diff --git a/fs/orangefs/inode.c b/fs/orangefs/inode.c
index efb00cd50b61..178734920e45 100644
--- a/fs/orangefs/inode.c
+++ b/fs/orangefs/inode.c
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ static int orangefs_writepage_locked(struct page *page,
 		ret = 0;
 		if (wr) {
 			ClearPagePrivate(page);
-			kfree(wr);
+			wr_release(wr);
 		}
 	}
 	end_page_writeback(page);
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ static int update_wr(struct page *page, loff_t pos, unsigned len, int mwrite)
 		else
 			wr->len = wr->pos + wr->len - wr->pos;
 	} else {
-		wr = kmalloc(sizeof *wr, GFP_KERNEL);
+		wr = wr_alloc();
 		if (wr) {
 			wr->pos = pos;
 			wr->len = len;
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ static void orangefs_invalidatepage(struct page *page,
 /* XXX prove */
 		if (offset == 0 && length == PAGE_SIZE) {
 			ClearPagePrivate(page);
-			kfree(wr);
+			wr_release(wr);
 		} else if (wr->pos - page_offset(page) < offset &&
 		    wr->pos - page_offset(page) + wr->len > offset + length) {
 			wbc.range_start = page_file_offset(page);
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ static void orangefs_invalidatepage(struct page *page,
 					return;
 			} else {
 				ClearPagePrivate(page);
-				kfree(wr);
+				wr_release(wr);
 			}
 		} else if (wr->pos - page_offset(page) < offset &&
 		    wr->pos - page_offset(page) + wr->len <= offset + length) {
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ static void orangefs_invalidatepage(struct page *page,
 			 * entire write range is to be invalidated.
 			 */
 			ClearPagePrivate(page);
-			kfree(wr);
+			wr_release(wr);
 		}
 	}
 	return;
diff --git a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-cache.c b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-cache.c
index 3b6982bf6bcf..cfb405ca8aa5 100644
--- a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-cache.c
+++ b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-cache.c
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(next_tag_value_lock);
 
 /* a cache for orangefs upcall/downcall operations */
 static struct kmem_cache *op_cache;
+static struct kmem_cache *wr_cache;
 
-int op_cache_initialize(void)
+int orangefs_caches_initialize(void)
 {
 	op_cache = kmem_cache_create("orangefs_op_cache",
 				     sizeof(struct orangefs_kernel_op_s),
@@ -34,12 +35,21 @@ int op_cache_initialize(void)
 	spin_lock(&next_tag_value_lock);
 	next_tag_value = 100;
 	spin_unlock(&next_tag_value_lock);
+
+	wr_cache = kmem_cache_create("orangefs_wr_cache",
+	    sizeof(struct orangefs_write_request), 0, ORANGEFS_CACHE_CREATE_FLAGS, NULL);
+	if (!wr_cache) {
+		gossip_err("Cannot create orangefs_wr_cache\n");
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int op_cache_finalize(void)
+int orangefs_caches_finalize(void)
 {
 	kmem_cache_destroy(op_cache);
+	kmem_cache_destroy(wr_cache);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -162,3 +172,13 @@ void op_release(struct orangefs_kernel_op_s *orangefs_op)
 		gossip_err("NULL pointer in op_release\n");
 	}
 }
+
+struct orangefs_write_request *wr_alloc(void)
+{
+	return kmem_cache_zalloc(wr_cache, GFP_KERNEL);
+}
+
+void wr_release(struct orangefs_write_request *wr)
+{
+	kmem_cache_free(wr_cache, wr);
+}
diff --git a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-kernel.h b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-kernel.h
index 2e9726d1de7d..256851bab7a5 100644
--- a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-kernel.h
+++ b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-kernel.h
@@ -311,11 +311,13 @@ static inline int match_handle(struct orangefs_khandle resp_handle,
 /*
  * defined in orangefs-cache.c
  */
-int op_cache_initialize(void);
-int op_cache_finalize(void);
+int orangefs_caches_initialize(void);
+int orangefs_caches_finalize(void);
 struct orangefs_kernel_op_s *op_alloc(__s32 type);
 void orangefs_new_tag(struct orangefs_kernel_op_s *op);
 char *get_opname_string(struct orangefs_kernel_op_s *new_op);
+struct orangefs_write_request *wr_alloc(void);
+void wr_release(struct orangefs_write_request *);
 
 int orangefs_inode_cache_initialize(void);
 int orangefs_inode_cache_finalize(void);
diff --git a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-mod.c b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-mod.c
index 85ef87245a87..c7373e682653 100644
--- a/fs/orangefs/orangefs-mod.c
+++ b/fs/orangefs/orangefs-mod.c
@@ -87,13 +87,13 @@ static int __init orangefs_init(void)
 		slot_timeout_secs = 0;
 
 	/* initialize global book keeping data structures */
-	ret = op_cache_initialize();
+	ret = orangefs_caches_initialize();
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto out;
 
 	ret = orangefs_inode_cache_initialize();
 	if (ret < 0)
-		goto cleanup_op;
+		goto cleanup_caches;
 
 	orangefs_htable_ops_in_progress =
 	    kcalloc(hash_table_size, sizeof(struct list_head), GFP_KERNEL);
@@ -172,8 +172,8 @@ static int __init orangefs_init(void)
 cleanup_inode:
 	orangefs_inode_cache_finalize();
 
-cleanup_op:
-	op_cache_finalize();
+cleanup_caches:
+	orangefs_caches_finalize();
 
 out:
 	return ret;
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ static void __exit orangefs_exit(void)
 		BUG_ON(!list_empty(&orangefs_htable_ops_in_progress[i]));
 
 	orangefs_inode_cache_finalize();
-	op_cache_finalize();
+	orangefs_caches_finalize();
 
 	kfree(orangefs_htable_ops_in_progress);
 
