diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
index 30e6084122d8..b04e09143869 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
@@ -922,7 +922,8 @@ xfs_attr_defer_add(
  */
 int
 xfs_attr_set(
-	struct xfs_da_args	*args)
+	struct xfs_da_args	*args,
+	enum xfs_attr_update	op)
 {
 	struct xfs_inode	*dp = args->dp;
 	struct xfs_mount	*mp = dp->i_mount;
@@ -1008,7 +1009,7 @@ xfs_attr_set(
 		}
 
 		/* Pure create fails if the attr already exists */
-		if (args->attr_flags & XATTR_CREATE)
+		if (op == XFS_ATTRUPDATE_CREATE)
 			goto out_trans_cancel;
 		xfs_attr_defer_add(args, XFS_ATTRI_OP_FLAGS_REPLACE);
 		break;
@@ -1018,7 +1019,7 @@ xfs_attr_set(
 			goto out_trans_cancel;
 
 		/* Pure replace fails if no existing attr to replace. */
-		if (args->attr_flags & XATTR_REPLACE)
+		if (op == XFS_ATTRUPDATE_REPLACE)
 			goto out_trans_cancel;
 		xfs_attr_defer_add(args, XFS_ATTRI_OP_FLAGS_SET);
 		break;
diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.h b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.h
index 670ab2a613fc..228360f7c85c 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr.h
@@ -544,7 +544,14 @@ int xfs_inode_hasattr(struct xfs_inode *ip);
 bool xfs_attr_is_leaf(struct xfs_inode *ip);
 int xfs_attr_get_ilocked(struct xfs_da_args *args);
 int xfs_attr_get(struct xfs_da_args *args);
-int xfs_attr_set(struct xfs_da_args *args);
+
+enum xfs_attr_update {
+	XFS_ATTRUPDATE_UPSERTR,	/* set/remove value, replace any existing attr */
+	XFS_ATTRUPDATE_CREATE,	/* set value, fail if attr already exists */
+	XFS_ATTRUPDATE_REPLACE,	/* set value, fail if attr does not exist */
+};
+
+int xfs_attr_set(struct xfs_da_args *args, enum xfs_attr_update op);
 int xfs_attr_set_iter(struct xfs_attr_intent *attr);
 int xfs_attr_remove_iter(struct xfs_attr_intent *attr);
 bool xfs_attr_namecheck(const void *name, size_t length);
diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_da_btree.h b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_da_btree.h
index b04a3290ffac..706b529a81fe 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_da_btree.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_da_btree.h
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ typedef struct xfs_da_args {
 	void		*value;		/* set of bytes (maybe contain NULLs) */
 	int		valuelen;	/* length of value */
 	unsigned int	attr_filter;	/* XFS_ATTR_{ROOT,SECURE,INCOMPLETE} */
-	unsigned int	attr_flags;	/* XATTR_{CREATE,REPLACE} */
 	xfs_dahash_t	hashval;	/* hash value of name */
 	xfs_ino_t	inumber;	/* input/output inode number */
 	struct xfs_inode *dp;		/* directory inode to manipulate */
diff --git a/fs/xfs/scrub/attr_repair.c b/fs/xfs/scrub/attr_repair.c
index 7b4318764d03..3066d662ea13 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/scrub/attr_repair.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/scrub/attr_repair.c
@@ -557,7 +557,6 @@ xrep_xattr_insert_rec(
 	struct xfs_da_args		args = {
 		.dp			= rx->sc->tempip,
 		.attr_filter		= key->flags,
-		.attr_flags		= XATTR_CREATE,
 		.namelen		= key->namelen,
 		.valuelen		= key->valuelen,
 		.owner			= rx->sc->ip->i_ino,
@@ -605,7 +604,7 @@ xrep_xattr_insert_rec(
 	 * xfs_attr_set creates and commits its own transaction.  If the attr
 	 * already exists, we'll just drop it during the rebuild.
 	 */
-	error = xfs_attr_set(&args);
+	error = xfs_attr_set(&args, XFS_ATTRUPDATE_CREATE);
 	if (error == -EEXIST)
 		error = 0;
 
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_acl.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_acl.c
index 4bf69c9c088e..12f98af9e709 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_acl.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_acl.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ __xfs_set_acl(struct inode *inode, struct posix_acl *acl, int type)
 		xfs_acl_to_disk(args.value, acl);
 	}
 
-	error = xfs_attr_change(&args);
+	error = xfs_attr_change(&args, XFS_ATTRUPDATE_UPSERTR);
 	kvfree(args.value);
 
 	/*
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.c
index efa95892655d..0eca7a9096e2 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.c
@@ -361,15 +361,15 @@ xfs_attr_filter(
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static unsigned int
-xfs_attr_flags(
+static inline enum xfs_attr_update
+xfs_xattr_flags(
 	u32			ioc_flags)
 {
 	if (ioc_flags & XFS_IOC_ATTR_CREATE)
-		return XATTR_CREATE;
+		return XFS_ATTRUPDATE_CREATE;
 	if (ioc_flags & XFS_IOC_ATTR_REPLACE)
-		return XATTR_REPLACE;
-	return 0;
+		return XFS_ATTRUPDATE_REPLACE;
+	return XFS_ATTRUPDATE_UPSERTR;
 }
 
 int
@@ -476,7 +476,6 @@ xfs_attrmulti_attr_get(
 	struct xfs_da_args	args = {
 		.dp		= XFS_I(inode),
 		.attr_filter	= xfs_attr_filter(flags),
-		.attr_flags	= xfs_attr_flags(flags),
 		.name		= name,
 		.namelen	= strlen(name),
 		.valuelen	= *len,
@@ -510,7 +509,6 @@ xfs_attrmulti_attr_set(
 	struct xfs_da_args	args = {
 		.dp		= XFS_I(inode),
 		.attr_filter	= xfs_attr_filter(flags),
-		.attr_flags	= xfs_attr_flags(flags),
 		.name		= name,
 		.namelen	= strlen(name),
 	};
@@ -528,7 +526,7 @@ xfs_attrmulti_attr_set(
 		args.valuelen = len;
 	}
 
-	error = xfs_attr_change(&args);
+	error = xfs_attr_change(&args, xfs_xattr_flags(flags));
 	if (!error && (flags & XFS_IOC_ATTR_ROOT))
 		xfs_forget_acl(inode, name);
 	kfree(args.value);
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_iops.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_iops.c
index ad76704ab133..d02ca2248bbc 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_iops.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_iops.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ xfs_initxattrs(
 			.value		= xattr->value,
 			.valuelen	= xattr->value_len,
 		};
-		error = xfs_attr_change(&args);
+		error = xfs_attr_change(&args, XFS_ATTRUPDATE_UPSERTR);
 		if (error < 0)
 			break;
 	}
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h b/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h
index 08df5bb70a6c..57f225ba7e8a 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_trace.h
@@ -1999,7 +1999,6 @@ DECLARE_EVENT_CLASS(xfs_attr_class,
 		__field(int, valuelen)
 		__field(xfs_dahash_t, hashval)
 		__field(unsigned int, attr_filter)
-		__field(unsigned int, attr_flags)
 		__field(uint32_t, op_flags)
 	),
 	TP_fast_assign(
@@ -2011,11 +2010,10 @@ DECLARE_EVENT_CLASS(xfs_attr_class,
 		__entry->valuelen = args->valuelen;
 		__entry->hashval = args->hashval;
 		__entry->attr_filter = args->attr_filter;
-		__entry->attr_flags = args->attr_flags;
 		__entry->op_flags = args->op_flags;
 	),
 	TP_printk("dev %d:%d ino 0x%llx name %.*s namelen %d valuelen %d "
-		  "hashval 0x%x filter %s flags %s op_flags %s",
+		  "hashval 0x%x filter %s op_flags %s",
 		  MAJOR(__entry->dev), MINOR(__entry->dev),
 		  __entry->ino,
 		  __entry->namelen,
@@ -2025,9 +2023,6 @@ DECLARE_EVENT_CLASS(xfs_attr_class,
 		  __entry->hashval,
 		  __print_flags(__entry->attr_filter, "|",
 				XFS_ATTR_FILTER_FLAGS),
-		   __print_flags(__entry->attr_flags, "|",
-				{ XATTR_CREATE,		"CREATE" },
-				{ XATTR_REPLACE,	"REPLACE" }),
 		  __print_flags(__entry->op_flags, "|", XFS_DA_OP_FLAGS))
 )
 
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_xattr.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_xattr.c
index 4ebf7052eb67..6ce1e06f650a 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_xattr.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_xattr.c
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ xfs_attr_want_log_assist(
  */
 int
 xfs_attr_change(
-	struct xfs_da_args	*args)
+	struct xfs_da_args	*args,
+	enum xfs_attr_update	op)
 {
 	struct xfs_mount	*mp = args->dp->i_mount;
 	int			error;
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ xfs_attr_change(
 		args->op_flags |= XFS_DA_OP_LOGGED;
 	}
 
-	return xfs_attr_set(args);
+	return xfs_attr_set(args, op);
 }
 
 
@@ -115,6 +116,17 @@ xfs_xattr_get(const struct xattr_handler *handler, struct dentry *unused,
 	return args.valuelen;
 }
 
+static inline enum xfs_attr_update
+xfs_xattr_flags_to_op(
+	int		flags)
+{
+	if (flags & XATTR_CREATE)
+		return XFS_ATTRUPDATE_CREATE;
+	if (flags & XATTR_REPLACE)
+		return XFS_ATTRUPDATE_REPLACE;
+	return XFS_ATTRUPDATE_UPSERTR;
+}
+
 static int
 xfs_xattr_set(const struct xattr_handler *handler,
 	      struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct dentry *unused,
@@ -124,7 +136,6 @@ xfs_xattr_set(const struct xattr_handler *handler,
 	struct xfs_da_args	args = {
 		.dp		= XFS_I(inode),
 		.attr_filter	= handler->flags,
-		.attr_flags	= flags,
 		.name		= name,
 		.namelen	= strlen(name),
 		.value		= (void *)value,
@@ -132,7 +143,7 @@ xfs_xattr_set(const struct xattr_handler *handler,
 	};
 	int			error;
 
-	error = xfs_attr_change(&args);
+	error = xfs_attr_change(&args, xfs_xattr_flags_to_op(flags));
 	if (!error && (handler->flags & XFS_ATTR_ROOT))
 		xfs_forget_acl(inode, name);
 	return error;
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_xattr.h b/fs/xfs/xfs_xattr.h
index cec766cad26c..c3eb858fb59e 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_xattr.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_xattr.h
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 #ifndef __XFS_XATTR_H__
 #define __XFS_XATTR_H__
 
-int xfs_attr_change(struct xfs_da_args *args);
+enum xfs_attr_update;
+int xfs_attr_change(struct xfs_da_args *args, enum xfs_attr_update op);
 
 extern const struct xattr_handler * const xfs_xattr_handlers[];