diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index e8f70176e..1676bf805 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/uber/jaeger-lib v2.2.0+incompatible // indirect
 	go.uber.org/atomic v1.4.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20190426145343-a29dc8fdc734 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190424112056-4829fb13d2c6
+	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190424112056-4829fb13d2c6 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20190423024810-112230192c58
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190429190828-d89cdac9e872 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/text v0.3.2 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index f932bb2c1..85e0347f6 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ github.com/pelletier/go-toml v1.2.0 h1:T5zMGML61Wp+FlcbWjRDT7yAxhJNAiPPLOFECq181
 github.com/pelletier/go-toml v1.2.0/go.mod h1:5z9KED0ma1S8pY6P1sdut58dfprrGBbd/94hg7ilaic=
 github.com/pilosa/memberlist v0.1.4-0.20190415211605-f6512523c021 h1:ERLyN4p3KS5Fk2ADsDENm2cq0+Lx6sF1sG8uwRlySpU=
 github.com/pilosa/memberlist v0.1.4-0.20190415211605-f6512523c021/go.mod h1:ajVTdAv/9Im8oMAAj5G31PhhMCZJV2pPBoIllUwCN7I=
-github.com/pilosa/pilosa v1.4.0 h1:nqHNIK4nDslFnem3yDp9R+6TgLdlkY9WdJD88Z83T8U=
 github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.0/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=
 github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.1 h1:iURUrRGxPUNPdy5/HRSm+Yj6okJ6UtLINN0Q9M4+h3I=
 github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.1/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=
diff --git a/index.go b/index.go
index e0ec7fc3b..9c53083fd 100644
--- a/index.go
+++ b/index.go
@@ -264,7 +264,8 @@ func (i *Index) openExistenceField() error {
 
 // loadMeta reads meta data for the index, if any.
 func (i *Index) loadMeta() error {
-	var pb internal.IndexMeta
+	// TrackExistence is by default true
+	pb := &internal.IndexMeta{TrackExistence: true}
 
 	// Read data from meta file.
 	buf, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Join(i.path, ".meta"))
@@ -273,14 +274,18 @@ func (i *Index) loadMeta() error {
 	} else if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "reading")
 	} else {
-		if err := proto.Unmarshal(buf, &pb); err != nil {
+		if err := proto.Unmarshal(buf, pb); err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "unmarshalling")
 		}
 	}
 
 	// Copy metadata fields.
-	i.keys = pb.Keys
-	i.trackExistence = pb.TrackExistence
+	if pb == nil {
+		i.trackExistence = true
+	} else {
+		i.trackExistence = pb.TrackExistence
+	}
+	i.keys = pb.GetKeys()
 
 	return nil
 }