} else
                        xb = (struct ocfs2_xattr_block *)xbs->xattr_bh->b_data;
 
+               /*
+                * If there is already an xattr tree, good, we can calculate
+                * like other b-trees. Otherwise we may have the chance of
+                * create a tree, the credit calculation is borrowed from
+                * ocfs2_calc_extend_credits with root_el = NULL. And the
+                * new tree will be cluster based, so no meta is needed.
+                */
                if (le16_to_cpu(xb->xb_flags) & OCFS2_XATTR_INDEXED) {
                        struct ocfs2_extent_list *el =
                                 &xb->xb_attrs.xb_root.xt_list;
                        meta_add += ocfs2_extend_meta_needed(el);
                        credits += ocfs2_calc_extend_credits(inode->i_sb,
                                                             el, 1);
-               }
+               } else
+                       credits += OCFS2_SUBALLOC_ALLOC + 1;
 
                /*
                 * This cluster will be used either for new bucket or for