diff --git a/fs/xfs/xfs_icache.c b/fs/xfs/xfs_icache.c
index 9a18f69f6e96..817899961f48 100644
--- a/fs/xfs/xfs_icache.c
+++ b/fs/xfs/xfs_icache.c
@@ -308,6 +308,46 @@ xfs_reinit_inode(
 	return error;
 }
 
+/*
+ * If we are allocating a new inode, then check what was returned is
+ * actually a free, empty inode. If we are not allocating an inode,
+ * then check we didn't find a free inode.
+ *
+ * Returns:
+ *	0		if the inode free state matches the lookup context
+ *	-ENOENT		if the inode is free and we are not allocating
+ *	-EFSCORRUPTED	if there is any state mismatch at all
+ */
+static int
+xfs_iget_check_free_state(
+	struct xfs_inode	*ip,
+	int			flags)
+{
+	if (flags & XFS_IGET_CREATE) {
+		/* should be a free inode */
+		if (VFS_I(ip)->i_mode != 0) {
+			xfs_warn(ip->i_mount,
+"Corruption detected! Free inode 0x%llx not marked free! (mode 0x%x)",
+				ip->i_ino, VFS_I(ip)->i_mode);
+			return -EFSCORRUPTED;
+		}
+
+		if (ip->i_d.di_nblocks != 0) {
+			xfs_warn(ip->i_mount,
+"Corruption detected! Free inode 0x%llx has blocks allocated!",
+				ip->i_ino);
+			return -EFSCORRUPTED;
+		}
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* should be an allocated inode */
+	if (VFS_I(ip)->i_mode == 0)
+		return -ENOENT;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Check the validity of the inode we just found it the cache
  */
@@ -357,12 +397,12 @@ xfs_iget_cache_hit(
 	}
 
 	/*
-	 * If lookup is racing with unlink return an error immediately.
+	 * Check the inode free state is valid. This also detects lookup
+	 * racing with unlinks.
 	 */
-	if (VFS_I(ip)->i_mode == 0 && !(flags & XFS_IGET_CREATE)) {
-		error = -ENOENT;
+	error = xfs_iget_check_free_state(ip, flags);
+	if (error)
 		goto out_error;
-	}
 
 	/*
 	 * If IRECLAIMABLE is set, we've torn down the VFS inode already.
@@ -485,29 +525,12 @@ xfs_iget_cache_miss(
 
 
 	/*
-	 * If we are allocating a new inode, then check what was returned is
-	 * actually a free, empty inode. If we are not allocating an inode,
-	 * the check we didn't find a free inode.
+	 * Check the inode free state is valid. This also detects lookup
+	 * racing with unlinks.
 	 */
-	if (flags & XFS_IGET_CREATE) {
-		if (VFS_I(ip)->i_mode != 0) {
-			xfs_warn(mp,
-"Corruption detected! Free inode 0x%llx not marked free on disk",
-				ino);
-			error = -EFSCORRUPTED;
-			goto out_destroy;
-		}
-		if (ip->i_d.di_nblocks != 0) {
-			xfs_warn(mp,
-"Corruption detected! Free inode 0x%llx has blocks allocated!",
-				ino);
-			error = -EFSCORRUPTED;
-			goto out_destroy;
-		}
-	} else if (VFS_I(ip)->i_mode == 0) {
-		error = -ENOENT;
+	error = xfs_iget_check_free_state(ip, flags);
+	if (error)
 		goto out_destroy;
-	}
 
 	/*
 	 * Preload the radix tree so we can insert safely under the