diff --git a/lib/buffer.js b/lib/buffer.js
index a24bdd0e00..eff91be288 100644
--- a/lib/buffer.js
+++ b/lib/buffer.js
@@ -19,17 +19,20 @@ binding.setupBufferJS(Buffer.prototype, bindingObj);
 const flags = bindingObj.flags;
 const kNoZeroFill = 0;
 
-function createBuffer(size) {
-  const ui8 = new Uint8Array(size);
-  Object.setPrototypeOf(ui8, Buffer.prototype);
-  return ui8;
+function createBuffer(size, noZeroFill) {
+  flags[kNoZeroFill] = noZeroFill ? 1 : 0;
+  try {
+    const ui8 = new Uint8Array(size);
+    Object.setPrototypeOf(ui8, Buffer.prototype);
+    return ui8;
+  } finally {
+    flags[kNoZeroFill] = 0;
+  }
 }
 
 function createPool() {
   poolSize = Buffer.poolSize;
-  if (poolSize > 0)
-    flags[kNoZeroFill] = 1;
-  allocPool = createBuffer(poolSize);
+  allocPool = createBuffer(poolSize, true);
   poolOffset = 0;
 }
 createPool();
@@ -65,13 +68,10 @@ function Buffer(arg, encoding) {
 Object.setPrototypeOf(Buffer.prototype, Uint8Array.prototype);
 Object.setPrototypeOf(Buffer, Uint8Array);
 
-
 function SlowBuffer(length) {
   if (+length != length)
     length = 0;
-  if (length > 0)
-    flags[kNoZeroFill] = 1;
-  return createBuffer(+length);
+  return createBuffer(+length, true);
 }
 
 Object.setPrototypeOf(SlowBuffer.prototype, Uint8Array.prototype);
@@ -93,9 +93,7 @@ function allocate(size) {
     // Even though this is checked above, the conditional is a safety net and
     // sanity check to prevent any subsequent typed array allocation from not
     // being zero filled.
-    if (size > 0)
-      flags[kNoZeroFill] = 1;
-    return createBuffer(size);
+    return createBuffer(size, true);
   }
 }