diff --git a/src/library/tactic/user_attribute.cpp b/src/library/tactic/user_attribute.cpp
index 4e12b87762..d5e144f8bd 100644
--- a/src/library/tactic/user_attribute.cpp
+++ b/src/library/tactic/user_attribute.cpp
@@ -24,23 +24,6 @@ Author: Sebastian Ullrich
 
 namespace lean {
 
-/* typed_attribute */
-struct user_attr_data : public attr_data {
-    // to be filled
-
-    void write(serializer &) const {
-        lean_unreachable();
-    }
-    void read(deserializer &) {
-        lean_unreachable();
-    }
-};
-
-class user_attribute : public typed_attribute<user_attr_data> {
-public:
-    user_attribute(name const & id, char const * descr) : typed_attribute(id, descr) {}
-};
-
 /* Persisting */
 struct user_attr_ext : public environment_extension {
     name_map<attribute_ptr> m_attrs;
@@ -74,7 +57,7 @@ static environment add_user_attr(environment const & env, name const & d) {
     std::string descr = to_string(cfield(o, 1));
 
     user_attr_ext ext = get_extension(env);
-    ext.m_attrs.insert(n, attribute_ptr(new user_attribute(n, descr.c_str())));
+    ext.m_attrs.insert(n, attribute_ptr(new basic_attribute(n, descr.c_str())));
     return update(env, ext);
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/lean/caching_user_attribute.lean b/tests/lean/caching_user_attribute.lean
index 1dd97b5d2a..663d65f9df 100644
--- a/tests/lean/caching_user_attribute.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/caching_user_attribute.lean
@@ -10,21 +10,12 @@ set_option trace.user_attributes_cache true
 
 run_cmd do
   s : string ← caching_user_attribute.get_cache foo_attr,
-  tactic.trace s
-
-run_cmd do
-  s : string ← caching_user_attribute.get_cache foo_attr,
-  tactic.trace s
-
-attribute [foo] eq.mpr
-local attribute [-foo] eq.mp
-
-run_cmd do
-  s : string ← caching_user_attribute.get_cache foo_attr,
-  tactic.trace s
-
-attribute [reducible] eq.mp -- should not affect [foo] cache
-
-run_cmd do
+  tactic.trace s,
+  s : string ← caching_user_attribute.get_cache foo_attr,
+  tactic.trace s,
+  tactic.set_basic_attribute `foo ``eq.mpr,
+  s : string ← caching_user_attribute.get_cache foo_attr,
+  tactic.trace s,
+  tactic.set_basic_attribute `reducible ``eq.mp, -- should not affect [foo] cache
   s : string ← caching_user_attribute.get_cache foo_attr,
   tactic.trace s
diff --git a/tests/lean/caching_user_attribute.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/caching_user_attribute.lean.expected.out
index d51bcb46ed..e07241d131 100644
--- a/tests/lean/caching_user_attribute.lean.expected.out
+++ b/tests/lean/caching_user_attribute.lean.expected.out
@@ -3,16 +3,16 @@
 eq.refl
 eq.mp
 
-[user_attributes_cache] no cached result for [foo]
-[user_attributes_cache] recomputing cache for [foo]
 eq.refl
 eq.mp
 
-[user_attributes_cache] no cached result for [foo]
+[user_attributes_cache] cached result for [foo] has been found, but cache fingerprint does not match
 [user_attributes_cache] recomputing cache for [foo]
 eq.refl
+eq.mp
 eq.mpr
 
 eq.refl
+eq.mp
 eq.mpr