--- x/fs/ext4/xattr.c
+++ y/fs/ext4/xattr.c
@@ -1427,7 +1427,7 @@ static struct inode *ext4_xattr_inode_cr
 	 * in the same group, or nearby one.
 	 */
 	ea_inode = ext4_new_inode(handle, inode->i_sb->s_root->d_inode,
-				  S_IFREG | 0600, NULL, inode->i_ino + 1, owner,
+				  S_IFREG | S_NOQUOTA | 0600, NULL, inode->i_ino + 1, owner,
 				  EXT4_EA_INODE_FL);
 	if (!IS_ERR(ea_inode)) {
 		ea_inode->i_op = &ext4_file_inode_operations;
@@ -1451,9 +1451,6 @@ static struct inode *ext4_xattr_inode_cr
 		 */
 		dquot_free_inode(ea_inode);
 		dquot_drop(ea_inode);
-		inode_lock(ea_inode);
-		ea_inode->i_flags |= S_NOQUOTA;
-		inode_unlock(ea_inode);
 	}
 
 	return ea_inode;