diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/attach.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/attach.c
index 5692b4ce0d9c..82b30c959a28 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/attach.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/attach.c
@@ -181,6 +181,47 @@ static struct ubi_ainf_volume *ubi_find_or_add_av(struct ubi_attach_info *ai,
 	return find_or_add_av(ai, vol_id, AV_FIND_OR_ADD, created);
 }
 
+/**
+ * ubi_alloc_aeb - allocate an aeb element
+ * @ai: attaching information
+ * @pnum: physical eraseblock number
+ * @ec: erase counter of the physical eraseblock
+ *
+ * Allocate an aeb object and initialize the pnum and ec information.
+ * vol_id and lnum are set to UBI_UNKNOWN, and the other fields are
+ * initialized to zero.
+ * Note that the element is not added in any list or RB tree.
+ */
+struct ubi_ainf_peb *ubi_alloc_aeb(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, int pnum,
+				   int ec)
+{
+	struct ubi_ainf_peb *aeb;
+
+	aeb = kmem_cache_zalloc(ai->aeb_slab_cache, GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!aeb)
+		return NULL;
+
+	aeb->pnum = pnum;
+	aeb->ec = ec;
+	aeb->vol_id = UBI_UNKNOWN;
+	aeb->lnum = UBI_UNKNOWN;
+
+	return aeb;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ubi_free_aeb - free an aeb element
+ * @ai: attaching information
+ * @aeb: the element to free
+ *
+ * Free an aeb object. The caller must have removed the element from any list
+ * or RB tree.
+ */
+void ubi_free_aeb(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, struct ubi_ainf_peb *aeb)
+{
+	kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, aeb);
+}
+
 /**
  * add_to_list - add physical eraseblock to a list.
  * @ai: attaching information
@@ -217,14 +258,12 @@ static int add_to_list(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, int pnum, int vol_id,
 	} else
 		BUG();
 
-	aeb = kmem_cache_alloc(ai->aeb_slab_cache, GFP_KERNEL);
+	aeb = ubi_alloc_aeb(ai, pnum, ec);
 	if (!aeb)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	aeb->pnum = pnum;
 	aeb->vol_id = vol_id;
 	aeb->lnum = lnum;
-	aeb->ec = ec;
 	if (to_head)
 		list_add(&aeb->u.list, list);
 	else
@@ -249,13 +288,11 @@ static int add_corrupted(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, int pnum, int ec)
 
 	dbg_bld("add to corrupted: PEB %d, EC %d", pnum, ec);
 
-	aeb = kmem_cache_alloc(ai->aeb_slab_cache, GFP_KERNEL);
+	aeb = ubi_alloc_aeb(ai, pnum, ec);
 	if (!aeb)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	ai->corr_peb_count += 1;
-	aeb->pnum = pnum;
-	aeb->ec = ec;
 	list_add(&aeb->u.list, &ai->corr);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -278,14 +315,12 @@ static int add_fastmap(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, int pnum,
 {
 	struct ubi_ainf_peb *aeb;
 
-	aeb = kmem_cache_alloc(ai->aeb_slab_cache, GFP_KERNEL);
+	aeb = ubi_alloc_aeb(ai, pnum, ec);
 	if (!aeb)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	aeb->pnum = pnum;
 	aeb->vol_id = be32_to_cpu(vid_hdr->vol_id);
 	aeb->sqnum = be64_to_cpu(vid_hdr->sqnum);
-	aeb->ec = ec;
 	list_add(&aeb->u.list, &ai->fastmap);
 
 	dbg_bld("add to fastmap list: PEB %d, vol_id %d, sqnum: %llu", pnum,
@@ -667,12 +702,10 @@ int ubi_add_to_av(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_attach_info *ai, int pnum,
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
-	aeb = kmem_cache_alloc(ai->aeb_slab_cache, GFP_KERNEL);
+	aeb = ubi_alloc_aeb(ai, pnum, ec);
 	if (!aeb)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	aeb->ec = ec;
-	aeb->pnum = pnum;
 	aeb->vol_id = vol_id;
 	aeb->lnum = lnum;
 	aeb->scrub = bitflips;
@@ -1278,7 +1311,7 @@ static void destroy_av(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, struct ubi_ainf_volume *av,
 			if (list)
 				list_add_tail(&aeb->u.list, list);
 			else
-				kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, aeb);
+				ubi_free_aeb(ai, aeb);
 		}
 	}
 	kfree(av);
@@ -1296,23 +1329,23 @@ static void destroy_ai(struct ubi_attach_info *ai)
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(aeb, aeb_tmp, &ai->alien, u.list) {
 		list_del(&aeb->u.list);
-		kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, aeb);
+		ubi_free_aeb(ai, aeb);
 	}
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(aeb, aeb_tmp, &ai->erase, u.list) {
 		list_del(&aeb->u.list);
-		kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, aeb);
+		ubi_free_aeb(ai, aeb);
 	}
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(aeb, aeb_tmp, &ai->corr, u.list) {
 		list_del(&aeb->u.list);
-		kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, aeb);
+		ubi_free_aeb(ai, aeb);
 	}
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(aeb, aeb_tmp, &ai->free, u.list) {
 		list_del(&aeb->u.list);
-		kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, aeb);
+		ubi_free_aeb(ai, aeb);
 	}
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(aeb, aeb_tmp, &ai->fastmap, u.list) {
 		list_del(&aeb->u.list);
-		kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, aeb);
+		ubi_free_aeb(ai, aeb);
 	}
 
 	/* Destroy the volume RB-tree */
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap.c
index 7a07b8b53081..25e80a749a52 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/fastmap.c
@@ -145,12 +145,10 @@ static int add_aeb(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, struct list_head *list,
 {
 	struct ubi_ainf_peb *aeb;
 
-	aeb = kmem_cache_alloc(ai->aeb_slab_cache, GFP_KERNEL);
+	aeb = ubi_alloc_aeb(ai, pnum, ec);
 	if (!aeb)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	aeb->pnum = pnum;
-	aeb->ec = ec;
 	aeb->lnum = -1;
 	aeb->scrub = scrub;
 	aeb->copy_flag = aeb->sqnum = 0;
@@ -276,7 +274,7 @@ static int update_vol(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_attach_info *ai,
 		 */
 		if (aeb->pnum == new_aeb->pnum) {
 			ubi_assert(aeb->lnum == new_aeb->lnum);
-			kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, new_aeb);
+			ubi_free_aeb(ai, new_aeb);
 
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -287,13 +285,10 @@ static int update_vol(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_attach_info *ai,
 
 		/* new_aeb is newer */
 		if (cmp_res & 1) {
-			victim = kmem_cache_alloc(ai->aeb_slab_cache,
-				GFP_KERNEL);
+			victim = ubi_alloc_aeb(ai, aeb->ec, aeb->pnum);
 			if (!victim)
 				return -ENOMEM;
 
-			victim->ec = aeb->ec;
-			victim->pnum = aeb->pnum;
 			list_add_tail(&victim->u.list, &ai->erase);
 
 			if (av->highest_lnum == be32_to_cpu(new_vh->lnum))
@@ -307,7 +302,7 @@ static int update_vol(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_attach_info *ai,
 			aeb->pnum = new_aeb->pnum;
 			aeb->copy_flag = new_vh->copy_flag;
 			aeb->scrub = new_aeb->scrub;
-			kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, new_aeb);
+			ubi_free_aeb(ai, new_aeb);
 
 		/* new_aeb is older */
 		} else {
@@ -353,7 +348,7 @@ static int process_pool_aeb(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_attach_info *ai,
 	struct ubi_ainf_volume *av;
 
 	if (vol_id == UBI_FM_SB_VOLUME_ID || vol_id == UBI_FM_DATA_VOLUME_ID) {
-		kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, new_aeb);
+		ubi_free_aeb(ai, new_aeb);
 
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -362,7 +357,7 @@ static int process_pool_aeb(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_attach_info *ai,
 	av = ubi_find_av(ai, vol_id);
 	if (!av) {
 		ubi_err(ubi, "orphaned volume in fastmap pool!");
-		kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, new_aeb);
+		ubi_free_aeb(ai, new_aeb);
 		return UBI_BAD_FASTMAP;
 	}
 
@@ -390,7 +385,7 @@ static void unmap_peb(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, int pnum)
 			if (aeb->pnum == pnum) {
 				rb_erase(&aeb->u.rb, &av->root);
 				av->leb_count--;
-				kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, aeb);
+				ubi_free_aeb(ai, aeb);
 				return;
 			}
 		}
@@ -485,15 +480,12 @@ static int scan_pool(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_attach_info *ai,
 			if (err == UBI_IO_BITFLIPS)
 				scrub = 1;
 
-			new_aeb = kmem_cache_alloc(ai->aeb_slab_cache,
-						   GFP_KERNEL);
+			new_aeb = ubi_alloc_aeb(ai, pnum, be64_to_cpu(ech->ec));
 			if (!new_aeb) {
 				ret = -ENOMEM;
 				goto out;
 			}
 
-			new_aeb->ec = be64_to_cpu(ech->ec);
-			new_aeb->pnum = pnum;
 			new_aeb->lnum = be32_to_cpu(vh->lnum);
 			new_aeb->sqnum = be64_to_cpu(vh->sqnum);
 			new_aeb->copy_flag = vh->copy_flag;
@@ -800,11 +792,11 @@ fail_bad:
 fail:
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(tmp_aeb, _tmp_aeb, &used, u.list) {
 		list_del(&tmp_aeb->u.list);
-		kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, tmp_aeb);
+		ubi_free_aeb(ai, tmp_aeb);
 	}
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(tmp_aeb, _tmp_aeb, &free, u.list) {
 		list_del(&tmp_aeb->u.list);
-		kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, tmp_aeb);
+		ubi_free_aeb(ai, tmp_aeb);
 	}
 
 	return ret;
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h b/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h
index fce142666bf3..f22c6c2e980f 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/ubi.h
@@ -792,6 +792,9 @@ extern struct mutex ubi_devices_mutex;
 extern struct blocking_notifier_head ubi_notifiers;
 
 /* attach.c */
+struct ubi_ainf_peb *ubi_alloc_aeb(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, int pnum,
+				   int ec);
+void ubi_free_aeb(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, struct ubi_ainf_peb *aeb);
 int ubi_add_to_av(struct ubi_device *ubi, struct ubi_attach_info *ai, int pnum,
 		  int ec, const struct ubi_vid_hdr *vid_hdr, int bitflips);
 struct ubi_ainf_volume *ubi_add_av(struct ubi_attach_info *ai, int vol_id);
diff --git a/drivers/mtd/ubi/vtbl.c b/drivers/mtd/ubi/vtbl.c
index d85c19762160..9e1457708cbf 100644
--- a/drivers/mtd/ubi/vtbl.c
+++ b/drivers/mtd/ubi/vtbl.c
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ retry:
 	 * of this LEB as it will be deleted and freed in 'ubi_add_to_av()'.
 	 */
 	err = ubi_add_to_av(ubi, ai, new_aeb->pnum, new_aeb->ec, vid_hdr, 0);
-	kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, new_aeb);
+	ubi_free_aeb(ai, new_aeb);
 	ubi_free_vid_hdr(ubi, vid_hdr);
 	return err;
 
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ write_error:
 		list_add(&new_aeb->u.list, &ai->erase);
 		goto retry;
 	}
-	kmem_cache_free(ai->aeb_slab_cache, new_aeb);
+	ubi_free_aeb(ai, new_aeb);
 out_free:
 	ubi_free_vid_hdr(ubi, vid_hdr);
 	return err;