diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
index ad44d779650d..5f56b059dfc7 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ STATIC int xfs_attr_leaf_hasname(struct xfs_da_args *args, struct xfs_buf **bp);
  * Internal routines when attribute list is more than one block.
  */
 STATIC int xfs_attr_node_get(xfs_da_args_t *args);
-STATIC int xfs_attr_node_addname(xfs_da_args_t *args);
+STATIC int xfs_attr_node_addname(struct xfs_da_args *args,
+				 struct xfs_da_state *state);
+STATIC int xfs_attr_node_addname_find_attr(struct xfs_da_args *args,
+				 struct xfs_da_state **state);
 STATIC int xfs_attr_node_removename(xfs_da_args_t *args);
 STATIC int xfs_attr_node_addname_clear_incomplete(struct xfs_da_args *args);
 STATIC int xfs_attr_node_hasname(xfs_da_args_t *args,
@@ -287,6 +290,7 @@ xfs_attr_set_args(
 	struct xfs_da_args	*args)
 {
 	struct xfs_inode	*dp = args->dp;
+	struct xfs_da_state     *state;
 	int			error;
 
 	/*
@@ -332,7 +336,14 @@ xfs_attr_set_args(
 			return error;
 	}
 
-	return xfs_attr_node_addname(args);
+	do {
+		error = xfs_attr_node_addname_find_attr(args, &state);
+		if (error)
+			return error;
+		error = xfs_attr_node_addname(args, state);
+	} while (error == -EAGAIN);
+
+	return error;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -896,48 +907,26 @@ xfs_attr_node_hasname(
  * External routines when attribute list size > geo->blksize
  *========================================================================*/
 
-/*
- * Add a name to a Btree-format attribute list.
- *
- * This will involve walking down the Btree, and may involve splitting
- * leaf nodes and even splitting intermediate nodes up to and including
- * the root node (a special case of an intermediate node).
- *
- * "Remote" attribute values confuse the issue and atomic rename operations
- * add a whole extra layer of confusion on top of that.
- */
 STATIC int
-xfs_attr_node_addname(
-	struct xfs_da_args	*args)
+xfs_attr_node_addname_find_attr(
+	struct xfs_da_args	*args,
+	struct xfs_da_state     **state)
 {
-	struct xfs_da_state	*state;
-	struct xfs_da_state_blk	*blk;
-	struct xfs_inode	*dp;
-	int			retval, error;
+	int			retval;
 
-	trace_xfs_attr_node_addname(args);
-
-	/*
-	 * Fill in bucket of arguments/results/context to carry around.
-	 */
-	dp = args->dp;
-restart:
 	/*
 	 * Search to see if name already exists, and get back a pointer
 	 * to where it should go.
 	 */
-	error = 0;
-	retval = xfs_attr_node_hasname(args, &state);
+	retval = xfs_attr_node_hasname(args, state);
 	if (retval != -ENOATTR && retval != -EEXIST)
-		goto out;
+		goto error;
 
-	blk = &state->path.blk[ state->path.active-1 ];
-	ASSERT(blk->magic == XFS_ATTR_LEAF_MAGIC);
 	if (retval == -ENOATTR && (args->attr_flags & XATTR_REPLACE))
-		goto out;
+		goto error;
 	if (retval == -EEXIST) {
 		if (args->attr_flags & XATTR_CREATE)
-			goto out;
+			goto error;
 
 		trace_xfs_attr_node_replace(args);
 
@@ -955,6 +944,38 @@ restart:
 		args->rmtvaluelen = 0;
 	}
 
+	return 0;
+error:
+	if (*state)
+		xfs_da_state_free(*state);
+	return retval;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Add a name to a Btree-format attribute list.
+ *
+ * This will involve walking down the Btree, and may involve splitting
+ * leaf nodes and even splitting intermediate nodes up to and including
+ * the root node (a special case of an intermediate node).
+ *
+ * "Remote" attribute values confuse the issue and atomic rename operations
+ * add a whole extra layer of confusion on top of that.
+ */
+STATIC int
+xfs_attr_node_addname(
+	struct xfs_da_args	*args,
+	struct xfs_da_state	*state)
+{
+	struct xfs_da_state_blk	*blk;
+	struct xfs_inode	*dp;
+	int			retval, error;
+
+	trace_xfs_attr_node_addname(args);
+
+	dp = args->dp;
+	blk = &state->path.blk[state->path.active-1];
+	ASSERT(blk->magic == XFS_ATTR_LEAF_MAGIC);
+
 	retval = xfs_attr3_leaf_add(blk->bp, state->args);
 	if (retval == -ENOSPC) {
 		if (state->path.active == 1) {
@@ -980,7 +1001,7 @@ restart:
 			if (error)
 				goto out;
 
-			goto restart;
+			return -EAGAIN;
 		}
 
 		/*