#define OCFS2_XATTR_ROOT_SIZE  (sizeof(struct ocfs2_xattr_def_value_root))
 #define OCFS2_XATTR_INLINE_SIZE        80
+#define OCFS2_XATTR_HEADER_GAP 4
 #define OCFS2_XATTR_FREE_IN_IBODY      (OCFS2_MIN_XATTR_INLINE_SIZE \
                                         - sizeof(struct ocfs2_xattr_header) \
-                                        - sizeof(__u32))
+                                        - OCFS2_XATTR_HEADER_GAP)
 #define OCFS2_XATTR_FREE_IN_BLOCK(ptr) ((ptr)->i_sb->s_blocksize \
                                         - sizeof(struct ocfs2_xattr_block) \
                                         - sizeof(struct ocfs2_xattr_header) \
-                                        - sizeof(__u32))
+                                        - OCFS2_XATTR_HEADER_GAP)
 
 static struct ocfs2_xattr_def_value_root def_xv = {
        .xv.xr_list.l_count = cpu_to_le16(1),
                last += 1;
        }
 
-       free = min_offs - ((void *)last - xs->base) - sizeof(__u32);
+       free = min_offs - ((void *)last - xs->base) - OCFS2_XATTR_HEADER_GAP;
        if (free < 0)
                return -EIO;
 
                last += 1;
        }
 
-       free = min_offs - ((void *)last - xs->base) - sizeof(__u32);
+       free = min_offs - ((void *)last - xs->base) - OCFS2_XATTR_HEADER_GAP;
        if (free < 0)
                return 0;
 
        xh_free_start = le16_to_cpu(xh->xh_free_start);
        header_size = sizeof(struct ocfs2_xattr_header) +
                        count * sizeof(struct ocfs2_xattr_entry);
-       max_free = OCFS2_XATTR_BUCKET_SIZE -
-               le16_to_cpu(xh->xh_name_value_len) - header_size;
+       max_free = OCFS2_XATTR_BUCKET_SIZE - header_size -
+               le16_to_cpu(xh->xh_name_value_len) - OCFS2_XATTR_HEADER_GAP;
 
        mlog_bug_on_msg(header_size > blocksize, "bucket %llu has header size "
                        "of %u which exceed block size\n",
                        need = 0;
        }
 
-       free = xh_free_start - header_size;
+       free = xh_free_start - header_size - OCFS2_XATTR_HEADER_GAP;
        /*
         * We need to make sure the new name/value pair
         * can exist in the same block.
                        }
 
                        xh_free_start = le16_to_cpu(xh->xh_free_start);
-                       free = xh_free_start - header_size;
+                       free = xh_free_start - header_size
+                               - OCFS2_XATTR_HEADER_GAP;
                        if (xh_free_start % blocksize < need)
                                free -= xh_free_start % blocksize;