diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/xattr.c b/fs/ocfs2/xattr.c
index 550a3e86c9716b98e8e70e3d7dedf231ba1b00a7..98c18fbfc28955208821c7effa66d8389501069b 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/xattr.c
@@ -2017,8 +2017,6 @@ static int ocfs2_xa_reuse_entry(struct ocfs2_xa_loc *loc,
  * Prepares loc->xl_entry to receive the new xattr.  This includes
  * properly setting up the name+value pair region.  If loc->xl_entry
  * already exists, it will take care of modifying it appropriately.
- * This also includes deleting entries, but don't call this to remove
- * a non-existant entry.  That's just a bug.
  *
  * Note that this modifies the data.  You did journal_access already,
  * right?
@@ -2030,11 +2028,6 @@ static int ocfs2_xa_prepare_entry(struct ocfs2_xa_loc *loc,
 {
 	int rc = 0;
 
-	if (!xi->xi_value) {
-		rc = ocfs2_xa_remove(loc, ctxt);
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	rc = ocfs2_xa_check_space(loc, xi);
 	if (rc)
 		goto out;
@@ -2092,9 +2085,6 @@ static int ocfs2_xa_store_value(struct ocfs2_xa_loc *loc,
 	char *nameval_buf;
 	struct ocfs2_xattr_value_buf vb;
 
-	if (!xi->xi_value)
-		goto out;
-
 	nameval_buf = ocfs2_xa_offset_pointer(loc, nameval_offset);
 	if (xi->xi_value_len > OCFS2_XATTR_INLINE_SIZE) {
 		ocfs2_xa_fill_value_buf(loc, &vb);
@@ -2105,10 +2095,49 @@ static int ocfs2_xa_store_value(struct ocfs2_xa_loc *loc,
 	} else
 		memcpy(nameval_buf + name_size, xi->xi_value, xi->xi_value_len);
 
-out:
 	return rc;
 }
 
+static int ocfs2_xa_set(struct ocfs2_xa_loc *loc,
+			struct ocfs2_xattr_info *xi,
+			struct ocfs2_xattr_set_ctxt *ctxt)
+{
+	int ret;
+	u32 name_hash = ocfs2_xattr_name_hash(loc->xl_inode, xi->xi_name,
+					      xi->xi_name_len);
+
+	ret = ocfs2_xa_journal_access(ctxt->handle, loc,
+				      OCFS2_JOURNAL_ACCESS_WRITE);
+	if (ret) {
+		mlog_errno(ret);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	/* Don't worry, we are never called with !xi_value and !xl_entry */
+	if (!xi->xi_value) {
+		ret = ocfs2_xa_remove(loc, ctxt);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	ret = ocfs2_xa_prepare_entry(loc, xi, name_hash, ctxt);
+	if (ret) {
+		if (ret != -ENOSPC)
+			mlog_errno(ret);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	ret = ocfs2_xa_store_value(loc, xi, ctxt);
+	if (ret) {
+		mlog_errno(ret);
+		goto out;
+	}
+
+	ocfs2_xa_journal_dirty(ctxt->handle, loc);
+
+out:
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static void ocfs2_init_dinode_xa_loc(struct ocfs2_xa_loc *loc,
 				     struct inode *inode,
 				     struct buffer_head *bh,
@@ -2183,8 +2212,6 @@ static int ocfs2_xattr_set_entry(struct inode *inode,
 	struct ocfs2_dinode *di = (struct ocfs2_dinode *)xs->inode_bh->b_data;
 	handle_t *handle = ctxt->handle;
 	int ret;
-	u32 name_hash = ocfs2_xattr_name_hash(inode, xi->xi_name,
-					      xi->xi_name_len);
 	struct ocfs2_xa_loc loc;
 
 	if (!(flag & OCFS2_INLINE_XATTR_FL))
@@ -2205,14 +2232,8 @@ static int ocfs2_xattr_set_entry(struct inode *inode,
 	else
 		ocfs2_init_xattr_block_xa_loc(&loc, inode, xs->xattr_bh,
 					      xs->not_found ? NULL : xs->here);
-	ret = ocfs2_xa_journal_access(handle, &loc,
-				      OCFS2_JOURNAL_ACCESS_WRITE);
-	if (ret) {
-		mlog_errno(ret);
-		goto out;
-	}
 
-	ret = ocfs2_xa_prepare_entry(&loc, xi, name_hash, ctxt);
+	ret = ocfs2_xa_set(&loc, xi, ctxt);
 	if (ret) {
 		if (ret != -ENOSPC)
 			mlog_errno(ret);
@@ -2220,14 +2241,6 @@ static int ocfs2_xattr_set_entry(struct inode *inode,
 	}
 	xs->here = loc.xl_entry;
 
-	ret = ocfs2_xa_store_value(&loc, xi, ctxt);
-	if (ret) {
-		mlog_errno(ret);
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	ocfs2_xa_journal_dirty(handle, &loc);
-
 	if (!(oi->ip_dyn_features & OCFS2_INLINE_XATTR_FL) &&
 	    (flag & OCFS2_INLINE_XATTR_FL)) {
 		struct ocfs2_super *osb = OCFS2_SB(inode->i_sb);
@@ -5415,8 +5428,6 @@ static int ocfs2_xattr_set_in_bucket(struct inode *inode,
 	int ret;
 	u64 blkno;
 	struct ocfs2_xa_loc loc;
-	u32 name_hash = ocfs2_xattr_name_hash(inode, xi->xi_name,
-					      xi->xi_name_len);
 
 	if (!xs->bucket->bu_bhs[1]) {
 		blkno = bucket_blkno(xs->bucket);
@@ -5430,14 +5441,7 @@ static int ocfs2_xattr_set_in_bucket(struct inode *inode,
 
 	ocfs2_init_xattr_bucket_xa_loc(&loc, xs->bucket,
 				       xs->not_found ? NULL : xs->here);
-	ret = ocfs2_xa_journal_access(ctxt->handle, &loc,
-				      OCFS2_JOURNAL_ACCESS_WRITE);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		mlog_errno(ret);
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	ret = ocfs2_xa_prepare_entry(&loc, xi, name_hash, ctxt);
+	ret = ocfs2_xa_set(&loc, xi, ctxt);
 	if (ret) {
 		if (ret != -ENOSPC)
 			mlog_errno(ret);
@@ -5445,14 +5449,6 @@ static int ocfs2_xattr_set_in_bucket(struct inode *inode,
 	}
 	xs->here = loc.xl_entry;
 
-	ret = ocfs2_xa_store_value(&loc, xi, ctxt);
-	if (ret) {
-		mlog_errno(ret);
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	ocfs2_xa_journal_dirty(ctxt->handle, &loc);
-
 out:
 	return ret;
 }