diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.c
index 6108955b199d..ef0508945267 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.c
@@ -389,18 +389,20 @@ xfs_attrmulti_attr_set(
 	uint32_t		len,
 	uint32_t		flags)
 {
-	unsigned char		*kbuf;
+	unsigned char		*kbuf = NULL;
 	int			error;
 	size_t			namelen;
 
 	if (IS_IMMUTABLE(inode) || IS_APPEND(inode))
 		return -EPERM;
-	if (len > XFS_XATTR_SIZE_MAX)
-		return -EINVAL;
 
-	kbuf = memdup_user(ubuf, len);
-	if (IS_ERR(kbuf))
-		return PTR_ERR(kbuf);
+	if (ubuf) {
+		if (len > XFS_XATTR_SIZE_MAX)
+			return -EINVAL;
+		kbuf = memdup_user(ubuf, len);
+		if (IS_ERR(kbuf))
+			return PTR_ERR(kbuf);
+	}
 
 	namelen = strlen(name);
 	error = xfs_attr_set(XFS_I(inode), name, namelen, kbuf, len, flags);
@@ -410,22 +412,6 @@ xfs_attrmulti_attr_set(
 	return error;
 }
 
-int
-xfs_attrmulti_attr_remove(
-	struct inode		*inode,
-	unsigned char		*name,
-	uint32_t		flags)
-{
-	int			error;
-
-	if (IS_IMMUTABLE(inode) || IS_APPEND(inode))
-		return -EPERM;
-	error = xfs_attr_set(XFS_I(inode), name, strlen(name), NULL, 0, flags);
-	if (!error)
-		xfs_forget_acl(inode, name, flags);
-	return error;
-}
-
 STATIC int
 xfs_attrmulti_by_handle(
 	struct file		*parfilp,
@@ -504,8 +490,8 @@ xfs_attrmulti_by_handle(
 			ops[i].am_error = mnt_want_write_file(parfilp);
 			if (ops[i].am_error)
 				break;
-			ops[i].am_error = xfs_attrmulti_attr_remove(
-					d_inode(dentry), attr_name,
+			ops[i].am_error = xfs_attrmulti_attr_set(
+					d_inode(dentry), attr_name, NULL, 0,
 					ops[i].am_flags);
 			mnt_drop_write_file(parfilp);
 			break;
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.h b/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.h
index 420bd95dc326..819504df00ae 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.h
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl.h
@@ -46,12 +46,6 @@ xfs_attrmulti_attr_set(
 	uint32_t		len,
 	uint32_t		flags);
 
-extern int
-xfs_attrmulti_attr_remove(
-	struct inode		*inode,
-	unsigned char		*name,
-	uint32_t		flags);
-
 extern struct dentry *
 xfs_handle_to_dentry(
 	struct file		*parfilp,
diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl32.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl32.c
index 9705172e5410..e085f304e539 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl32.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_ioctl32.c
@@ -488,8 +488,8 @@ xfs_compat_attrmulti_by_handle(
 			ops[i].am_error = mnt_want_write_file(parfilp);
 			if (ops[i].am_error)
 				break;
-			ops[i].am_error = xfs_attrmulti_attr_remove(
-					d_inode(dentry), attr_name,
+			ops[i].am_error = xfs_attrmulti_attr_set(
+					d_inode(dentry), attr_name, NULL, 0,
 					ops[i].am_flags);
 			mnt_drop_write_file(parfilp);
 			break;