diff --git a/pad.c b/pad.c
index 543264fc7057..82246a9ae012 100644
--- a/pad.c
+++ b/pad.c
@@ -712,7 +712,13 @@ Perl_pad_alloc(pTHX_ I32 optype, U32 tmptype)
         pad_reset();
     if (tmptype == SVs_PADMY) { /* Not & because this ‘flag’ is 0.  */
         /* For a my, simply push a null SV onto the end of PL_comppad. */
-        sv = *av_fetch(PL_comppad, AvFILLp(PL_comppad) + 1, TRUE);
+        SSize_t key = AvFILLp(PL_comppad) + 1;
+        if (key > AvMAX(PL_comppad))
+            av_extend(PL_comppad,key);
+
+        sv = AvARRAY(PL_comppad)[key] = newSV(0);
+
+        AvFILLp(PL_comppad) = key;
         retval = (PADOFFSET)AvFILLp(PL_comppad);
     }
     else {
@@ -739,7 +745,22 @@ Perl_pad_alloc(pTHX_ I32 optype, U32 tmptype)
             if (++retval <= names_fill &&
                    (pn = names[retval]) && PadnamePV(pn))
                 continue;
-            sv = *av_fetch(PL_comppad, retval, TRUE);
+
+            if ( retval > AvFILLp(PL_comppad) ) {
+                if (retval > AvMAX(PL_comppad))
+                    av_extend(PL_comppad,retval);
+
+                AvFILLp(PL_comppad) = retval;
+                AvARRAY(PL_comppad)[retval] = newSV(0);
+
+            } else if (!AvARRAY(PL_comppad)[retval] ) {
+
+                SvREFCNT_dec(AvARRAY(PL_comppad)[retval]);
+                AvARRAY(PL_comppad)[retval] = newSV(0);
+
+            }
+            sv = AvARRAY(PL_comppad)[retval];
+
             if (!(SvFLAGS(sv) &
 #ifdef USE_PAD_RESET
                     (konst ? SVs_PADTMP : 0)