diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/acl.c b/fs/ocfs2/acl.c
index af1e2cedb217..090ec60fb576 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/acl.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/acl.c
@@ -110,8 +110,7 @@ static void *ocfs2_acl_to_xattr(const struct posix_acl *acl, size_t *size)
 	return ocfs2_acl;
 }
 
-static struct posix_acl *ocfs2_get_acl_nolock(struct inode *inode,
-					      int type,
+static struct posix_acl *ocfs2_get_acl_nolock(struct inode *inode, int type,
 					      struct buffer_head *di_bh)
 {
 	int name_index;
@@ -349,63 +348,105 @@ int ocfs2_acl_chmod(struct inode *inode, struct buffer_head *bh)
  * Initialize the ACLs of a new inode. If parent directory has default ACL,
  * then clone to new inode. Called from ocfs2_mknod.
  */
-int ocfs2_init_acl(handle_t *handle,
-		   struct inode *inode,
-		   struct inode *dir,
-		   struct buffer_head *di_bh,
-		   struct buffer_head *dir_bh,
-		   struct ocfs2_alloc_context *meta_ac,
-		   struct ocfs2_alloc_context *data_ac)
+void ocfs2_acl_init_release(struct ocfs2_acl_state *state)
+{
+	posix_acl_release(state->default_acl);
+	posix_acl_release(state->acl);
+	state->default_acl = NULL;
+	state->acl = NULL;
+}
+
+int ocfs2_acl_init_prepare(struct inode *inode, struct inode *dir,
+			   struct buffer_head *dir_bh,
+			   struct ocfs2_acl_state *state)
 {
 	struct ocfs2_super *osb = OCFS2_SB(inode->i_sb);
-	struct posix_acl *acl = NULL;
-	int ret = 0, ret2;
-	umode_t mode;
+	int ret = 0;
 
-	if (!S_ISLNK(inode->i_mode)) {
-		if (osb->s_mount_opt & OCFS2_MOUNT_POSIX_ACL) {
-			down_read(&OCFS2_I(dir)->ip_xattr_sem);
-			acl = ocfs2_get_acl_nolock(dir, ACL_TYPE_DEFAULT,
-						   dir_bh);
-			up_read(&OCFS2_I(dir)->ip_xattr_sem);
-			if (IS_ERR(acl))
-				return PTR_ERR(acl);
+	state->default_acl = NULL;
+	state->acl = NULL;
+	state->mode = inode->i_mode;
+
+	if (S_ISLNK(inode->i_mode))
+		return 0;
+
+	if (osb->s_mount_opt & OCFS2_MOUNT_POSIX_ACL) {
+		down_read(&OCFS2_I(dir)->ip_xattr_sem);
+		state->default_acl =
+			ocfs2_get_acl_nolock(dir, ACL_TYPE_DEFAULT, dir_bh);
+		up_read(&OCFS2_I(dir)->ip_xattr_sem);
+		if (IS_ERR(state->default_acl)) {
+			ret = PTR_ERR(state->default_acl);
+			state->default_acl = NULL;
+			return ret;
 		}
-		if (!acl) {
-			mode = inode->i_mode & ~current_umask();
-			ret = ocfs2_acl_set_mode(inode, di_bh, handle, mode);
-			if (ret) {
-				mlog_errno(ret);
+		if (state->default_acl) {
+			state->acl = posix_acl_dup(state->default_acl);
+			if (!state->acl) {
+				ret = -ENOMEM;
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
-		}
-	}
-	if ((osb->s_mount_opt & OCFS2_MOUNT_POSIX_ACL) && acl) {
-		if (S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode)) {
-			ret = ocfs2_set_acl(handle, inode, di_bh,
-					    ACL_TYPE_DEFAULT, acl,
-					    meta_ac, data_ac);
-			if (ret)
+			ret = __posix_acl_create(&state->acl, GFP_NOFS,
+						 &state->mode);
+			if (ret < 0)
 				goto cleanup;
+			if (ret == 0) {
+				posix_acl_release(state->acl);
+				state->acl = NULL;
+			}
+			if (!S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode)) {
+				posix_acl_release(state->default_acl);
+				state->default_acl = NULL;
+			}
+		} else {
+			state->mode &= ~current_umask();
 		}
-		mode = inode->i_mode;
-		ret = __posix_acl_create(&acl, GFP_NOFS, &mode);
-		if (ret < 0)
-			return ret;
-
-		ret2 = ocfs2_acl_set_mode(inode, di_bh, handle, mode);
-		if (ret2) {
-			mlog_errno(ret2);
-			ret = ret2;
-			goto cleanup;
-		}
-		if (ret > 0) {
-			ret = ocfs2_set_acl(handle, inode,
-					    di_bh, ACL_TYPE_ACCESS,
-					    acl, meta_ac, data_ac);
-		}
+	} else {
+		state->mode &= ~current_umask();
 	}
+
+	return 0;
 cleanup:
-	posix_acl_release(acl);
+	ocfs2_acl_init_release(state);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int ocfs2_init_acl(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
+		   struct buffer_head *di_bh,
+		   struct ocfs2_alloc_context *meta_ac,
+		   struct ocfs2_alloc_context *data_ac,
+		   struct ocfs2_acl_state *state)
+{
+	struct ocfs2_super *osb = OCFS2_SB(inode->i_sb);
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	if (S_ISLNK(inode->i_mode))
+		return 0;
+
+	if (osb->s_mount_opt & OCFS2_MOUNT_POSIX_ACL) {
+		if (S_ISDIR(inode->i_mode) && state->default_acl) {
+			ret = ocfs2_set_acl(handle, inode, di_bh,
+					    ACL_TYPE_DEFAULT,
+					    state->default_acl, meta_ac,
+					    data_ac);
+			if (ret)
+				return ret;
+		}
+	}
+
+	ret = ocfs2_acl_set_mode(inode, di_bh, handle, state->mode);
+	if (ret) {
+		mlog_errno(ret);
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	if (osb->s_mount_opt & OCFS2_MOUNT_POSIX_ACL) {
+		if (state->acl) {
+			ret = ocfs2_set_acl(handle, inode, di_bh,
+					    ACL_TYPE_ACCESS, state->acl,
+					    meta_ac, data_ac);
+		}
+	}
+
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/acl.h b/fs/ocfs2/acl.h
index 667c6f03fa60..a91f9ce278d6 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/acl.h
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/acl.h
@@ -20,9 +20,20 @@ struct posix_acl *ocfs2_iop_get_acl(struct inode *inode, int type, bool rcu);
 int ocfs2_iop_set_acl(struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct dentry *dentry,
 		      struct posix_acl *acl, int type);
 extern int ocfs2_acl_chmod(struct inode *, struct buffer_head *);
-extern int ocfs2_init_acl(handle_t *, struct inode *, struct inode *,
-			  struct buffer_head *, struct buffer_head *,
-			  struct ocfs2_alloc_context *,
-			  struct ocfs2_alloc_context *);
+struct ocfs2_acl_state {
+	struct posix_acl *default_acl;
+	struct posix_acl *acl;
+	umode_t mode;
+};
+
+int ocfs2_acl_init_prepare(struct inode *inode, struct inode *dir,
+			   struct buffer_head *dir_bh,
+			   struct ocfs2_acl_state *state);
+void ocfs2_acl_init_release(struct ocfs2_acl_state *state);
+int ocfs2_init_acl(handle_t *handle, struct inode *inode,
+		   struct buffer_head *di_bh,
+		   struct ocfs2_alloc_context *meta_ac,
+		   struct ocfs2_alloc_context *data_ac,
+		   struct ocfs2_acl_state *state);
 
 #endif /* OCFS2_ACL_H */
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/namei.c b/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
index 8368a7f3d4a2..4c9944ae70ab 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/namei.c
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ static int ocfs2_mknod(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 	sigset_t oldset;
 	int did_block_signals = 0;
 	struct ocfs2_dentry_lock *dl = NULL;
+	struct ocfs2_acl_state acl_state = { 0 };
 
 	trace_ocfs2_mknod(dir, dentry, dentry->d_name.len, dentry->d_name.name,
 			  (unsigned long long)OCFS2_I(dir)->ip_blkno,
@@ -330,10 +331,14 @@ static int ocfs2_mknod(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 		}
 	}
 
+	status = ocfs2_acl_init_prepare(inode, dir, parent_fe_bh, &acl_state);
+	if (status < 0)
+		goto leave;
+
 	/* calculate meta data/clusters for setting security and acl xattr */
-	status = ocfs2_calc_xattr_init(dir, parent_fe_bh, mode,
-				       &si, &want_clusters,
-				       &xattr_credits, &want_meta);
+	status = ocfs2_calc_xattr_init(dir, mode, &si, &want_clusters,
+				       &xattr_credits, &want_meta,
+				       &acl_state);
 	if (status < 0) {
 		mlog_errno(status);
 		goto leave;
@@ -411,8 +416,8 @@ static int ocfs2_mknod(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 		inc_nlink(dir);
 	}
 
-	status = ocfs2_init_acl(handle, inode, dir, new_fe_bh, parent_fe_bh,
-			 meta_ac, data_ac);
+	status = ocfs2_init_acl(handle, inode, new_fe_bh, meta_ac, data_ac,
+				&acl_state);
 
 	if (status < 0) {
 		mlog_errno(status);
@@ -477,6 +482,8 @@ static int ocfs2_mknod(struct mnt_idmap *idmap,
 	brelse(parent_fe_bh);
 	kfree(si.value);
 
+	ocfs2_acl_init_release(&acl_state);
+
 	ocfs2_free_dir_lookup_result(&lookup);
 
 	if (inode_ac)
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/xattr.c b/fs/ocfs2/xattr.c
index 94ae1fb83cf1..35bcbb0ff607 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/xattr.c
@@ -635,13 +635,10 @@ int ocfs2_calc_security_init(struct inode *dir,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int ocfs2_calc_xattr_init(struct inode *dir,
-			  struct buffer_head *dir_bh,
-			  umode_t mode,
+int ocfs2_calc_xattr_init(struct inode *dir, umode_t mode,
 			  struct ocfs2_security_xattr_info *si,
-			  int *want_clusters,
-			  int *xattr_credits,
-			  int *want_meta)
+			  int *want_clusters, int *xattr_credits,
+			  int *want_meta, struct ocfs2_acl_state *acl_state)
 {
 	int ret = 0;
 	struct ocfs2_super *osb = OCFS2_SB(dir->i_sb);
@@ -652,19 +649,15 @@ int ocfs2_calc_xattr_init(struct inode *dir,
 						     si->value_len);
 
 	if (osb->s_mount_opt & OCFS2_MOUNT_POSIX_ACL) {
-		down_read(&OCFS2_I(dir)->ip_xattr_sem);
-		acl_len = ocfs2_xattr_get_nolock(dir, dir_bh,
-					OCFS2_XATTR_INDEX_POSIX_ACL_DEFAULT,
-					"", NULL, 0);
-		up_read(&OCFS2_I(dir)->ip_xattr_sem);
-		if (acl_len > 0) {
-			a_size = ocfs2_xattr_entry_real_size(0, acl_len);
-			if (S_ISDIR(mode))
-				a_size <<= 1;
-		} else if (acl_len != 0 && acl_len != -ENODATA) {
-			ret = acl_len;
-			mlog_errno(ret);
-			return ret;
+		if (acl_state->default_acl && S_ISDIR(mode)) {
+			acl_len = acl_state->default_acl->a_count *
+				  sizeof(struct ocfs2_acl_entry);
+			a_size += ocfs2_xattr_entry_real_size(0, acl_len);
+		}
+		if (acl_state->acl) {
+			acl_len = acl_state->acl->a_count *
+				  sizeof(struct ocfs2_acl_entry);
+			a_size += ocfs2_xattr_entry_real_size(0, acl_len);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -707,14 +700,33 @@ int ocfs2_calc_xattr_init(struct inode *dir,
 							   new_clusters);
 		*want_clusters += new_clusters;
 	}
-	if (osb->s_mount_opt & OCFS2_MOUNT_POSIX_ACL &&
-	    acl_len > OCFS2_XATTR_INLINE_SIZE) {
-		/* for directory, it has DEFAULT and ACCESS two types of acls */
-		new_clusters = (S_ISDIR(mode) ? 2 : 1) *
-				ocfs2_clusters_for_bytes(dir->i_sb, acl_len);
-		*xattr_credits += ocfs2_clusters_to_blocks(dir->i_sb,
-							   new_clusters);
-		*want_clusters += new_clusters;
+	if (osb->s_mount_opt & OCFS2_MOUNT_POSIX_ACL) {
+		if (acl_state->default_acl && S_ISDIR(mode)) {
+			acl_len = acl_state->default_acl->a_count *
+				  sizeof(struct ocfs2_acl_entry);
+			if (acl_len > OCFS2_XATTR_INLINE_SIZE) {
+				new_clusters =
+					ocfs2_clusters_for_bytes(dir->i_sb,
+								 acl_len);
+				*xattr_credits +=
+					ocfs2_clusters_to_blocks(dir->i_sb,
+								 new_clusters);
+				*want_clusters += new_clusters;
+			}
+		}
+		if (acl_state->acl) {
+			acl_len = acl_state->acl->a_count *
+				  sizeof(struct ocfs2_acl_entry);
+			if (acl_len > OCFS2_XATTR_INLINE_SIZE) {
+				new_clusters =
+					ocfs2_clusters_for_bytes(dir->i_sb,
+								 acl_len);
+				*xattr_credits +=
+					ocfs2_clusters_to_blocks(dir->i_sb,
+								 new_clusters);
+				*want_clusters += new_clusters;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	return ret;
@@ -3678,9 +3690,10 @@ static int __ocfs2_xattr_set_handle(struct inode *inode,
 }
 
 /*
- * This function only called duing creating inode
- * for init security/acl xattrs of the new inode.
- * All transanction credits have been reserved in mknod.
+ * This helper is only for setting initial ACL or security xattrs on an inode
+ * that is still unpublished, unhashed, and unattached to a dentry.
+ * Ordinary xattr updates must use ocfs2_xattr_set().
+ * All transaction credits have been reserved in mknod or symlink callers.
  */
 int ocfs2_xattr_set_handle(handle_t *handle,
 			   struct inode *inode,
@@ -3737,8 +3750,6 @@ int ocfs2_xattr_set_handle(handle_t *handle,
 	xis.inode_bh = xbs.inode_bh = di_bh;
 	di = (struct ocfs2_dinode *)di_bh->b_data;
 
-	down_write(&OCFS2_I(inode)->ip_xattr_sem);
-
 	ret = ocfs2_xattr_ibody_find(inode, name_index, name, &xis);
 	if (ret)
 		goto cleanup;
@@ -3751,7 +3762,6 @@ int ocfs2_xattr_set_handle(handle_t *handle,
 	ret = __ocfs2_xattr_set_handle(inode, di, &xi, &xis, &xbs, &ctxt);
 
 cleanup:
-	up_write(&OCFS2_I(inode)->ip_xattr_sem);
 	brelse(xbs.xattr_bh);
 	ocfs2_xattr_bucket_free(xbs.bucket);
 
@@ -7451,6 +7461,7 @@ int ocfs2_init_security_and_acl(struct inode *dir,
 {
 	int ret = 0;
 	struct buffer_head *dir_bh = NULL;
+	struct ocfs2_acl_state acl_state = { 0 };
 
 	ret = ocfs2_init_security_get(inode, dir, qstr, NULL);
 	if (ret) {
@@ -7463,10 +7474,17 @@ int ocfs2_init_security_and_acl(struct inode *dir,
 		mlog_errno(ret);
 		goto leave;
 	}
-	ret = ocfs2_init_acl(NULL, inode, dir, NULL, dir_bh, NULL, NULL);
+
+	ret = ocfs2_acl_init_prepare(inode, dir, dir_bh, &acl_state);
+	if (ret)
+		goto unlock;
+
+	ret = ocfs2_init_acl(NULL, inode, NULL, NULL, NULL, &acl_state);
 	if (ret)
 		mlog_errno(ret);
 
+unlock:
+	ocfs2_acl_init_release(&acl_state);
 	ocfs2_inode_unlock(dir, 0);
 	brelse(dir_bh);
 leave:
diff --git a/fs/ocfs2/xattr.h b/fs/ocfs2/xattr.h
index 6b7589941315..5e18513277f1 100644
--- a/fs/ocfs2/xattr.h
+++ b/fs/ocfs2/xattr.h
@@ -57,9 +57,12 @@ int ocfs2_init_security_set(handle_t *, struct inode *,
 int ocfs2_calc_security_init(struct inode *,
 			     struct ocfs2_security_xattr_info *,
 			     int *, int *, struct ocfs2_alloc_context **);
-int ocfs2_calc_xattr_init(struct inode *, struct buffer_head *,
-			  umode_t, struct ocfs2_security_xattr_info *,
-			  int *, int *, int *);
+
+struct ocfs2_acl_state;
+int ocfs2_calc_xattr_init(struct inode *dir, umode_t mode,
+			  struct ocfs2_security_xattr_info *si,
+			  int *want_clusters, int *xattr_credits,
+			  int *want_meta, struct ocfs2_acl_state *acl_state);
 
 /*
  * xattrs can live inside an inode, as part of an external xattr block,