diff --git a/client-test/tests/client.rs b/client-test/tests/client.rs
index 75d7639c00..dfd804bb15 100644
--- a/client-test/tests/client.rs
+++ b/client-test/tests/client.rs
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ fn test_account_subscription() {
             "lamports": 100,
             "data": "",
             "executable": false,
-            "rentEpoch": 0,
+            "rentEpoch": u64::MAX,
             "space": 0,
         },
     });
diff --git a/rpc/src/rpc.rs b/rpc/src/rpc.rs
index c01c27465c..fdf4bc29c1 100644
--- a/rpc/src/rpc.rs
+++ b/rpc/src/rpc.rs
@@ -5841,7 +5841,7 @@ pub mod tests {
                             "executable": false,
                             "owner": "11111111111111111111111111111111",
                             "lamports": rent_exempt_amount,
-                            "rentEpoch": 0,
+                            "rentEpoch": u64::MAX,
                             "space": 0,
                         }
                     ],
diff --git a/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub.rs b/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub.rs
index f0dfa341c4..d6019c5ba9 100644
--- a/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub.rs
+++ b/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub.rs
@@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ mod tests {
                        "lamports": balance,
                        "data": [base64::encode(expected_data), encoding],
                        "executable": false,
-                       "rentEpoch": 0,
+                       "rentEpoch": u64::MAX,
                        "space": expected_data.len(),
                    },
                },
@@ -1059,7 +1059,7 @@ mod tests {
                        "lamports": 100,
                        "data": expected_data,
                        "executable": false,
-                       "rentEpoch": 0,
+                       "rentEpoch": u64::MAX,
                        "space": account.data().len(),
                    },
                },
@@ -1239,7 +1239,7 @@ mod tests {
                        "lamports": 100,
                        "data": "",
                        "executable": false,
-                       "rentEpoch": 0,
+                       "rentEpoch": u64::MAX,
                        "space": 0,
                    },
                },
diff --git a/rpc/src/rpc_subscriptions.rs b/rpc/src/rpc_subscriptions.rs
index bec6467b0f..838f660761 100644
--- a/rpc/src/rpc_subscriptions.rs
+++ b/rpc/src/rpc_subscriptions.rs
@@ -1272,7 +1272,10 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         space: usize,
     }
 
-    fn make_account_result(account_result: AccountResult) -> serde_json::Value {
+    fn make_account_result(
+        non_default_account: bool,
+        account_result: AccountResult,
+    ) -> serde_json::Value {
         json!({
            "jsonrpc": "2.0",
            "method": "accountNotification",
@@ -1284,7 +1287,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
                        "executable": false,
                        "lamports": account_result.lamports,
                        "owner": "11111111111111111111111111111111",
-                       "rentEpoch": 0,
+                       "rentEpoch": if non_default_account {u64::MAX} else {0},
                        "space": account_result.space,
                     },
                },
@@ -1329,12 +1332,15 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
             0,
             &system_program::id(),
         );
-        let expected0 = make_account_result(AccountResult {
-            lamports: 1,
-            subscription: 0,
-            space: 0,
-            data: "",
-        });
+        let expected0 = make_account_result(
+            true,
+            AccountResult {
+                lamports: 1,
+                subscription: 0,
+                space: 0,
+                data: "",
+            },
+        );
 
         let tx1 = {
             let instruction =
@@ -1342,12 +1348,15 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
             let message = Message::new(&[instruction], Some(&mint_keypair.pubkey()));
             Transaction::new(&[&alice, &mint_keypair], message, blockhash)
         };
-        let expected1 = make_account_result(AccountResult {
-            lamports: 0,
-            subscription: 1,
-            space: 0,
-            data: "",
-        });
+        let expected1 = make_account_result(
+            false,
+            AccountResult {
+                lamports: 0,
+                subscription: 1,
+                space: 0,
+                data: "",
+            },
+        );
 
         let tx2 = system_transaction::create_account(
             &mint_keypair,
@@ -1357,12 +1366,15 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
             1024,
             &system_program::id(),
         );
-        let expected2 = make_account_result(AccountResult {
-            lamports: 1,
-            subscription: 2,
-            space: 1024,
-            data: "error: data too large for bs58 encoding",
-        });
+        let expected2 = make_account_result(
+            true,
+            AccountResult {
+                lamports: 1,
+                subscription: 2,
+                space: 1024,
+                data: "error: data too large for bs58 encoding",
+            },
+        );
 
         let subscribe_cases = vec![
             (alice.pubkey(), tx0, expected0),
@@ -1860,7 +1872,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
                           "executable": false,
                           "lamports": 1,
                           "owner": "Stake11111111111111111111111111111111111111",
-                          "rentEpoch": 0,
+                          "rentEpoch": u64::MAX,
                           "space": 16,
                        },
                        "pubkey": alice.pubkey().to_string(),
@@ -2027,7 +2039,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
                               "executable": false,
                               "lamports": lamports,
                               "owner": "Stake11111111111111111111111111111111111111",
-                              "rentEpoch": 0,
+                              "rentEpoch": u64::MAX,
                               "space": 16,
                            },
                            "pubkey": pubkey,
@@ -2308,7 +2320,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
                               "executable": false,
                               "lamports": lamports,
                               "owner": "Stake11111111111111111111111111111111111111",
-                              "rentEpoch": 0,
+                              "rentEpoch": u64::MAX,
                               "space": 16,
                            },
                            "pubkey": pubkey,
diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts.rs b/runtime/src/accounts.rs
index 804d39b9ba..c06cf9f7a5 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts.rs
@@ -319,7 +319,16 @@ impl Accounts {
                                         (account, 0)
                                     }
                                 })
-                                .unwrap_or_default()
+                                .unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                                    let mut default_account = AccountSharedData::default();
+                                    if set_exempt_rent_epoch_max {
+                                        // All new accounts must be rent-exempt (enforced in Bank::execute_loaded_transaction).
+                                        // Currently, rent collection sets rent_epoch to u64::MAX, but initializing the account
+                                        // with this field already set would allow us to skip rent collection for these accounts.
+                                        default_account.set_rent_epoch(u64::MAX);
+                                    }
+                                    (default_account, 0)
+                                })
                         };
 
                         if !validated_fee_payer {