diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
index 37fda9f90b7f3e03de849f08d0c40a057a994fe8..bf91da55ef473c1dde488a0c5b9a256243f9ea90 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
@@ -1167,6 +1167,37 @@ xfs_attr_leaf_mark_incomplete(
 	return xfs_attr3_leaf_setflag(args);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Initial setup for xfs_attr_node_removename.  Make sure the attr is there and
+ * the blocks are valid.  Attr keys with remote blocks will be marked
+ * incomplete.
+ */
+STATIC
+int xfs_attr_node_removename_setup(
+	struct xfs_da_args	*args,
+	struct xfs_da_state	**state)
+{
+	int			error;
+
+	error = xfs_attr_node_hasname(args, state);
+	if (error != -EEXIST)
+		return error;
+
+	ASSERT((*state)->path.blk[(*state)->path.active - 1].bp != NULL);
+	ASSERT((*state)->path.blk[(*state)->path.active - 1].magic ==
+		XFS_ATTR_LEAF_MAGIC);
+
+	if (args->rmtblkno > 0) {
+		error = xfs_attr_leaf_mark_incomplete(args, *state);
+		if (error)
+			return error;
+
+		return xfs_attr_rmtval_invalidate(args);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Remove a name from a B-tree attribute list.
  *
@@ -1185,8 +1216,8 @@ xfs_attr_node_removename(
 
 	trace_xfs_attr_node_removename(args);
 
-	error = xfs_attr_node_hasname(args, &state);
-	if (error != -EEXIST)
+	error = xfs_attr_node_removename_setup(args, &state);
+	if (error)
 		goto out;
 
 	/*
@@ -1194,18 +1225,7 @@ xfs_attr_node_removename(
 	 * This is done before we remove the attribute so that we don't
 	 * overflow the maximum size of a transaction and/or hit a deadlock.
 	 */
-	blk = &state->path.blk[ state->path.active-1 ];
-	ASSERT(blk->bp != NULL);
-	ASSERT(blk->magic == XFS_ATTR_LEAF_MAGIC);
 	if (args->rmtblkno > 0) {
-		error = xfs_attr_leaf_mark_incomplete(args, state);
-		if (error)
-			goto out;
-
-		error = xfs_attr_rmtval_invalidate(args);
-		if (error)
-			return error;
-
 		error = xfs_attr_rmtval_remove(args);
 		if (error)
 			goto out;