diff --git a/data/lua/helper.lua b/data/lua/helper.lua
index ec1235b7222..89dffaa886b 100644
--- a/data/lua/helper.lua
+++ b/data/lua/helper.lua
@@ -329,16 +329,10 @@ function helper.get_user_choice(attr, options)
 	return result
 end
 
-local function is_even(v) return v % 2 == 0 end
-
 --! Returns the distance between two tiles given by their WML coordinates.
-function helper.distance_between(x1, y1, x2, y2)
-	local hdist = math.abs(x1 - x2)
-	local vdist = math.abs(y1 - y2)
-	if (y1 < y2 and not is_even(x1) and is_even(x2)) or
-	   (y2 < y1 and not is_even(x2) and is_even(x1))
-	then vdist = vdist + 1 end
-	return math.max(hdist, vdist + math.floor(hdist / 2))
+function helper.distance_between(...)
+	wesnoth.log("warn", "helper.distance_between is deprecated; use wesnoth.map.distance_between instead")
+	return wesnoth.map.distance_between(...)
 end
 
 local adjacent_offset = {
@@ -347,6 +341,8 @@ local adjacent_offset = {
 }
 
 --! Returns an iterator over adjacent locations that can be used in a for-in loop.
+-- Not deprecated because, unlike wesnoth.map.get_adjacent_tiles,
+-- this verifies that the locations are on the map.
 function helper.adjacent_tiles(x, y, with_borders)
 	local x1,y1,x2,y2,b = 1,1,wesnoth.get_map_size()
 	if with_borders then
@@ -355,13 +351,12 @@ function helper.adjacent_tiles(x, y, with_borders)
 		x2 = x2 + b
 		y2 = y2 + b
 	end
-	local offset = adjacent_offset[is_even(x)]
-	local i = 1
+	local adj = {wesnoth.map.get_adjacent_tiles(x, y)}
+	local i = 0
 	return function()
-		while i <= 6 do
-			local o = offset[i]
+		while i < #adj do
 			i = i + 1
-			local u, v = o[1] + x, o[2] + y
+			local u, v = adj[i][1], adj[i][2]
 			if u >= x1 and u <= x2 and v >= y1 and v <= y2 then
 				return u, v
 			end