diff --git a/ais/proxy.go b/ais/proxy.go
index ec7a6d7b87..016875ed08 100644
--- a/ais/proxy.go
+++ b/ais/proxy.go
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ func (p *proxy) init(config *cmn.Config) {
 
 	memsys.Init(p.SID(), p.SID(), config)
 
-	cos.InitShortID(p.si.Digest())
+	debug.Assert(p.si.IDDigest != 0)
+	cos.InitShortID(p.si.IDDigest)
 
 	if network, err := _parseCIDR(env.AisLocalRedirectCIDR, ""); err != nil {
 		cos.ExitLog(err) // FATAL
diff --git a/ais/target.go b/ais/target.go
index 87a7838e50..b472af38f9 100644
--- a/ais/target.go
+++ b/ais/target.go
@@ -215,7 +215,8 @@ func (t *target) init(config *cmn.Config) {
 	}
 	t.si.Init(tid, apc.Target)
 
-	cos.InitShortID(t.si.Digest())
+	debug.Assert(t.si.IDDigest != 0)
+	cos.InitShortID(t.si.IDDigest)
 
 	memsys.Init(t.SID(), t.SID(), config)
 
diff --git a/ais/test/multiproxy_test.go b/ais/test/multiproxy_test.go
index c554193520..33554db97d 100644
--- a/ais/test/multiproxy_test.go
+++ b/ais/test/multiproxy_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package integration_test
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"net/http"
@@ -32,7 +31,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/NVIDIA/aistore/tools/tlog"
 	"github.com/NVIDIA/aistore/tools/trand"
 	"github.com/NVIDIA/aistore/xact"
-	"github.com/OneOfOne/xxhash"
 	jsoniter "github.com/json-iterator/go"
 )
 
@@ -1018,13 +1016,11 @@ func setPrimaryTo(t *testing.T, proxyURL string, smap *meta.Smap, directURL, toI
 	return
 }
 
-func chooseNextProxy(smap *meta.Smap) (proxyid, proxyURL string, err error) {
-	pid, err := hrwProxyTest(smap, smap.Primary.ID())
-	pi := smap.Pmap[pid]
+func chooseNextProxy(smap *meta.Smap) (string, string, error) {
+	pi, err := smap.HrwProxy(smap.Primary.ID())
 	if err != nil {
-		return
+		return "", "", err
 	}
-
 	return pi.ID(), pi.URL(cmn.NetPublic), nil
 }
 
@@ -1066,47 +1062,6 @@ func primarySetToRand(t *testing.T) *meta.Smap {
 	return setPrimaryTo(t, proxyURL, smap, "", psi.ID())
 }
 
-// This is duplicated in the tests because the `idDigest` of `daemonInfo` is not
-// exported. As a result of this, ais.HrwProxy will not return the correct
-// proxy since the `idDigest` will be initialized to 0. To avoid this, we
-// compute the checksum directly in this method.
-func hrwProxyTest(smap *meta.Smap, idToSkip string) (pi string, err error) {
-	if smap.CountActivePs() == 0 {
-		err = errors.New("AIStore cluster map is empty: no proxies")
-		return
-	}
-	var (
-		maxH    uint64
-		skipped int
-	)
-	for id, snode := range smap.Pmap {
-		if id == idToSkip {
-			skipped++
-			continue
-		}
-		if smap.NonElectable(snode) {
-			skipped++
-			continue
-		}
-
-		if smap.InMaintOrDecomm(snode) {
-			skipped++
-			continue
-		}
-
-		cs := xxhash.Checksum64S(cos.UnsafeB(snode.ID()), cos.MLCG32)
-		if cs > maxH {
-			maxH = cs
-			pi = id
-		}
-	}
-	if pi == "" {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("cannot HRW-select proxy: current count=%d, skipped=%d",
-			smap.CountActivePs(), skipped)
-	}
-	return
-}
-
 func networkFailureTarget(t *testing.T) {
 	proxyURL := tools.RandomProxyURL(t)
 	smap := tools.GetClusterMap(t, proxyURL)
diff --git a/core/meta/hrw.go b/core/meta/hrw.go
index 80bf4cad25..afedfc440e 100644
--- a/core/meta/hrw.go
+++ b/core/meta/hrw.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (smap *Smap) HrwHash2T(digest uint64) (si *Snode, err error) {
 		if tsi.InMaintOrDecomm() { // always skipping targets 'in maintenance mode'
 			continue
 		}
-		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(tsi.Digest() ^ digest)
+		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(tsi.digest() ^ digest)
 		if cs >= maxH {
 			maxH = cs
 			si = tsi
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (smap *Smap) HrwHash2T(digest uint64) (si *Snode, err error) {
 func (smap *Smap) HrwHash2Tall(digest uint64) (si *Snode, err error) {
 	var maxH uint64
 	for _, tsi := range smap.Tmap {
-		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(tsi.Digest() ^ digest)
+		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(tsi.digest() ^ digest)
 		if cs >= maxH {
 			maxH = cs
 			si = tsi
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func (smap *Smap) HrwProxy(idToSkip string) (pi *Snode, err error) {
 		if psi.InMaintOrDecomm() {
 			continue
 		}
-		if d := psi.Digest(); d >= maxH {
+		if d := psi.digest(); d >= maxH {
 			maxH = d
 			pi = psi
 		}
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func (smap *Smap) HrwIC(uuid string) (pi *Snode, err error) {
 		if psi.InMaintOrDecomm() || !psi.IsIC() {
 			continue
 		}
-		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(psi.Digest() ^ digest)
+		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(psi.digest() ^ digest)
 		if cs >= maxH {
 			maxH = cs
 			pi = psi
@@ -126,8 +126,7 @@ func (smap *Smap) HrwTargetTask(uuid string) (si *Snode, err error) {
 		if tsi.InMaintOrDecomm() {
 			continue
 		}
-		// Assumes that sinfo.idDigest is initialized
-		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(tsi.Digest() ^ digest)
+		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(tsi.digest() ^ digest)
 		if cs >= maxH {
 			maxH = cs
 			si = tsi
@@ -166,7 +165,7 @@ func (smap *Smap) HrwTargetList(uname *string, count int) (sis Nodes, err error)
 	hlist := newHrwList(count)
 
 	for _, tsi := range smap.Tmap {
-		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(tsi.Digest() ^ digest)
+		cs := xoshiro256.Hash(tsi.digest() ^ digest)
 		if tsi.InMaintOrDecomm() {
 			continue
 		}
diff --git a/core/meta/smap.go b/core/meta/smap.go
index 1e2d170051..0e5bf05f06 100644
--- a/core/meta/smap.go
+++ b/core/meta/smap.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ type (
 		name       string
 		PubExtra   []NetInfo    `json:"pub_extra,omitempty"`
 		Flags      cos.BitFlags `json:"flags"` // enum { SnodeNonElectable, SnodeIC, ... }
-		idDigest   uint64
+		IDDigest   uint64       `json:"id_digest"`
 	}
 
 	Nodes   []*Snode          // slice of Snodes
@@ -109,11 +109,11 @@ func (d *Snode) Init(id, daeType string) {
 	d.setDigest()
 }
 
-func (d *Snode) Digest() uint64 { return d.idDigest }
+func (d *Snode) digest() uint64 { return d.IDDigest }
 
 func (d *Snode) setDigest() {
-	if d.idDigest == 0 {
-		d.idDigest = xxhash.Checksum64S(cos.UnsafeB(d.ID()), cos.MLCG32)
+	if d.IDDigest == 0 {
+		d.IDDigest = xxhash.Checksum64S(cos.UnsafeB(d.ID()), cos.MLCG32)
 	}
 }