diff --git a/Documentation/core-api/xarray.rst b/Documentation/core-api/xarray.rst
index 8a6e2087de77..616ac406bf86 100644
--- a/Documentation/core-api/xarray.rst
+++ b/Documentation/core-api/xarray.rst
@@ -119,18 +119,27 @@ Finally, you can remove all entries from an XArray by calling
 to free the entries first.  You can do this by iterating over all present
 entries in the XArray using the :c:func:`xa_for_each` iterator.
 
-ID assignment
--------------
+Allocating XArrays
+------------------
+
+If you use :c:func:`DEFINE_XARRAY_ALLOC` to define the XArray, or
+initialise it by passing ``XA_FLAGS_ALLOC`` to :c:func:`xa_init_flags`,
+the XArray changes to track whether entries are in use or not.
 
 You can call :c:func:`xa_alloc` to store the entry at any unused index
 in the XArray.  If you need to modify the array from interrupt context,
 you can use :c:func:`xa_alloc_bh` or :c:func:`xa_alloc_irq` to disable
-interrupts while allocating the ID.  Unlike :c:func:`xa_store`, allocating
-a ``NULL`` pointer does not delete an entry.  Instead it reserves an
-entry like :c:func:`xa_reserve` and you can release it using either
-:c:func:`xa_erase` or :c:func:`xa_release`.  To use ID assignment, the
-XArray must be defined with :c:func:`DEFINE_XARRAY_ALLOC`, or initialised
-by passing ``XA_FLAGS_ALLOC`` to :c:func:`xa_init_flags`,
+interrupts while allocating the ID.
+
+Using :c:func:`xa_store`, :c:func:`xa_cmpxchg` or :c:func:`xa_insert`
+will mark the entry as being allocated.  Unlike a normal XArray, storing
+``NULL`` will mark the entry as being in use, like :c:func:`xa_reserve`.
+To free an entry, use :c:func:`xa_erase` (or :c:func:`xa_release` if
+you only want to free the entry if it's ``NULL``).
+
+You cannot use ``XA_MARK_0`` with an allocating XArray as this mark
+is used to track whether an entry is free or not.  The other marks are
+available for your use.
 
 Memory allocation
 -----------------
@@ -338,7 +347,8 @@ to :c:func:`xas_retry`, and retry the operation if it returns ``true``.
      - :c:func:`xa_is_zero`
      - Zero entries appear as ``NULL`` through the Normal API, but occupy
        an entry in the XArray which can be used to reserve the index for
-       future use.
+       future use.  This is used by allocating XArrays for allocated entries
+       which are ``NULL``.
 
 Other internal entries may be added in the future.  As far as possible, they
 will be handled by :c:func:`xas_retry`.
diff --git a/lib/xarray.c b/lib/xarray.c
index a9d28013f9dc..c3e2084aa313 100644
--- a/lib/xarray.c
+++ b/lib/xarray.c
@@ -1382,10 +1382,12 @@ void *__xa_store(struct xarray *xa, unsigned long index, void *entry, gfp_t gfp)
 
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(xa_is_internal(entry)))
 		return XA_ERROR(-EINVAL);
+	if (xa_track_free(xa) && !entry)
+		entry = XA_ZERO_ENTRY;
 
 	do {
 		curr = xas_store(&xas, entry);
-		if (xa_track_free(xa) && entry)
+		if (xa_track_free(xa))
 			xas_clear_mark(&xas, XA_FREE_MARK);
 	} while (__xas_nomem(&xas, gfp));
 
@@ -1446,6 +1448,8 @@ void *__xa_cmpxchg(struct xarray *xa, unsigned long index,
 
 	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(xa_is_internal(entry)))
 		return XA_ERROR(-EINVAL);
+	if (xa_track_free(xa) && !entry)
+		entry = XA_ZERO_ENTRY;
 
 	do {
 		curr = xas_load(&xas);
@@ -1453,7 +1457,7 @@ void *__xa_cmpxchg(struct xarray *xa, unsigned long index,
 			curr = NULL;
 		if (curr == old) {
 			xas_store(&xas, entry);
-			if (xa_track_free(xa) && entry)
+			if (xa_track_free(xa))
 				xas_clear_mark(&xas, XA_FREE_MARK);
 		}
 	} while (__xas_nomem(&xas, gfp));
@@ -1487,8 +1491,11 @@ int __xa_reserve(struct xarray *xa, unsigned long index, gfp_t gfp)
 
 	do {
 		curr = xas_load(&xas);
-		if (!curr)
+		if (!curr) {
 			xas_store(&xas, XA_ZERO_ENTRY);
+			if (xa_track_free(xa))
+				xas_clear_mark(&xas, XA_FREE_MARK);
+		}
 	} while (__xas_nomem(&xas, gfp));
 
 	return xas_error(&xas);