diff --git a/btree.cpp b/btree.cpp
index 970b6d0..dafb9e2 100644
--- a/btree.cpp
+++ b/btree.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include "btree.h"
+#include "btree_consts.h"
 
 bool 
 operator ==(uPtr u1, uPtr u2) {
@@ -20,6 +21,43 @@
   return ((sizeof(uPtr) + keyLength + 7) >> 3) << 3;
 } // bTree::align
 
+uPtr
+bTree::allocEmptyNode(void) {
+  struct TbNode * newNode = NULL;
+  uPtr result;
+
+  saveSuperBlock();
+  setNull(result);
+
+  if (!isNull(getFirstDeleted())) {
+    newNode = loadPage(getFirstDeleted());
+    if (newNode == NULL) return result;
+    setFirstDeleted(newNode->parent);
+  } else {
+    newNode = static_cast<TbNode *>(calloc(1, info->bNodeSize));
+    setNodes(getNodes() + 1);
+    newNode->tag = getNodes();
+  } // else 
+
+  newNode->magic           = B_NODE_LEAF;
+  newNode->numKeys         = 1;
+  newNode->size            = (int)&newNode->data - (int)newNode;
+
+  // these should really be setNull() calls, but gcc doesn't support it.
+  // GNU bastards. Die. Die. Die.
+
+  newNode->left.offset     = 0;
+  newNode->right.offset    = 0;
+  newNode->parent.offset   = 0;
+  newNode->reserved.offset = 0;
+
+  result = getAddress(newNode);
+  savePage(newNode);
+  discardPage(newNode);
+
+  return result;
+} // bTree::allocEmptyNode
+
 int
 bTree::calcSize(TbNode * node) {
   int size;
diff --git a/btree.h b/btree.h
index 848d12a..0cf6ccc 100644
--- a/btree.h
+++ b/btree.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
   bool           treeChanged; 
 
   int      align(int);
+  uPtr     allocEmptyNode(void);
   int      calcSize(TbNode *);
   void     discardPage(TbNode *);
   bool     isNull(uPtr);
diff --git a/btree_consts.h b/btree_consts.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b22c7c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/btree_consts.h
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#ifndef BTREE_CONSTS_H
+#define BTREE_CONSTS_H
+
+#define B_NODE_LEAF   0x4641454C; // LEAF
+#define B_NODE_INDEX  0x58444E49; // INDX
+#define B_NODE_OPEN   0x4E45504F; // OPEN
+#define B_NODE_TREEINFO 0x4F464E4945455254;  // TREEINFO
+
+#endif