diff --git a/src/tviced/serialize_state.h b/src/tviced/serialize_state.h
index b213518bb2..6478e714ea 100644
--- a/src/tviced/serialize_state.h
+++ b/src/tviced/serialize_state.h
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
 
 #define HOST_STATE_VALID_WINDOW 1800 /* 30 minutes */
 
+/* values for the 'valid' field in idx_map_entry_t */
+#define FS_STATE_IDX_VALID 1
+
 /*
  * on-disk structures
  */
@@ -205,6 +208,7 @@ struct AVDiskEntry {
  * dump runtime state
  */
 struct idx_map_entry_t {
+    byte valid;                            /* whether or not this entry has been populated */
     afs_uint32 old_idx;                    /* host hash id from last runtime */
     afs_uint32 new_idx;                    /* host hash id for this runtime */
 };
diff --git a/src/viced/callback.c b/src/viced/callback.c
index d9b9b18667..4da7d73edf 100644
--- a/src/viced/callback.c
+++ b/src/viced/callback.c
@@ -2522,6 +2522,7 @@ cb_stateDiskEntryToFE(struct fs_dump_state * state,
 	ret = 1;
 	goto done;
     }
+    state->fe_map.entries[in->index].valid = FS_STATE_IDX_VALID;
     state->fe_map.entries[in->index].old_idx = in->index;
     state->fe_map.entries[in->index].new_idx = fetoi(out);
 
@@ -2552,6 +2553,7 @@ cb_stateDiskEntryToCB(struct fs_dump_state * state,
 	ret = 1;
 	goto done;
     }
+    state->cb_map.entries[in->index].valid = FS_STATE_IDX_VALID;
     state->cb_map.entries[in->index].old_idx = in->index;
     state->cb_map.entries[in->index].new_idx = cbtoi(out);
 
@@ -2586,7 +2588,8 @@ fe_OldToNew(struct fs_dump_state * state, afs_uint32 old, afs_uint32 * new)
     if (old >= state->fe_map.len) {
 	ViceLog(0, ("fe_OldToNew: index %d is out of range\n", old));
 	ret = 1;
-    } else if (state->fe_map.entries[old].old_idx != old) { /* sanity check */
+    } else if (state->fe_map.entries[old].valid != FS_STATE_IDX_VALID ||
+               state->fe_map.entries[old].old_idx != old) { /* sanity check */
 	ViceLog(0, ("fe_OldToNew: index %d points to an invalid FileEntry record\n", old));
 	ret = 1;
     } else {
@@ -2611,7 +2614,8 @@ cb_OldToNew(struct fs_dump_state * state, afs_uint32 old, afs_uint32 * new)
     if (old >= state->cb_map.len) {
 	ViceLog(0, ("cb_OldToNew: index %d is out of range\n", old));
 	ret = 1;
-    } else if (state->cb_map.entries[old].old_idx != old) { /* sanity check */
+    } else if (state->cb_map.entries[old].valid != FS_STATE_IDX_VALID ||
+               state->cb_map.entries[old].old_idx != old) { /* sanity check */
 	ViceLog(0, ("cb_OldToNew: index %d points to an invalid CallBack record\n", old));
 	ret = 1;
     } else {
diff --git a/src/viced/host.c b/src/viced/host.c
index 3d864a3031..7f94344193 100644
--- a/src/viced/host.c
+++ b/src/viced/host.c
@@ -3399,6 +3399,7 @@ h_stateRestoreHost(struct fs_dump_state * state)
     h_InsertList_r(host);
 
     /* setup host id map entry */
+    state->h_map.entries[hdsk.index].valid = FS_STATE_IDX_VALID;
     state->h_map.entries[hdsk.index].old_idx = hdsk.index;
     state->h_map.entries[hdsk.index].new_idx = host->index;
 
@@ -3464,7 +3465,8 @@ h_OldToNew(struct fs_dump_state * state, afs_uint32 old, afs_uint32 * new)
     if (old >= state->h_map.len) {
 	ViceLog(0, ("h_OldToNew: index %d is out of range\n", old));
 	ret = 1;
-    } else if (state->h_map.entries[old].old_idx != old) { /* sanity check */
+    } else if (state->h_map.entries[old].valid != FS_STATE_IDX_VALID ||
+               state->h_map.entries[old].old_idx != old) { /* sanity check */
 	ViceLog(0, ("h_OldToNew: index %d points to an invalid host record\n", old));
 	ret = 1;
     } else {