diff --git a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr_leaf.c b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr_leaf.c
index 863444e2dda7..6d18e86bb9c7 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr_leaf.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/libxfs/xfs_attr_leaf.c
@@ -308,14 +308,6 @@ xfs_attr3_leaf_verify(
 	if (fa)
 		return fa;
 
-	/*
-	 * In recovery there is a transient state where count == 0 is valid
-	 * because we may have transitioned an empty shortform attr to a leaf
-	 * if the attr didn't fit in shortform.
-	 */
-	if (!xfs_log_in_recovery(mp) && ichdr.count == 0)
-		return __this_address;
-
 	/*
 	 * firstused is the block offset of the first name info structure.
 	 * Make sure it doesn't go off the block or crash into the header.
@@ -331,6 +323,13 @@ xfs_attr3_leaf_verify(
 	    (char *)bp->b_addr + ichdr.firstused)
 		return __this_address;
 
+	/*
+	 * NOTE: This verifier historically failed empty leaf buffers because
+	 * we expect the fork to be in another format. Empty attr fork format
+	 * conversions are possible during xattr set, however, and format
+	 * conversion is not atomic with the xattr set that triggers it. We
+	 * cannot assume leaf blocks are non-empty until that is addressed.
+	*/
 	buf_end = (char *)bp->b_addr + mp->m_attr_geo->blksize;
 	for (i = 0, ent = entries; i < ichdr.count; ent++, i++) {
 		fa = xfs_attr3_leaf_verify_entry(mp, buf_end, leaf, &ichdr,