diff --git a/fs/jfs/xattr.c b/fs/jfs/xattr.c
index fa96bbb26343..2d7f165d0f1d 100644
--- a/fs/jfs/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/jfs/xattr.c
@@ -86,46 +86,25 @@ struct ea_buffer {
 #define EA_MALLOC	0x0008
 
 
+static int is_known_namespace(const char *name)
+{
+	if (strncmp(name, XATTR_SYSTEM_PREFIX, XATTR_SYSTEM_PREFIX_LEN) &&
+	    strncmp(name, XATTR_USER_PREFIX, XATTR_USER_PREFIX_LEN) &&
+	    strncmp(name, XATTR_SECURITY_PREFIX, XATTR_SECURITY_PREFIX_LEN) &&
+	    strncmp(name, XATTR_TRUSTED_PREFIX, XATTR_TRUSTED_PREFIX_LEN))
+		return false;
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 /*
  * These three routines are used to recognize on-disk extended attributes
  * that are in a recognized namespace.  If the attribute is not recognized,
  * "os2." is prepended to the name
  */
-static inline int is_os2_xattr(struct jfs_ea *ea)
+static int is_os2_xattr(struct jfs_ea *ea)
 {
-	/*
-	 * Check for "system."
-	 */
-	if ((ea->namelen >= XATTR_SYSTEM_PREFIX_LEN) &&
-	    !strncmp(ea->name, XATTR_SYSTEM_PREFIX, XATTR_SYSTEM_PREFIX_LEN))
-		return false;
-	/*
-	 * Check for "user."
-	 */
-	if ((ea->namelen >= XATTR_USER_PREFIX_LEN) &&
-	    !strncmp(ea->name, XATTR_USER_PREFIX, XATTR_USER_PREFIX_LEN))
-		return false;
-	/*
-	 * Check for "security."
-	 */
-	if ((ea->namelen >= XATTR_SECURITY_PREFIX_LEN) &&
-	    !strncmp(ea->name, XATTR_SECURITY_PREFIX,
-		     XATTR_SECURITY_PREFIX_LEN))
-		return false;
-	/*
-	 * Check for "trusted."
-	 */
-	if ((ea->namelen >= XATTR_TRUSTED_PREFIX_LEN) &&
-	    !strncmp(ea->name, XATTR_TRUSTED_PREFIX, XATTR_TRUSTED_PREFIX_LEN))
-		return false;
-	/*
-	 * Add any other valid namespace prefixes here
-	 */
-
-	/*
-	 * We assume it's OS/2's flat namespace
-	 */
-	return true;
+	return !is_known_namespace(ea->name);
 }
 
 static inline int name_size(struct jfs_ea *ea)
@@ -764,13 +743,23 @@ static int can_set_xattr(struct inode *inode, const char *name,
 	if (!strncmp(name, XATTR_SYSTEM_PREFIX, XATTR_SYSTEM_PREFIX_LEN))
 		return can_set_system_xattr(inode, name, value, value_len);
 
+	if (!strncmp(name, XATTR_OS2_PREFIX, XATTR_OS2_PREFIX_LEN)) {
+		/*
+		 * This makes sure that we aren't trying to set an
+		 * attribute in a different namespace by prefixing it
+		 * with "os2."
+		 */
+		if (is_known_namespace(name + XATTR_OS2_PREFIX_LEN))
+				return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Don't allow setting an attribute in an unknown namespace.
 	 */
 	if (strncmp(name, XATTR_TRUSTED_PREFIX, XATTR_TRUSTED_PREFIX_LEN) &&
 	    strncmp(name, XATTR_SECURITY_PREFIX, XATTR_SECURITY_PREFIX_LEN) &&
-	    strncmp(name, XATTR_USER_PREFIX, XATTR_USER_PREFIX_LEN) &&
-	    strncmp(name, XATTR_OS2_PREFIX, XATTR_OS2_PREFIX_LEN))
+	    strncmp(name, XATTR_USER_PREFIX, XATTR_USER_PREFIX_LEN))
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -952,19 +941,8 @@ ssize_t __jfs_getxattr(struct inode *inode, const char *name, void *data,
 	int xattr_size;
 	ssize_t size;
 	int namelen = strlen(name);
-	char *os2name = NULL;
 	char *value;
 
-	if (strncmp(name, XATTR_OS2_PREFIX, XATTR_OS2_PREFIX_LEN) == 0) {
-		os2name = kmalloc(namelen - XATTR_OS2_PREFIX_LEN + 1,
-				  GFP_KERNEL);
-		if (!os2name)
-			return -ENOMEM;
-		strcpy(os2name, name + XATTR_OS2_PREFIX_LEN);
-		name = os2name;
-		namelen -= XATTR_OS2_PREFIX_LEN;
-	}
-
 	down_read(&JFS_IP(inode)->xattr_sem);
 
 	xattr_size = ea_get(inode, &ea_buf, 0);
@@ -1002,8 +980,6 @@ ssize_t __jfs_getxattr(struct inode *inode, const char *name, void *data,
       out:
 	up_read(&JFS_IP(inode)->xattr_sem);
 
-	kfree(os2name);
-
 	return size;
 }
 
@@ -1012,6 +988,19 @@ ssize_t jfs_getxattr(struct dentry *dentry, const char *name, void *data,
 {
 	int err;
 
+	if (strncmp(name, XATTR_OS2_PREFIX, XATTR_OS2_PREFIX_LEN) == 0) {
+		/*
+		 * skip past "os2." prefix
+		 */
+		name += XATTR_OS2_PREFIX_LEN;
+		/*
+		 * Don't allow retrieving properly prefixed attributes
+		 * by prepending them with "os2."
+		 */
+		if (is_known_namespace(name))
+			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	}
+
 	err = __jfs_getxattr(dentry->d_inode, name, data, buf_size);
 
 	return err;