
         static $sizenames = array(AVATAR_PROFILE_SIZE => 'profile',