diff --git a/e2fsprogs/ext2fs/ext_attr.c b/e2fsprogs/ext2fs/ext_attr.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08211c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2fsprogs/ext2fs/ext_attr.c
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+/*
+ * ext_attr.c --- extended attribute blocks
+ * 
+ * Copyright (C) 2001 Andreas Gruenbacher, <a.gruenbacher@computer.org>
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2002 Theodore Ts'o.
+ *
+ * %Begin-Header%
+ * This file may be redistributed under the terms of the GNU Public
+ * License.
+ * %End-Header%
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#if HAVE_UNISTD_H
+#include <unistd.h>
+#endif
+#include <string.h>
+#include <time.h>
+
+#include "ext2_fs.h"
+#include "ext2_ext_attr.h"
+
+#include "ext2fs.h"
+
+errcode_t ext2fs_read_ext_attr(ext2_filsys fs, blk_t block, void *buf)
+{
+	errcode_t	retval;
+
+ 	retval = io_channel_read_blk(fs->io, block, 1, buf);
+	if (retval)
+		return retval;
+#ifdef EXT2FS_ENABLE_SWAPFS
+	if ((fs->flags & (EXT2_FLAG_SWAP_BYTES|
+			  EXT2_FLAG_SWAP_BYTES_READ)) != 0)
+		ext2fs_swap_ext_attr(buf, buf, fs->blocksize, 1);
+#endif
+	return 0;
+}
+
+errcode_t ext2fs_write_ext_attr(ext2_filsys fs, blk_t block, void *inbuf)
+{
+	errcode_t	retval;
+	char		*write_buf;
+	char		*buf = NULL;
+
+#ifdef EXT2FS_ENABLE_SWAPFS
+	if ((fs->flags & EXT2_FLAG_SWAP_BYTES) ||
+	    (fs->flags & EXT2_FLAG_SWAP_BYTES_WRITE)) {
+		retval = ext2fs_get_mem(fs->blocksize, &buf);
+		if (retval)
+			return retval;
+		write_buf = buf;
+		ext2fs_swap_ext_attr(buf, inbuf, fs->blocksize, 1);
+	} else
+#endif
+		write_buf = (char *) inbuf;
+ 	retval = io_channel_write_blk(fs->io, block, 1, write_buf);
+	if (buf)
+		ext2fs_free_mem(&buf);
+	if (!retval)
+		ext2fs_mark_changed(fs);
+	return retval;
+}
+
+/*
+ * This function adjusts the reference count of the EA block.
+ */
+errcode_t ext2fs_adjust_ea_refcount(ext2_filsys fs, blk_t blk,
+				    char *block_buf, int adjust,
+				    __u32 *newcount)
+{
+	errcode_t	retval;
+	struct ext2_ext_attr_header *header;
+	char	*buf = 0;
+
+	if ((blk >= fs->super->s_blocks_count) ||
+	    (blk < fs->super->s_first_data_block))
+		return EXT2_ET_BAD_EA_BLOCK_NUM;
+
+	if (!block_buf) {
+		retval = ext2fs_get_mem(fs->blocksize, &buf);
+		if (retval)
+			return retval;
+		block_buf = buf;
+	}
+
+	retval = ext2fs_read_ext_attr(fs, blk, block_buf);
+	if (retval)
+		goto errout;
+
+	header = (struct ext2_ext_attr_header *) block_buf;
+	header->h_refcount += adjust;
+	if (newcount)
+		*newcount = header->h_refcount;
+
+	retval = ext2fs_write_ext_attr(fs, blk, block_buf);
+	if (retval)
+		goto errout;
+
+errout:
+	if (buf)
+		ext2fs_free_mem(&buf);
+	return retval;
+}