diff --git a/benchmarks/sequentialThroughput.c b/benchmarks/sequentialThroughput.c
index c608515..7a98e03 100644
--- a/benchmarks/sequentialThroughput.c
+++ b/benchmarks/sequentialThroughput.c
@@ -80,11 +80,10 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
 
   for(long i =0; i < page_count; i++) {
     Page * p = loadPage(-1, i);
-    stasis_dirty_page_table_set_dirty(stasis_dirty_page_table, p);
+    stasis_dirty_page_table_set_dirty(stasis_runtime_dirty_page_table(), p);
     releasePage(p);
   }
 
-
   Tdeinit();
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/stasis/operations/lsmTree.c b/src/stasis/operations/lsmTree.c
index 423d661..2dce592 100644
--- a/src/stasis/operations/lsmTree.c
+++ b/src/stasis/operations/lsmTree.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void TlsmRegionForceRid(int xid, void *conf) {
     a.regionList.slot = i;
     pageid_t pid;
     Tread(xid,a.regionList,&pid);
-    stasis_dirty_page_table_flush_range(stasis_dirty_page_table, pid, pid+a.regionSize);
+    stasis_dirty_page_table_flush_range(stasis_runtime_dirty_page_table(), pid, pid+a.regionSize);
     //    TregionDealloc(xid,pid);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/stasis/operations/regions.c b/src/stasis/operations/regions.c
index 11a90b2..91495bb 100644
--- a/src/stasis/operations/regions.c
+++ b/src/stasis/operations/regions.c
@@ -273,6 +273,14 @@ static void TregionAllocHelper(int xid, pageid_t page, pageid_t pageCount, int a
 
       new_tag.size = PAGEID_T_MAX;
 
+      // We're extending the page file, so pre-fill the stasis buffer manager with dirty zeros.  This
+      // prevents the file from becoming sparse.
+      for(pageid_t i = page+1; i < newPageid; i++) {
+        Page * p = loadUninitializedPage(xid, i);
+        stasis_dirty_page_table_set_dirty(stasis_runtime_dirty_page_table(), p);
+        releasePage(p);
+      }
+
     }
     new_tag.prev_size = pageCount;
     // Create the new region, and disassociate it from this transaction immediately.
diff --git a/src/stasis/page/raw.c b/src/stasis/page/raw.c
index 561dea6..f8c66eb 100644
--- a/src/stasis/page/raw.c
+++ b/src/stasis/page/raw.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ void  rawPageSetData(int xid, lsn_t lsn, Page * p) {
   //  writelock(p->rwlatch, 255);
   rawPageWriteLSN(xid, p, lsn);
   // XXX should be handled in releasePage.
-  stasis_dirty_page_table_set_dirty(stasis_dirty_page_table, p);
+  stasis_dirty_page_table_set_dirty(stasis_runtime_dirty_page_table(), p);
   //  unlock(p->rwlatch);
   return;
 }
diff --git a/src/stasis/transactional2.c b/src/stasis/transactional2.c
index ca1eba9..eb7d81e 100644
--- a/src/stasis/transactional2.c
+++ b/src/stasis/transactional2.c
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ static int stasis_transaction_table_num_active = 0;
 static int stasis_transaction_table_xid_count = 0;
 
 static stasis_log_t* stasis_log_file = 0;
-// XXX should be static!
 stasis_dirty_page_table_t * stasis_dirty_page_table = 0;
 static stasis_truncation_t * stasis_truncation = 0;
 /**
@@ -51,6 +50,10 @@ void stasis_transaction_table_init() {
   }
 }
 
+void * stasis_runtime_dirty_page_table() {
+  return stasis_dirty_page_table;
+}
+
 int Tinit() {
   pthread_mutex_init(&stasis_transaction_table_mutex, NULL);
   stasis_initted = 1;
@@ -60,7 +63,6 @@ int Tinit() {
 
   stasis_transaction_table_init();
   stasis_operation_table_init();
-  stasis_dirty_page_table_init();
 
   stasis_log_file = 0;
 
diff --git a/stasis/operations/lsmTable.h b/stasis/operations/lsmTable.h
index 0bcfbb5..03d3e16 100644
--- a/stasis/operations/lsmTable.h
+++ b/stasis/operations/lsmTable.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include <set>
 #include "lsmIterators.h"
 #include <stasis/truncation.h>
+#include <stasis/dirtyPageTable.h>
 
 namespace rose {
 
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ namespace rose {
       rose::slot_index_t ret = mc->append(xid, *i);
 
       if(ret == rose::NOSPACE) {
-	stasis_dirty_page_table_set_dirty(stasis_dirty_page_table, p);
+	stasis_dirty_page_table_set_dirty((stasis_dirty_page_table_t*)stasis_runtime_dirty_page_table(), p);
 	mc->pack();
         unlock(p->rwlatch);
 	releasePage(p);
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ namespace rose {
       }
       (*inserted)++;
     }
-    stasis_dirty_page_table_set_dirty(stasis_dirty_page_table, p);
+    stasis_dirty_page_table_set_dirty((stasis_dirty_page_table_t*)stasis_runtime_dirty_page_table(), p);
     mc->pack();
     unlock(p->rwlatch);
     releasePage(p);
diff --git a/stasis/transactional.h b/stasis/transactional.h
index 462e98c..1f0131f 100644
--- a/stasis/transactional.h
+++ b/stasis/transactional.h
@@ -794,6 +794,10 @@ void TtruncateLog();
  * that stasis_log_file is no longer global.
  */
 void * stasis_log(void);
+/**
+ * XXX if releasePage kept the dirty page table up to date, it would greatly reduce the number of places where the dirty page table is updated.
+ */
+void * stasis_runtime_dirty_page_table();
 
 #include "operations.h"
 
diff --git a/stasis/truncation.h b/stasis/truncation.h
index b93dd90..e33762d 100644
--- a/stasis/truncation.h
+++ b/stasis/truncation.h
@@ -76,9 +76,5 @@ void stasis_truncation_thread_start(stasis_truncation_t* trunc);
    Initiate a round of log truncation.
 */
 int stasis_truncation_truncate(stasis_truncation_t* trunc, int force);
-/**
- * XXX if releasePage kept the dirty page table up to date, it would greatly reduce the number of places where the dirty page table is updated.
- */
-extern stasis_dirty_page_table_t * stasis_dirty_page_table;
 END_C_DECLS
 #endif