diff --git a/server/filestore.go b/server/filestore.go
index 37e1bfa9..9696710d 100644
--- a/server/filestore.go
+++ b/server/filestore.go
@@ -1134,9 +1134,11 @@ func (fs *fileStore) eraseMsg(mb *msgBlock, sm *fileStoredMsg) error {
 	}
 	// erase contents and rewrite with new hash.
 	if len(sm.hdr) > 0 {
+		sm.hdr = make([]byte, len(sm.hdr))
 		rand.Read(sm.hdr)
 	}
 	if len(sm.msg) > 0 {
+		sm.msg = make([]byte, len(sm.msg))
 		rand.Read(sm.msg)
 	}
 	sm.seq, sm.ts = 0, 0
diff --git a/server/filestore_test.go b/server/filestore_test.go
index 2cf56961..79523518 100644
--- a/server/filestore_test.go
+++ b/server/filestore_test.go
@@ -103,12 +103,6 @@ func TestFileStoreMsgHeaders(t *testing.T) {
 	if removed, _ := fs.EraseMsg(1); !removed {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected erase msg to return success")
 	}
-	if bytes.Equal(hdr, shdr) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected hdr to be erased")
-	}
-	if bytes.Equal(msg, smsg) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected msg to be erased")
-	}
 }
 
 func TestFileStoreBasicWriteMsgsAndRestore(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/server/memstore.go b/server/memstore.go
index be0910c8..c09ec480 100644
--- a/server/memstore.go
+++ b/server/memstore.go
@@ -323,12 +323,14 @@ func (ms *memStore) removeMsg(seq uint64, secure bool) bool {
 
 	if secure {
 		if len(sm.hdr) > 0 {
+			sm.hdr = make([]byte, len(sm.hdr))
 			rand.Read(sm.hdr)
 		}
 		if len(sm.msg) > 0 {
+			sm.msg = make([]byte, len(sm.msg))
 			rand.Read(sm.msg)
 		}
-		sm.seq = 0
+		sm.seq, sm.ts = 0, 0
 	}
 
 	if ms.scb != nil {
diff --git a/server/memstore_test.go b/server/memstore_test.go
index e8f25807..4d91a212 100644
--- a/server/memstore_test.go
+++ b/server/memstore_test.go
@@ -215,9 +215,6 @@ func TestMemStoreEraseMsg(t *testing.T) {
 	if removed, _ := ms.EraseMsg(1); !removed {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected erase msg to return success")
 	}
-	if bytes.Equal(msg, smsg) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected msg to be erased")
-	}
 }
 
 func TestMemStoreMsgHeaders(t *testing.T) {
@@ -243,10 +240,4 @@ func TestMemStoreMsgHeaders(t *testing.T) {
 	if removed, _ := ms.EraseMsg(1); !removed {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected erase msg to return success")
 	}
-	if bytes.Equal(hdr, shdr) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected hdr to be erased")
-	}
-	if bytes.Equal(msg, smsg) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected msg to be erased")
-	}
 }