diff --git a/fs/ext3/xattr.c b/fs/ext3/xattr.c
index 4083738..fb89c29 100644
--- a/fs/ext3/xattr.c
+++ b/fs/ext3/xattr.c
@@ -492,8 +492,7 @@
 		get_bh(bh);
 		ext3_forget(handle, 1, inode, bh, bh->b_blocknr);
 	} else {
-		BHDR(bh)->h_refcount = cpu_to_le32(
-				le32_to_cpu(BHDR(bh)->h_refcount) - 1);
+		le32_add_cpu(&BHDR(bh)->h_refcount, -1);
 		error = ext3_journal_dirty_metadata(handle, bh);
 		if (IS_SYNC(inode))
 			handle->h_sync = 1;
@@ -780,8 +779,7 @@
 				if (error)
 					goto cleanup_dquot;
 				lock_buffer(new_bh);
-				BHDR(new_bh)->h_refcount = cpu_to_le32(1 +
-					le32_to_cpu(BHDR(new_bh)->h_refcount));
+				le32_add_cpu(&BHDR(new_bh)->h_refcount, 1);
 				ea_bdebug(new_bh, "reusing; refcount now=%d",
 					le32_to_cpu(BHDR(new_bh)->h_refcount));
 				unlock_buffer(new_bh);