diff --git a/fs/nfs/nfs4xdr.c b/fs/nfs/nfs4xdr.c
index 3850b018815f..1a4a3bd415ed 100644
--- a/fs/nfs/nfs4xdr.c
+++ b/fs/nfs/nfs4xdr.c
@@ -997,12 +997,10 @@ static void encode_attrs(struct xdr_stream *xdr, const struct iattr *iap,
 	int owner_namelen = 0;
 	int owner_grouplen = 0;
 	__be32 *p;
-	__be32 *q;
-	int len;
-	uint32_t bmval_len = 2;
-	uint32_t bmval0 = 0;
-	uint32_t bmval1 = 0;
-	uint32_t bmval2 = 0;
+	unsigned i;
+	uint32_t len = 0;
+	uint32_t bmval_len;
+	uint32_t bmval[3] = { 0 };
 
 	/*
 	 * We reserve enough space to write the entire attribute buffer at once.
@@ -1011,13 +1009,14 @@ static void encode_attrs(struct xdr_stream *xdr, const struct iattr *iap,
 	 * = 40 bytes, plus any contribution from variable-length fields
 	 *            such as owner/group.
 	 */
-	len = 8;
-
-	/* Sigh */
-	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_SIZE)
+	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_SIZE) {
+		bmval[0] |= FATTR4_WORD0_SIZE;
 		len += 8;
-	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_MODE)
+	}
+	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_MODE) {
+		bmval[1] |= FATTR4_WORD1_MODE;
 		len += 4;
+	}
 	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_UID) {
 		owner_namelen = nfs_map_uid_to_name(server, iap->ia_uid, owner_name, IDMAP_NAMESZ);
 		if (owner_namelen < 0) {
@@ -1028,6 +1027,7 @@ static void encode_attrs(struct xdr_stream *xdr, const struct iattr *iap,
 			owner_namelen = sizeof("nobody") - 1;
 			/* goto out; */
 		}
+		bmval[1] |= FATTR4_WORD1_OWNER;
 		len += 4 + (XDR_QUADLEN(owner_namelen) << 2);
 	}
 	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_GID) {
@@ -1039,92 +1039,73 @@ static void encode_attrs(struct xdr_stream *xdr, const struct iattr *iap,
 			owner_grouplen = sizeof("nobody") - 1;
 			/* goto out; */
 		}
+		bmval[1] |= FATTR4_WORD1_OWNER_GROUP;
 		len += 4 + (XDR_QUADLEN(owner_grouplen) << 2);
 	}
-	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_ATIME_SET)
-		len += 16;
-	else if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_ATIME)
-		len += 4;
-	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_MTIME_SET)
-		len += 16;
-	else if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_MTIME)
-		len += 4;
-	if (label) {
-		len += 4 + 4 + 4 + (XDR_QUADLEN(label->len) << 2);
-		bmval_len = 3;
-	}
-
-	len += bmval_len << 2;
-	p = reserve_space(xdr, len);
-
-	/*
-	 * We write the bitmap length now, but leave the bitmap and the attribute
-	 * buffer length to be backfilled at the end of this routine.
-	 */
-	*p++ = cpu_to_be32(bmval_len);
-	q = p;
-	/* Skip bitmap entries + attrlen */
-	p += bmval_len + 1;
-
-	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_SIZE) {
-		bmval0 |= FATTR4_WORD0_SIZE;
-		p = xdr_encode_hyper(p, iap->ia_size);
-	}
-	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_MODE) {
-		bmval1 |= FATTR4_WORD1_MODE;
-		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(iap->ia_mode & S_IALLUGO);
-	}
-	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_UID) {
-		bmval1 |= FATTR4_WORD1_OWNER;
-		p = xdr_encode_opaque(p, owner_name, owner_namelen);
-	}
-	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_GID) {
-		bmval1 |= FATTR4_WORD1_OWNER_GROUP;
-		p = xdr_encode_opaque(p, owner_group, owner_grouplen);
-	}
 	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_ATIME_SET) {
-		bmval1 |= FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_ACCESS_SET;
-		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(NFS4_SET_TO_CLIENT_TIME);
-		p = xdr_encode_hyper(p, (s64)iap->ia_atime.tv_sec);
-		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(iap->ia_atime.tv_nsec);
-	}
-	else if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_ATIME) {
-		bmval1 |= FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_ACCESS_SET;
-		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(NFS4_SET_TO_SERVER_TIME);
+		bmval[1] |= FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_ACCESS_SET;
+		len += 16;
+	} else if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_ATIME) {
+		bmval[1] |= FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_ACCESS_SET;
+		len += 4;
 	}
 	if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_MTIME_SET) {
-		bmval1 |= FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_MODIFY_SET;
-		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(NFS4_SET_TO_CLIENT_TIME);
-		p = xdr_encode_hyper(p, (s64)iap->ia_mtime.tv_sec);
-		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(iap->ia_mtime.tv_nsec);
-	}
-	else if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_MTIME) {
-		bmval1 |= FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_MODIFY_SET;
-		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(NFS4_SET_TO_SERVER_TIME);
+		bmval[1] |= FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_MODIFY_SET;
+		len += 16;
+	} else if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_MTIME) {
+		bmval[1] |= FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_MODIFY_SET;
+		len += 4;
 	}
 	if (label) {
-		bmval2 |= FATTR4_WORD2_SECURITY_LABEL;
+		len += 4 + 4 + 4 + (XDR_QUADLEN(label->len) << 2);
+		bmval[2] |= FATTR4_WORD2_SECURITY_LABEL;
+	}
+
+	if (bmval[2] != 0)
+		bmval_len = 3;
+	else if (bmval[1] != 0)
+		bmval_len = 2;
+	else
+		bmval_len = 1;
+
+	p = reserve_space(xdr, 4 + (bmval_len << 2) + 4 + len);
+
+	*p++ = cpu_to_be32(bmval_len);
+	for (i = 0; i < bmval_len; i++)
+		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(bmval[i]);
+	*p++ = cpu_to_be32(len);
+
+	if (bmval[0] & FATTR4_WORD0_SIZE)
+		p = xdr_encode_hyper(p, iap->ia_size);
+	if (bmval[1] & FATTR4_WORD1_MODE)
+		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(iap->ia_mode & S_IALLUGO);
+	if (bmval[1] & FATTR4_WORD1_OWNER)
+		p = xdr_encode_opaque(p, owner_name, owner_namelen);
+	if (bmval[1] & FATTR4_WORD1_OWNER_GROUP)
+		p = xdr_encode_opaque(p, owner_group, owner_grouplen);
+	if (bmval[1] & FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_ACCESS_SET) {
+		if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_ATIME_SET) {
+			*p++ = cpu_to_be32(NFS4_SET_TO_CLIENT_TIME);
+			p = xdr_encode_hyper(p, (s64)iap->ia_atime.tv_sec);
+			*p++ = cpu_to_be32(iap->ia_atime.tv_nsec);
+		} else
+			*p++ = cpu_to_be32(NFS4_SET_TO_SERVER_TIME);
+	}
+	if (bmval[1] & FATTR4_WORD1_TIME_MODIFY_SET) {
+		if (iap->ia_valid & ATTR_MTIME_SET) {
+			*p++ = cpu_to_be32(NFS4_SET_TO_CLIENT_TIME);
+			p = xdr_encode_hyper(p, (s64)iap->ia_mtime.tv_sec);
+			*p++ = cpu_to_be32(iap->ia_mtime.tv_nsec);
+		} else
+			*p++ = cpu_to_be32(NFS4_SET_TO_SERVER_TIME);
+	}
+	if (bmval[2] & FATTR4_WORD2_SECURITY_LABEL) {
 		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(label->lfs);
 		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(label->pi);
 		*p++ = cpu_to_be32(label->len);
 		p = xdr_encode_opaque_fixed(p, label->label, label->len);
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Now we backfill the bitmap and the attribute buffer length.
-	 */
-	if (len != ((char *)p - (char *)q) + 4) {
-		printk(KERN_ERR "NFS: Attr length error, %u != %Zu\n",
-				len, ((char *)p - (char *)q) + 4);
-		BUG();
-	}
-	*q++ = htonl(bmval0);
-	*q++ = htonl(bmval1);
-	if (bmval_len == 3)
-		*q++ = htonl(bmval2);
-	len = (char *)p - (char *)(q + 1);
-	*q = htonl(len);
-
 /* out: */
 }