diff --git a/cmd/influx_inspect/inmem2tsi/inmem2tsi.go b/cmd/influx_inspect/inmem2tsi/inmem2tsi.go
index 6126a5076c..32cc702ff9 100644
--- a/cmd/influx_inspect/inmem2tsi/inmem2tsi.go
+++ b/cmd/influx_inspect/inmem2tsi/inmem2tsi.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/models"
+	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/tsdb"
 	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/tsdb/engine/tsm1"
 	"github.com/influxdata/influxdb/tsdb/index/tsi1"
 	"github.com/uber-go/zap"
@@ -37,15 +38,13 @@ func NewCommand() *Command {
 // Run executes the command.
 func (cmd *Command) Run(args ...string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("inmem2tsi", flag.ExitOnError)
-	dataDir := fs.String("datadir", "", "data directory")
-	walDir := fs.String("waldir", "", "WAL directory")
+	dataDir := fs.String("datadir", "", "shard data directory")
+	walDir := fs.String("waldir", "", "shard WAL directory")
 	fs.BoolVar(&cmd.Verbose, "v", false, "verbose")
 	fs.SetOutput(cmd.Stdout)
-	fs.Usage = cmd.printUsage
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return err
 	} else if fs.NArg() > 0 || *dataDir == "" || *walDir == "" {
-		cmd.printUsage()
 		return flag.ErrHelp
 	}
 
@@ -107,11 +106,25 @@ func (cmd *Command) run(dataDir, walDir string) error {
 	}
 
 	// Write out wal files.
-	cmd.Logger.Info("iterating over wal files")
-	for _, path := range walPaths {
-		cmd.Logger.Info("processing wal file", zap.String("path", path))
-		if err := cmd.processWALFile(tsiIndex, path); err != nil {
-			return err
+	cmd.Logger.Info("building cache from wal files")
+	cache := tsm1.NewCache(tsdb.DefaultCacheMaxMemorySize, "")
+	loader := tsm1.NewCacheLoader(walPaths)
+	loader.WithLogger(cmd.Logger)
+	if err := loader.Load(cache); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	cmd.Logger.Info("iterating over cache")
+	for _, key := range cache.Keys() {
+		seriesKey, _ := tsm1.SeriesAndFieldFromCompositeKey(key)
+		name, tags := models.ParseKey(seriesKey)
+
+		if cmd.Verbose {
+			cmd.Logger.Info("series", zap.String("name", string(name)), zap.String("tags", tags.String()))
+		}
+
+		if err := tsiIndex.CreateSeriesIfNotExists(nil, []byte(name), tags); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("cannot create series: %s %s (%s)", name, tags.String(), err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -165,43 +178,6 @@ func (cmd *Command) processTSMFile(index *tsi1.Index, path string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (cmd *Command) processWALFile(index *tsi1.Index, path string) error {
-	f, err := os.Open(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer f.Close()
-
-	r := tsm1.NewWALSegmentReader(f)
-	defer r.Close()
-
-	for r.Next() {
-		entry, err := r.Read()
-		if err != nil {
-			n := r.Count()
-			cmd.Logger.Warn("wal file corruption", zap.String("path", path), zap.Int64("n", n))
-			break
-		}
-
-		switch t := entry.(type) {
-		case *tsm1.WriteWALEntry:
-			for key, _ := range t.Values {
-				seriesKey, _ := tsm1.SeriesAndFieldFromCompositeKey([]byte(key))
-				name, tags := models.ParseKey(seriesKey)
-
-				if cmd.Verbose {
-					cmd.Logger.Info("series", zap.String("name", string(name)), zap.String("tags", tags.String()))
-				}
-
-				if err := index.CreateSeriesIfNotExists(nil, []byte(name), tags); err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("cannot create series: %s %s (%s)", name, tags.String(), err)
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (cmd *Command) collectTSMFiles(path string) ([]string, error) {
 	fis, err := ioutil.ReadDir(path)
 	if err != nil {