diff --git a/misc-scripts/xref_projection/project_display_xrefs.pl b/misc-scripts/xref_projection/project_display_xrefs.pl
index ddab3ebfb4bf67df69288f37123fc49f44cc884c..db3a5a8fe478e776726cd171483891749c01e44d 100644
--- a/misc-scripts/xref_projection/project_display_xrefs.pl
+++ b/misc-scripts/xref_projection/project_display_xrefs.pl
@@ -770,7 +770,7 @@ sub clean_up {
 
   $to_dbc->do("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS tmp_gx");
 
-  $to_dbc->do("CREATE TABLE tmp_gx SELECT gx.object_xref_id FROM go_xref gx LEFT JOIN object_xref ox ON ox.object_xref_id=gx.object_xref_id WHERE ox.object_xref_id IS NULL");
+  $to_dbc->do("CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE tmp_gx SELECT gx.object_xref_id FROM go_xref gx LEFT JOIN object_xref ox ON ox.object_xref_id=gx.object_xref_id WHERE ox.object_xref_id IS NULL");
 
   $to_dbc->do("DELETE FROM go_xref WHERE object_xref_id IN (SELECT object_xref_id FROM tmp_gx)");