diff --git a/src/bitops.c b/src/bitops.c
index 4c866224..ec912bc2 100644
--- a/src/bitops.c
+++ b/src/bitops.c
@@ -229,19 +229,17 @@ void setbitCommand(redisClient *c) {
         return;
     }
 
+    byte = bitoffset >> 3;
     o = lookupKeyWrite(c->db,c->argv[1]);
     if (o == NULL) {
-        o = createObject(REDIS_STRING,sdsempty());
+        o = createObject(REDIS_STRING,sdsnewlen(NULL, byte+1));
         dbAdd(c->db,c->argv[1],o);
     } else {
         if (checkType(c,o,REDIS_STRING)) return;
         o = dbUnshareStringValue(c->db,c->argv[1],o);
+        o->ptr = sdsgrowzero(o->ptr,byte+1);
     }
 
-    /* Grow sds value to the right length if necessary */
-    byte = bitoffset >> 3;
-    o->ptr = sdsgrowzero(o->ptr,byte+1);
-
     /* Get current values */
     byteval = ((uint8_t*)o->ptr)[byte];
     bit = 7 - (bitoffset & 0x7);
diff --git a/src/t_string.c b/src/t_string.c
index 53da875c..06c2e9ce 100644
--- a/src/t_string.c
+++ b/src/t_string.c
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ void setrangeCommand(redisClient *c) {
         if (checkStringLength(c,offset+sdslen(value)) != REDIS_OK)
             return;
 
-        o = createObject(REDIS_STRING,sdsempty());
+        o = createObject(REDIS_STRING,sdsnewlen(NULL, offset+sdslen(value)));
         dbAdd(c->db,c->argv[1],o);
     } else {
         size_t olen;