diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
index 93a1c55cceb2..1420f6ebd496 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
@@ -1131,6 +1131,32 @@ xfs_attr_node_shrink(
 	return error;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Mark an attribute entry INCOMPLETE and save pointers to the relevant buffers
+ * for later deletion of the entry.
+ */
+STATIC int
+xfs_attr_leaf_mark_incomplete(
+	struct xfs_da_args	*args,
+	struct xfs_da_state	*state)
+{
+	int			error;
+
+	/*
+	 * Fill in disk block numbers in the state structure
+	 * so that we can get the buffers back after we commit
+	 * several transactions in the following calls.
+	 */
+	error = xfs_attr_fillstate(state);
+	if (error)
+		return error;
+
+	/*
+	 * Mark the attribute as INCOMPLETE
+	 */
+	return xfs_attr3_leaf_setflag(args);
+}
+
 /*
  * Remove a name from a B-tree attribute list.
  *
@@ -1162,20 +1188,7 @@ xfs_attr_node_removename(
 	ASSERT(blk->bp != NULL);
 	ASSERT(blk->magic == XFS_ATTR_LEAF_MAGIC);
 	if (args->rmtblkno > 0) {
-		/*
-		 * Fill in disk block numbers in the state structure
-		 * so that we can get the buffers back after we commit
-		 * several transactions in the following calls.
-		 */
-		error = xfs_attr_fillstate(state);
-		if (error)
-			goto out;
-
-		/*
-		 * Mark the attribute as INCOMPLETE, then bunmapi() the
-		 * remote value.
-		 */
-		error = xfs_attr3_leaf_setflag(args);
+		error = xfs_attr_leaf_mark_incomplete(args, state);
 		if (error)
 			goto out;