diff --git a/cpp/src/dictionary/detail/merge.cu b/cpp/src/dictionary/detail/merge.cu
index 2ff0a3e0a2a..e972403cad3 100644
--- a/cpp/src/dictionary/detail/merge.cu
+++ b/cpp/src/dictionary/detail/merge.cu
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <cudf/column/column.hpp>
 #include <cudf/column/column_factories.hpp>
 #include <cudf/detail/indexalator.cuh>
+#include <cudf/detail/null_mask.hpp>
 #include <cudf/dictionary/detail/encode.hpp>
 #include <cudf/dictionary/detail/merge.hpp>
 #include <cudf/dictionary/dictionary_column_view.hpp>
@@ -62,8 +63,11 @@ std::unique_ptr<column> merge(dictionary_column_view const& lcol,
   return make_dictionary_column(
     std::make_unique<column>(lcol.keys(), stream, mr),
     std::move(indices_column),
-    rmm::device_buffer{
-      lcol.has_nulls() || rcol.has_nulls() ? static_cast<size_t>(merged_size) : 0, stream, mr},
+    cudf::detail::create_null_mask(
+      lcol.has_nulls() || rcol.has_nulls() ? static_cast<size_t>(merged_size) : 0,
+      mask_state::UNINITIALIZED,
+      stream,
+      mr),
     lcol.null_count() + rcol.null_count());
 }
 
diff --git a/cpp/src/scalar/scalar.cpp b/cpp/src/scalar/scalar.cpp
index a8d05e98034..f982e7b99f2 100644
--- a/cpp/src/scalar/scalar.cpp
+++ b/cpp/src/scalar/scalar.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include <structs/utilities.hpp>
 
 #include <cudf/column/column.hpp>
-#include <cudf/detail/utilities/vector_factories.hpp>
+#include <cudf/detail/null_mask.hpp>
 #include <cudf/fixed_point/fixed_point.hpp>
 #include <cudf/scalar/scalar.hpp>
 #include <cudf/strings/string_view.hpp>
@@ -574,12 +574,13 @@ void struct_scalar::superimpose_nulls(rmm::cuda_stream_view stream,
                                       rmm::mr::device_memory_resource* mr)
 {
   // push validity mask down
-  std::vector<bitmask_type> host_validity({0});
-  auto validity = cudf::detail::make_device_uvector_sync(host_validity, stream, mr);
+  std::vector<bitmask_type> host_validity(
+    cudf::bitmask_allocation_size_bytes(1) / sizeof(bitmask_type), 0);
+  auto validity = cudf::detail::create_null_mask(1, mask_state::ALL_NULL, stream);
   auto iter     = thrust::make_counting_iterator(0);
   std::for_each(iter, iter + _data.num_columns(), [&](size_type i) {
     cudf::structs::detail::superimpose_parent_nulls(
-      validity.data(), 1, _data.get_column(i), stream, mr);
+      static_cast<bitmask_type const*>(validity.data()), 1, _data.get_column(i), stream, mr);
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/cpp/src/structs/utilities.cpp b/cpp/src/structs/utilities.cpp
index 80bea2ab55e..aa32c555324 100644
--- a/cpp/src/structs/utilities.cpp
+++ b/cpp/src/structs/utilities.cpp
@@ -187,8 +187,7 @@ void superimpose_parent_nulls(bitmask_type const* parent_null_mask,
 {
   if (!child.nullable()) {
     // Child currently has no null mask. Copy parent's null mask.
-    child.set_null_mask(rmm::device_buffer{
-      parent_null_mask, cudf::bitmask_allocation_size_bytes(child.size()), stream, mr});
+    child.set_null_mask(cudf::detail::copy_bitmask(parent_null_mask, 0, child.size(), stream, mr));
     child.set_null_count(parent_null_count);
   } else {
     // Child should have a null mask.
diff --git a/cpp/tests/copying/concatenate_tests.cu b/cpp/tests/copying/concatenate_tests.cu
index 5237c75e4d4..c48f7ad4dbc 100644
--- a/cpp/tests/copying/concatenate_tests.cu
+++ b/cpp/tests/copying/concatenate_tests.cu
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ using Table       = cudf::table;
 
 template <typename T>
 struct TypedColumnTest : public cudf::test::BaseFixture {
-  static std::size_t data_size() { return 1000; }
-  static std::size_t mask_size() { return 100; }
   cudf::data_type type() { return cudf::data_type{cudf::type_to_id<T>()}; }
 
   TypedColumnTest(rmm::cuda_stream_view stream = rmm::cuda_stream_default)
@@ -58,14 +56,14 @@ struct TypedColumnTest : public cudf::test::BaseFixture {
   {
     auto typed_data = static_cast<char*>(data.data());
     auto typed_mask = static_cast<char*>(mask.data());
-    std::vector<char> h_data(data_size());
+    std::vector<char> h_data(data.size());
     std::iota(h_data.begin(), h_data.end(), char{0});
-    std::vector<char> h_mask(mask_size());
+    std::vector<char> h_mask(mask.size());
     std::iota(h_mask.begin(), h_mask.end(), char{0});
     CUDA_TRY(cudaMemcpyAsync(
-      typed_data, h_data.data(), data_size(), cudaMemcpyHostToDevice, stream.value()));
+      typed_data, h_data.data(), data.size(), cudaMemcpyHostToDevice, stream.value()));
     CUDA_TRY(cudaMemcpyAsync(
-      typed_mask, h_mask.data(), mask_size(), cudaMemcpyHostToDevice, stream.value()));
+      typed_mask, h_mask.data(), mask.size(), cudaMemcpyHostToDevice, stream.value()));
     stream.synchronize();
   }
 
@@ -484,7 +482,7 @@ TEST_F(OverflowTest, Presliced)
     auto offset_gen = cudf::detail::make_counting_transform_iterator(
       0, [string_size](size_type index) { return index * string_size; });
     cudf::test::fixed_width_column_wrapper<int> offsets(offset_gen, offset_gen + num_rows + 1);
-    auto many_chars = cudf::make_fixed_width_column(data_type{type_id::INT8}, num_rows);
+    auto many_chars = cudf::make_fixed_width_column(data_type{type_id::INT8}, total_chars_size);
     auto col        = cudf::make_strings_column(
       num_rows, offsets.release(), std::move(many_chars), 0, rmm::device_buffer{});
 
@@ -515,7 +513,7 @@ TEST_F(OverflowTest, Presliced)
                            offsets->view().begin<offset_type>(),
                            offsets->view().end<offset_type>(),
                            offsets->mutable_view().begin<offset_type>());
-    auto many_chars = cudf::make_fixed_width_column(data_type{type_id::INT8}, num_rows);
+    auto many_chars = cudf::make_fixed_width_column(data_type{type_id::INT8}, total_chars_size);
     auto col        = cudf::make_strings_column(
       num_rows, std::move(offsets), std::move(many_chars), 0, rmm::device_buffer{});
 
diff --git a/cpp/tests/utilities/column_utilities.cu b/cpp/tests/utilities/column_utilities.cu
index 88e9e3d1384..f3002bc4b1a 100644
--- a/cpp/tests/utilities/column_utilities.cu
+++ b/cpp/tests/utilities/column_utilities.cu
@@ -114,14 +114,6 @@ std::unique_ptr<column> generate_child_row_indices(lists_column_view const& c,
   //
   // result = [6, 1, 11, 1, 1]
   //
-  auto validity_iter = cudf::detail::make_counting_transform_iterator(
-    0,
-    [row_indices = row_indices.begin<size_type>(),
-     validity    = c.null_mask(),
-     offset      = c.offset()] __device__(int index) {
-      auto const true_index = row_indices[index] + offset;
-      return !validity || cudf::bit_is_set(validity, true_index) ? 1 : 0;
-    });
   auto output_row_iter = cudf::detail::make_counting_transform_iterator(
     0,
     [row_indices  = row_indices.begin<size_type>(),
@@ -136,8 +128,9 @@ std::unique_ptr<column> generate_child_row_indices(lists_column_view const& c,
                      output_row_iter,
                      output_row_iter + row_indices.size(),
                      output_row_start->view().begin<size_type>(),
-                     validity_iter,
-                     result->mutable_view().begin<size_type>());
+                     row_size_iter,
+                     result->mutable_view().begin<size_type>(),
+                     [] __device__(auto row_size) { return row_size != 0; });
 
   // generate keys for each output row
   //
@@ -150,11 +143,12 @@ std::unique_ptr<column> generate_child_row_indices(lists_column_view const& c,
                    keys->mutable_view().end<size_type>(),
                    [] __device__() { return 0; });
   thrust::scatter_if(rmm::exec_policy(),
-                     validity_iter,
-                     validity_iter + row_indices.size(),
+                     row_size_iter,
+                     row_size_iter + row_indices.size(),
                      output_row_start->view().begin<size_type>(),
-                     validity_iter,
-                     keys->mutable_view().begin<size_type>());
+                     row_size_iter,
+                     keys->mutable_view().begin<size_type>(),
+                     [] __device__(auto row_size) { return row_size != 0; });
   thrust::inclusive_scan(rmm::exec_policy(),
                          keys->view().begin<size_type>(),
                          keys->view().end<size_type>(),