diff --git a/include/mimalloc/internal.h b/include/mimalloc/internal.h
index b320f690..2140cadd 100644
--- a/include/mimalloc/internal.h
+++ b/include/mimalloc/internal.h
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ static inline uintptr_t _mi_divide_up(uintptr_t size, size_t divider) {
 }
 
 // Is memory zero initialized?
-static inline bool mi_mem_is_zero(void* p, size_t size) {
+static inline bool mi_mem_is_zero(const void* p, size_t size) {
   for (size_t i = 0; i < size; i++) {
     if (((uint8_t*)p)[i] != 0) return false;
   }
diff --git a/include/mimalloc/types.h b/include/mimalloc/types.h
index 60408ed3..9851ef5e 100644
--- a/include/mimalloc/types.h
+++ b/include/mimalloc/types.h
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ typedef struct mi_page_s {
   uint8_t               segment_idx;       // index in the segment `pages` array, `page == &segment->pages[page->segment_idx]`
   uint8_t               segment_in_use:1;  // `true` if the segment allocated this page
   uint8_t               is_committed:1;    // `true` if the page virtual memory is committed
-  uint8_t               is_zero_init:1;    // `true` if the page was zero initialized
+  uint8_t               is_zero_init:1;    // `true` if the page was initially zero initialized
 
   // layout like this to optimize access in `mi_malloc` and `mi_free`
   uint16_t              capacity;          // number of blocks committed, must be the first field, see `segment.c:page_clear`
diff --git a/src/alloc.c b/src/alloc.c
index b17adf45..3edc0b51 100644
--- a/src/alloc.c
+++ b/src/alloc.c
@@ -46,12 +46,17 @@ extern inline void* _mi_page_malloc(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_t* page, size_t siz
   // zero the block? note: we need to zero the full block size (issue #63)
   if mi_unlikely(zero) {
     mi_assert_internal(page->xblock_size != 0); // do not call with zero'ing for huge blocks (see _mi_malloc_generic)
-    const size_t zsize = (page->is_zero ? sizeof(block->next) + MI_PADDING_SIZE : page->xblock_size);
-    _mi_memzero_aligned(block, zsize - MI_PADDING_SIZE);
+    if (page->is_zero) {
+      block->next = 0;
+    }
+    else {
+      mi_assert_internal(page->xblock_size >= MI_PADDING_SIZE);
+      _mi_memzero_aligned(block, page->xblock_size - MI_PADDING_SIZE);
+    }
   }
 
 #if (MI_DEBUG>0) && !MI_TRACK_ENABLED && !MI_TSAN
-  if (!page->is_zero && !zero && !mi_page_is_huge(page)) {
+  if (!zero && !mi_page_is_huge(page)) {
     memset(block, MI_DEBUG_UNINIT, mi_page_usable_block_size(page));
   }
 #elif (MI_SECURE!=0)
diff --git a/src/page.c b/src/page.c
index 3445e504..27c6fd09 100644
--- a/src/page.c
+++ b/src/page.c
@@ -639,11 +639,6 @@ static void mi_page_extend_free(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_t* page, mi_tld_t* tld)
   // enable the new free list
   page->capacity += (uint16_t)extend;
   mi_stat_increase(tld->stats.page_committed, extend * bsize);
-
-  // extension into zero initialized memory preserves the zero'd free list
-  if (!page->is_zero_init) {
-    page->is_zero = false;
-  }
   mi_assert_expensive(mi_page_is_valid_init(page));
 }
 
@@ -667,12 +662,12 @@ static void mi_page_init(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_t* page, size_t block_size, mi
   page->keys[0] = _mi_heap_random_next(heap);
   page->keys[1] = _mi_heap_random_next(heap);
   #endif
-  #if MI_DEBUG > 0
-  page->is_zero = false; // ensure in debug mode we initialize with MI_DEBUG_UNINIT, see issue #501
-  #else
   page->is_zero = page->is_zero_init;
+  #if MI_DEBUG>1
+  if (page->is_zero_init) {
+    mi_mem_is_zero(page_start, page_size);
+  }
   #endif
-
   mi_assert_internal(page->capacity == 0);
   mi_assert_internal(page->free == NULL);
   mi_assert_internal(page->used == 0);
diff --git a/src/prim/unix/prim.c b/src/prim/unix/prim.c
index de50f594..4349f578 100644
--- a/src/prim/unix/prim.c
+++ b/src/prim/unix/prim.c
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ int _mi_prim_alloc_huge_os_pages(void* hint_addr, size_t size, int numa_node, bo
 
 int _mi_prim_alloc_huge_os_pages(void* hint_addr, size_t size, int numa_node, bool* is_zero, void** addr) {
   MI_UNUSED(hint_addr); MI_UNUSED(size); MI_UNUSED(numa_node);
-  *is_zero = true;
+  *is_zero = false;
   *addr = NULL;
   return ENOMEM;
 }
diff --git a/test/test-stress.c b/test/test-stress.c
index 0d6d0bc9..0dccec0a 100644
--- a/test/test-stress.c
+++ b/test/test-stress.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ terms of the MIT license.
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <assert.h>
 
 // > mimalloc-test-stress [THREADS] [SCALE] [ITER]
 //
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ static void* alloc_items(size_t items, random_t r) {
   uintptr_t* p = (uintptr_t*)custom_calloc(items,sizeof(uintptr_t));
   if (p != NULL) {
     for (uintptr_t i = 0; i < items; i++) {
+      assert(p[i] == 0);
       p[i] = (items - i) ^ cookie;
     }
   }