diff --git a/src/backend/access/gist/gistbuildbuffers.c b/src/backend/access/gist/gistbuildbuffers.c
index 577ea613b11..b92052eddb3 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/gist/gistbuildbuffers.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/gist/gistbuildbuffers.c
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ gistGetNodeBuffer(GISTBuildBuffers *gfbb, GISTSTATE *giststate,
 		nodeBuffer->pageBlocknum = InvalidBlockNumber;
 		nodeBuffer->pageBuffer = NULL;
 		nodeBuffer->queuedForEmptying = false;
+		nodeBuffer->isTemp = false;
 		nodeBuffer->level = level;
 
 		/*
@@ -188,8 +189,8 @@ gistAllocateNewPageBuffer(GISTBuildBuffers *gfbb)
 {
 	GISTNodeBufferPage *pageBuffer;
 
-	pageBuffer = (GISTNodeBufferPage *) MemoryContextAlloc(gfbb->context,
-														   BLCKSZ);
+	pageBuffer = (GISTNodeBufferPage *) MemoryContextAllocZero(gfbb->context,
+															   BLCKSZ);
 	pageBuffer->prev = InvalidBlockNumber;
 
 	/* Set page free space */