diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr_leaf.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr_leaf.c
index 5c16db86b38f..40e53a4fc0a6 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr_leaf.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr_leaf.c
@@ -785,9 +785,8 @@ xfs_attr_shortform_to_leaf(xfs_da_args_t *args)
 	ASSERT(blkno == 0);
 	error = xfs_attr3_leaf_create(args, blkno, &bp);
 	if (error) {
-		error = xfs_da_shrink_inode(args, 0, bp);
-		bp = NULL;
-		if (error)
+		/* xfs_attr3_leaf_create may not have instantiated a block */
+		if (bp && (xfs_da_shrink_inode(args, 0, bp) != 0))
 			goto out;
 		xfs_idata_realloc(dp, size, XFS_ATTR_FORK);	/* try to put */
 		memcpy(ifp->if_u1.if_data, tmpbuffer, size);	/* it back */