diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_inode_buf.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_inode_buf.c
index 33dc34655ac3..30d1d60f1d46 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_inode_buf.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_inode_buf.c
@@ -731,7 +731,8 @@ xfs_inode_validate_extsize(
 	if ((hint_flag || inherit_flag) && extsize == 0)
 		return __this_address;
 
-	if (!(hint_flag || inherit_flag) && extsize != 0)
+	/* free inodes get flags set to zero but extsize remains */
+	if (mode && !(hint_flag || inherit_flag) && extsize != 0)
 		return __this_address;
 
 	if (extsize_bytes % blocksize_bytes)
@@ -777,7 +778,8 @@ xfs_inode_validate_cowextsize(
 	if (hint_flag && cowextsize == 0)
 		return __this_address;
 
-	if (!hint_flag && cowextsize != 0)
+	/* free inodes get flags set to zero but cowextsize remains */
+	if (mode && !hint_flag && cowextsize != 0)
 		return __this_address;
 
 	if (hint_flag && rt_flag)