diff --git a/libxfs/xfs_attr.c b/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
index e42a8033..6fa88ed8 100644
--- a/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
+++ b/libxfs/xfs_attr.c
@@ -56,26 +56,6 @@ STATIC int xfs_attr_node_removename(xfs_da_args_t *args);
 STATIC int xfs_attr_fillstate(xfs_da_state_t *state);
 STATIC int xfs_attr_refillstate(xfs_da_state_t *state);
 
-
-STATIC int
-xfs_attr_args_init(
-	struct xfs_da_args	*args,
-	struct xfs_inode	*dp,
-	const unsigned char	*name,
-	size_t			namelen,
-	int			flags)
-{
-	memset(args, 0, sizeof(*args));
-	args->geo = dp->i_mount->m_attr_geo;
-	args->whichfork = XFS_ATTR_FORK;
-	args->dp = dp;
-	args->flags = flags;
-	args->name = name;
-	args->namelen = namelen;
-	args->hashval = xfs_da_hashname(args->name, args->namelen);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int
 xfs_inode_hasattr(
 	struct xfs_inode	*ip)
@@ -115,15 +95,15 @@ xfs_attr_get_ilocked(
 /*
  * Retrieve an extended attribute by name, and its value if requested.
  *
- * If ATTR_KERNOVAL is set in @flags, then the caller does not want the value,
- * just an indication whether the attribute exists and the size of the value if
- * it exists. The size is returned in @valuelenp,
+ * If ATTR_KERNOVAL is set in args->flags, then the caller does not want the
+ * value, just an indication whether the attribute exists and the size of the
+ * value if it exists. The size is returned in args.valuelen.
  *
  * If the attribute is found, but exceeds the size limit set by the caller in
- * @valuelenp, return -ERANGE with the size of the attribute that was found in
- * @valuelenp.
+ * args->valuelen, return -ERANGE with the size of the attribute that was found
+ * in args->valuelen.
  *
- * If ATTR_ALLOC is set in @flags, allocate the buffer for the value after
+ * If ATTR_ALLOC is set in args->flags, allocate the buffer for the value after
  * existence of the attribute has been determined. On success, return that
  * buffer to the caller and leave them to free it. On failure, free any
  * allocated buffer and ensure the buffer pointer returned to the caller is
@@ -131,51 +111,37 @@ xfs_attr_get_ilocked(
  */
 int
 xfs_attr_get(
-	struct xfs_inode	*ip,
-	const unsigned char	*name,
-	size_t			namelen,
-	unsigned char		**value,
-	int			*valuelenp,
-	int			flags)
+	struct xfs_da_args	*args)
 {
-	struct xfs_da_args	args;
 	uint			lock_mode;
 	int			error;
 
-	ASSERT((flags & (ATTR_ALLOC | ATTR_KERNOVAL)) || *value);
+	ASSERT((args->flags & (ATTR_ALLOC | ATTR_KERNOVAL)) || args->value);
 
-	XFS_STATS_INC(ip->i_mount, xs_attr_get);
+	XFS_STATS_INC(args->dp->i_mount, xs_attr_get);
 
-	if (XFS_FORCED_SHUTDOWN(ip->i_mount))
+	if (XFS_FORCED_SHUTDOWN(args->dp->i_mount))
 		return -EIO;
 
-	error = xfs_attr_args_init(&args, ip, name, namelen, flags);
-	if (error)
-		return error;
+	args->geo = args->dp->i_mount->m_attr_geo;
+	args->whichfork = XFS_ATTR_FORK;
+	args->hashval = xfs_da_hashname(args->name, args->namelen);
 
 	/* Entirely possible to look up a name which doesn't exist */
-	args.op_flags = XFS_DA_OP_OKNOENT;
-	if (flags & ATTR_ALLOC)
-		args.op_flags |= XFS_DA_OP_ALLOCVAL;
-	else
-		args.value = *value;
-	args.valuelen = *valuelenp;
+	args->op_flags = XFS_DA_OP_OKNOENT;
+	if (args->flags & ATTR_ALLOC)
+		args->op_flags |= XFS_DA_OP_ALLOCVAL;
 
-	lock_mode = xfs_ilock_attr_map_shared(ip);
-	error = xfs_attr_get_ilocked(ip, &args);
-	xfs_iunlock(ip, lock_mode);
-	*valuelenp = args.valuelen;
+	lock_mode = xfs_ilock_attr_map_shared(args->dp);
+	error = xfs_attr_get_ilocked(args->dp, args);
+	xfs_iunlock(args->dp, lock_mode);
 
 	/* on error, we have to clean up allocated value buffers */
-	if (error) {
-		if (flags & ATTR_ALLOC) {
-			kmem_free(args.value);
-			*value = NULL;
-		}
-		return error;
+	if (error && (args->flags & ATTR_ALLOC)) {
+		kmem_free(args->value);
+		args->value = NULL;
 	}
-	*value = args.value;
-	return 0;
+	return error;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/libxfs/xfs_attr.h b/libxfs/xfs_attr.h
index 07ca543d..be77d13a 100644
--- a/libxfs/xfs_attr.h
+++ b/libxfs/xfs_attr.h
@@ -146,9 +146,7 @@ int xfs_attr_list_int_ilocked(struct xfs_attr_list_context *);
 int xfs_attr_list_int(struct xfs_attr_list_context *);
 int xfs_inode_hasattr(struct xfs_inode *ip);
 int xfs_attr_get_ilocked(struct xfs_inode *ip, struct xfs_da_args *args);
-int xfs_attr_get(struct xfs_inode *ip, const unsigned char *name,
-		 size_t namelen, unsigned char **value, int *valuelenp,
-		 int flags);
+int xfs_attr_get(struct xfs_da_args *args);
 int xfs_attr_set(struct xfs_da_args *args);
 int xfs_attr_set_args(struct xfs_da_args *args);
 int xfs_attr_remove_args(struct xfs_da_args *args);
