diff --git a/storage/local/chunk/chunk.go b/storage/local/chunk/chunk.go
index d48973660..d26237394 100644
--- a/storage/local/chunk/chunk.go
+++ b/storage/local/chunk/chunk.go
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ type Iterator interface {
 	// or an error has occurred.
 	FindAtOrAfter(model.Time) bool
 	// Returns the last value scanned (by the scan method) or found (by one
-	// of the find... methods). It returns ZeroSamplePair before any of
+	// of the find... methods). It returns model.ZeroSamplePair before any of
 	// those methods were called.
 	Value() model.SamplePair
 	// Returns the last error encountered. In general, an error signals data
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ func newIndexAccessingChunkIterator(len int, acc indexAccessor) *indexAccessingC
 	return &indexAccessingChunkIterator{
 		len:       len,
 		pos:       -1,
-		lastValue: model.SamplePair{Timestamp: model.Earliest},
+		lastValue: model.ZeroSamplePair,
 		acc:       acc,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/storage/local/interface.go b/storage/local/interface.go
index 4b88a7f6b..7e95a158b 100644
--- a/storage/local/interface.go
+++ b/storage/local/interface.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ type Querier interface {
 type SeriesIterator interface {
 	// Gets the value that is closest before the given time. In case a value
 	// exists at precisely the given time, that value is returned. If no
-	// applicable value exists, ZeroSamplePair is returned.
+	// applicable value exists, model.ZeroSamplePair is returned.
 	ValueAtOrBeforeTime(model.Time) model.SamplePair
 	// Gets all values contained within a given interval.
 	RangeValues(metric.Interval) []model.SamplePair
@@ -100,17 +100,3 @@ type SeriesIterator interface {
 	// Closes the iterator and releases the underlying data.
 	Close()
 }
-
-// ZeroSamplePair is the pseudo zero-value of model.SamplePair used by the local
-// package to signal a non-existing sample pair. It is a SamplePair with
-// timestamp model.Earliest and value 0.0. Note that the natural zero value of
-// SamplePair has a timestamp of 0, which is possible to appear in a real
-// SamplePair and thus not suitable to signal a non-existing SamplePair.
-var ZeroSamplePair = model.SamplePair{Timestamp: model.Earliest}
-
-// ZeroSample is the pseudo zero-value of model.Sample used by the local package
-// to signal a non-existing sample. It is a Sample with timestamp
-// model.Earliest, value 0.0, and metric nil. Note that the natural zero value
-// of Sample has a timestamp of 0, which is possible to appear in a real
-// Sample and thus not suitable to signal a non-existing Sample.
-var ZeroSample = model.Sample{Timestamp: model.Earliest}
diff --git a/storage/local/series.go b/storage/local/series.go
index 3f733787a..9717cb0ea 100644
--- a/storage/local/series.go
+++ b/storage/local/series.go
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ func (s *memorySeries) preloadChunksForInstant(
 	lastSample := s.lastSamplePair()
 	if !through.Before(lastSample.Timestamp) &&
 		!from.After(lastSample.Timestamp) &&
-		lastSample != ZeroSamplePair {
+		lastSample != model.ZeroSamplePair {
 		iter := &boundedIterator{
 			it: &singleSampleSeriesIterator{
 				samplePair: lastSample,
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ func (s *memorySeries) firstTime() model.Time {
 }
 
 // lastSamplePair returns the last ingested SamplePair. It returns
-// ZeroSamplePair if this memorySeries has never received a sample (via the add
+// model.ZeroSamplePair if this memorySeries has never received a sample (via the add
 // method), which is the case for freshly unarchived series or newly created
 // ones and also for all series after a server restart. However, in that case,
 // series will most likely be considered stale anyway.
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ func (s *memorySeries) firstTime() model.Time {
 // The caller must have locked the fingerprint of the memorySeries.
 func (s *memorySeries) lastSamplePair() model.SamplePair {
 	if !s.lastSampleValueSet {
-		return ZeroSamplePair
+		return model.ZeroSamplePair
 	}
 	return model.SamplePair{
 		Timestamp: s.lastTime,
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ func (it *memorySeriesIterator) ValueAtOrBeforeTime(t model.Time) model.SamplePa
 		containsT, err := it.chunkIt.Contains(t)
 		if err != nil {
 			it.quarantine(err)
-			return ZeroSamplePair
+			return model.ZeroSamplePair
 		}
 		if containsT {
 			if it.chunkIt.FindAtOrBefore(t) {
@@ -592,12 +592,12 @@ func (it *memorySeriesIterator) ValueAtOrBeforeTime(t model.Time) model.SamplePa
 			if it.chunkIt.Err() != nil {
 				it.quarantine(it.chunkIt.Err())
 			}
-			return ZeroSamplePair
+			return model.ZeroSamplePair
 		}
 	}
 
 	if len(it.chunks) == 0 {
-		return ZeroSamplePair
+		return model.ZeroSamplePair
 	}
 
 	// Find the last chunk where FirstTime() is before or equal to t.
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ func (it *memorySeriesIterator) ValueAtOrBeforeTime(t model.Time) model.SamplePa
 	})
 	if i == len(it.chunks) {
 		// Even the first chunk starts after t.
-		return ZeroSamplePair
+		return model.ZeroSamplePair
 	}
 	it.chunkIt = it.chunkIterator(l - i)
 	if it.chunkIt.FindAtOrBefore(t) {
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ func (it *memorySeriesIterator) ValueAtOrBeforeTime(t model.Time) model.SamplePa
 	if it.chunkIt.Err() != nil {
 		it.quarantine(it.chunkIt.Err())
 	}
-	return ZeroSamplePair
+	return model.ZeroSamplePair
 }
 
 // RangeValues implements SeriesIterator.
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ type singleSampleSeriesIterator struct {
 // ValueAtTime implements SeriesIterator.
 func (it *singleSampleSeriesIterator) ValueAtOrBeforeTime(t model.Time) model.SamplePair {
 	if it.samplePair.Timestamp.After(t) {
-		return ZeroSamplePair
+		return model.ZeroSamplePair
 	}
 	return it.samplePair
 }
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ type nopSeriesIterator struct{}
 
 // ValueAtTime implements SeriesIterator.
 func (i nopSeriesIterator) ValueAtOrBeforeTime(t model.Time) model.SamplePair {
-	return ZeroSamplePair
+	return model.ZeroSamplePair
 }
 
 // RangeValues implements SeriesIterator.
diff --git a/storage/local/storage.go b/storage/local/storage.go
index 4f38325a4..603d38dfb 100644
--- a/storage/local/storage.go
+++ b/storage/local/storage.go
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ type boundedIterator struct {
 // ValueAtOrBeforeTime implements the SeriesIterator interface.
 func (bit *boundedIterator) ValueAtOrBeforeTime(ts model.Time) model.SamplePair {
 	if ts < bit.start {
-		return ZeroSamplePair
+		return model.ZeroSamplePair
 	}
 	return bit.it.ValueAtOrBeforeTime(ts)
 }