diff --git a/fs/gfs2/bmap.c b/fs/gfs2/bmap.c
index c19184f2e70e53f268c757dd77d6a481b6f8604d..bec76b1c2bb0c59c77d5d54bfae7502a2ff490fe 100644
--- a/fs/gfs2/bmap.c
+++ b/fs/gfs2/bmap.c
@@ -246,15 +246,11 @@ static void find_metapath(const struct gfs2_sbd *sdp, u64 block,
 
 }
 
-static inline unsigned int zero_metapath_length(const struct metapath *mp,
-						unsigned height)
+static inline unsigned int metapath_branch_start(const struct metapath *mp)
 {
-	unsigned int i;
-	for (i = 0; i < height - 1; i++) {
-		if (mp->mp_list[i] != 0)
-			return i;
-	}
-	return height;
+	if (mp->mp_list[0] == 0)
+		return 2;
+	return 1;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -436,7 +432,7 @@ static int gfs2_bmap_alloc(struct inode *inode, const sector_t lblock,
 	struct gfs2_sbd *sdp = GFS2_SB(inode);
 	struct buffer_head *dibh = mp->mp_bh[0];
 	u64 bn, dblock = 0;
-	unsigned n, i, blks, alloced = 0, iblks = 0, zmpl = 0;
+	unsigned n, i, blks, alloced = 0, iblks = 0, branch_start = 0;
 	unsigned dblks = 0;
 	unsigned ptrs_per_blk;
 	const unsigned end_of_metadata = height - 1;
@@ -471,9 +467,8 @@ static int gfs2_bmap_alloc(struct inode *inode, const sector_t lblock,
 			/* Building up tree height */
 			state = ALLOC_GROW_HEIGHT;
 			iblks = height - ip->i_height;
-			zmpl = zero_metapath_length(mp, height);
-			iblks -= zmpl;
-			iblks += height;
+			branch_start = metapath_branch_start(mp);
+			iblks += (height - branch_start);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -509,13 +504,13 @@ static int gfs2_bmap_alloc(struct inode *inode, const sector_t lblock,
 					sizeof(struct gfs2_meta_header));
 				*ptr = zero_bn;
 				state = ALLOC_GROW_DEPTH;
-				for(i = zmpl; i < height; i++) {
+				for(i = branch_start; i < height; i++) {
 					if (mp->mp_bh[i] == NULL)
 						break;
 					brelse(mp->mp_bh[i]);
 					mp->mp_bh[i] = NULL;
 				}
-				i = zmpl;
+				i = branch_start;
 			}
 			if (n == 0)
 				break;
diff --git a/fs/gfs2/rgrp.c b/fs/gfs2/rgrp.c
index 6387523a31530237da2d2545350787e4db53dd0d..3401628d742b6cbfd5b53c9a4ed11f42d3372413 100644
--- a/fs/gfs2/rgrp.c
+++ b/fs/gfs2/rgrp.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ static u32 gfs2_bitfit(const u8 *buffer, unsigned int buflen, u32 goal,
 	   depending on architecture.  I've experimented with several ways
 	   of writing this section such as using an else before the goto
 	   but this one seems to be the fastest. */
-	while ((unsigned char *)plong < end - 1) {
+	while ((unsigned char *)plong < end - sizeof(unsigned long)) {
 		prefetch(plong + 1);
 		if (((*plong) & LBITMASK) != lskipval)
 			break;