{
        struct rpc_xprt *xprt = rqst->rq_xprt;
        struct rpcrdma_xprt *r_xprt = rpcx_to_rdmax(xprt);
-       struct rpcrdma_msg *headerp = (struct rpcrdma_msg *)rqst->rq_buffer;
+       __be32 *p;
        int rc;
 
        /* Space in the send buffer for an RPC/RDMA header is reserved
         * via xprt->tsh_size.
         */
-       headerp->rm_xid = rqst->rq_xid;
-       headerp->rm_vers = rpcrdma_version;
-       headerp->rm_credit = cpu_to_be32(r_xprt->rx_buf.rb_bc_max_requests);
-       headerp->rm_type = rdma_msg;
-       headerp->rm_body.rm_chunks[0] = xdr_zero;
-       headerp->rm_body.rm_chunks[1] = xdr_zero;
-       headerp->rm_body.rm_chunks[2] = xdr_zero;
+       p = rqst->rq_buffer;
+       *p++ = rqst->rq_xid;
+       *p++ = rpcrdma_version;
+       *p++ = cpu_to_be32(r_xprt->rx_buf.rb_bc_max_requests);
+       *p++ = rdma_msg;
+       *p++ = xdr_zero;
+       *p++ = xdr_zero;
+       *p   = xdr_zero;
 
 #ifdef SVCRDMA_BACKCHANNEL_DEBUG
        pr_info("%s: %*ph\n", __func__, 64, rqst->rq_buffer);