diff --git a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_hunger/hunger.lua b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_hunger/hunger.lua
index e5aa7e206c..29b853243a 100644
--- a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_hunger/hunger.lua
+++ b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_hunger/hunger.lua
@@ -1,11 +1,3 @@
--- Keep these for backwards compatibility
-function mcl_hunger.save_hunger(player)
-	mcl_hunger.set_hunger_raw(player)
-end
-function mcl_hunger.load_hunger(player)
-	mcl_hunger.get_hunger_raw(player)
-end
-
 -- wrapper for minetest.item_eat (this way we make sure other mods can't break this one)
 local org_eat = core.do_item_eat
 core.do_item_eat = function(hp_change, replace_with_item, itemstack, user, pointed_thing)
@@ -85,7 +77,7 @@ function mcl_hunger.item_eat(hunger_change, replace_with_item, poisen, heal, sou
 		local itemname = itemstack:get_name()
 		if itemstack:take_item() ~= nil and user ~= nil then
 			local name = user:get_player_name()
-			local h = tonumber(mcl_hunger.hunger[name])
+			local h = tonumber(mcl_hunger.get_hunger(user))
 			local hp = user:get_hp()
 
 			local pos = user:getpos()
@@ -152,8 +144,7 @@ function mcl_hunger.item_eat(hunger_change, replace_with_item, poisen, heal, sou
 				if h < 20 and hunger_change then
 					h = h + hunger_change
 					if h > 20 then h = 20 end
-					mcl_hunger.hunger[name] = h
-					mcl_hunger.set_hunger_raw(user)
+					mcl_hunger.set_hunger(user, h)
 				end
 
 				hb.change_hudbar(user, "saturation", mcl_hunger.saturation[name], mcl_hunger.get_hunger(user))
diff --git a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_hunger/init.lua b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_hunger/init.lua
index c41c774b4c..675828b12a 100644
--- a/mods/PLAYER/mcl_hunger/init.lua
+++ b/mods/PLAYER/mcl_hunger/init.lua
@@ -10,10 +10,6 @@ if minetest.setting_getbool("enable_damage") then
 mcl_hunger = {}
 mcl_hunger.food = {}
 
--- HUD statbar values
-mcl_hunger.hunger = {}
-mcl_hunger.hunger_out = {}
-
 -- Count number of poisonings a player has at once
 mcl_hunger.poisonings = {}
 
@@ -46,8 +42,8 @@ if set then
 end
 
 local function custom_hud(player)
-	hb.init_hudbar(player, "food", mcl_hunger.get_hunger_raw(player))
-	hb.init_hudbar(player, "saturation", mcl_hunger.saturation[player:get_player_name()], mcl_hunger.get_hunger_raw(player))
+	hb.init_hudbar(player, "food", mcl_hunger.get_hunger(player))
+	hb.init_hudbar(player, "saturation", mcl_hunger.saturation[player:get_player_name()], mcl_hunger.get_hunger(player))
 	hb.init_hudbar(player, "exhaustion", mcl_hunger.exhaustion[player:get_player_name()])
 end
 
@@ -58,37 +54,8 @@ hb.register_hudbar("food", 0xFFFFFF, S("Food"), { icon = "hbhunger_icon.png", bg
 hb.register_hudbar("saturation", 0xFFFFFF, S("Saturation"), { icon = "hbhunger_icon.png", bgicon = "hbhunger_bgicon.png",  bar = "hbhunger_bar.png" }, 5, 20, false, S("%s: %.1f/%d"))
 hb.register_hudbar("exhaustion", 0xFFFFFF, S("Exhaustion"), { icon = "hbhunger_icon.png", bgicon = "hbhunger_bgicon.png",  bar = "hbhunger_bar.png" }, 0, 4, false, S("%s: %.3f/%d"))
 
--- update hud elemtens if value has changed
-local function update_hud(player)
-	local name = player:get_player_name()
- --hunger
-	local h_out = tonumber(mcl_hunger.hunger_out[name])
-	local h = tonumber(mcl_hunger.hunger[name])
-	if h_out ~= h then
-		mcl_hunger.hunger_out[name] = h
-		hb.change_hudbar(player, "food", h)
-		hb.change_hudbar(player, "saturation", nil, h)
-	end
-end
-
 -- API START --
 mcl_hunger.get_hunger = function(player)
-	local name = player:get_player_name()
-	return mcl_hunger.hunger[name]
-end
-
-mcl_hunger.set_hunger = function(player, hunger)
-	local name = player:get_player_name()
-	mcl_hunger.hunger[name] = hunger
-	mcl_hunger.set_hunger_raw(player)
-	update_hud(player)
-end
-
--- END OF API --
-
--- For internal use only. Don't use the “raw” functions outside of mcl_hunger!
-
-mcl_hunger.get_hunger_raw = function(player)
 	local inv = player:get_inventory()
 	if not inv then return nil end
 	local hgp = inv:get_stack("hunger", 1):get_count()
@@ -101,38 +68,40 @@ mcl_hunger.get_hunger_raw = function(player)
 	return hgp-1
 end
 
-mcl_hunger.set_hunger_raw = function(player)
+mcl_hunger.set_hunger = function(player, hunger, update_hudbars)
+	local name = player:get_player_name()
 	local inv = player:get_inventory()
 	local name = player:get_player_name()
-	local value = mcl_hunger.hunger[name]
-	if not inv  or not value then return nil end
-	if value > 20 then value = 20 end
-	if value < 0 then value = 0 end
+	if not inv  or not hunger then return nil end
+	if hunger > 20 then hunger = 20 end
+	if hunger < 0 then hunger = 0 end
 
-	inv:set_stack("hunger", 1, ItemStack({name=":", count=value+1}))
+	inv:set_stack("hunger", 1, ItemStack({name=":", count=hunger+1}))
 
-	return true
+
+	if update_hudbars ~= false then
+		hb.change_hudbar(player, "food", hunger)
+		hb.change_hudbar(player, "saturation", nil, hunger)
+	end
 end
 
+-- END OF API --
+
 minetest.register_on_joinplayer(function(player)
 	local name = player:get_player_name()
 	local inv = player:get_inventory()
 	inv:set_size("hunger",1)
-	mcl_hunger.hunger[name] = mcl_hunger.get_hunger_raw(player)
-	mcl_hunger.hunger_out[name] = mcl_hunger.hunger[name]
 	mcl_hunger.exhaustion[name] = 0.0
 	mcl_hunger.saturation[name] = 5.0
 	mcl_hunger.poisonings[name] = 0
 	custom_hud(player)
-	mcl_hunger.set_hunger_raw(player)
 end)
 
 minetest.register_on_respawnplayer(function(player)
 	-- reset hunger (and save)
 	local name = player:get_player_name()
 	local h = 20
-	mcl_hunger.hunger[name] = h
-	mcl_hunger.set_hunger_raw(player)
+	mcl_hunger.set_hunger(player, h, false)
 	mcl_hunger.exhaustion[name] = 0.0
 	mcl_hunger.saturation[name] = 5.0
 	hb.change_hudbar(player, "exhaustion", mcl_hunger.exhaustion[name])
@@ -151,10 +120,9 @@ function mcl_hunger.exhaust(playername, increase)
 			mcl_hunger.saturation[playername] = math.max(mcl_hunger.saturation[playername] - 1.0, 0.0)
 			satuchanged = true
 		elseif mcl_hunger.saturation[playername] < 0.0001 then
-			h = mcl_hunger.get_hunger_raw(player)
+			h = mcl_hunger.get_hunger(player)
 			h = math.max(h-1, 0)
-			mcl_hunger.hunger[playername] = h
-			mcl_hunger.set_hunger_raw(player)
+			mcl_hunger.set_hunger(player, h)
 			satuchanged = true
 		end
 		if satuchanged then
@@ -183,7 +151,7 @@ minetest.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
 		for _,player in ipairs(minetest.get_connected_players()) do
 		local name = player:get_player_name()
 
-		local h = tonumber(mcl_hunger.hunger[name])
+		local h = tonumber(mcl_hunger.get_hunger(player))
 		local hp = player:get_hp()
 		if timer > 0.5 then
 			-- Quick heal (every 0.5s)
@@ -217,13 +185,6 @@ minetest.register_globalstep(function(dtime)
 				mcl_hunger.exhaust(name, mcl_hunger.EXHAUST_JUMP)
 			end
 
-			-- Reduce hunter if 0 saturation
-			if timerMult == 0 and h > 0 and  mcl_hunger.saturation[name] < 0.0001 then
-			end
-
-			-- update all hud elements
-			update_hud(player)
-
 		end
 		end
 	end