diff --git a/include/ntfs/runlist.h b/include/ntfs/runlist.h
index 726a28dc..f3520297 100644
--- a/include/ntfs/runlist.h
+++ b/include/ntfs/runlist.h
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ extern s64 ntfs_rl_pread(const ntfs_volume *vol, const runlist_element *rl,
 extern s64 ntfs_rl_pwrite(const ntfs_volume *vol, const runlist_element *rl,
 		const s64 pos, s64 count, void *b);
 
+extern int ntfs_rl_fill_zero(const ntfs_volume *vol, const runlist *rl,
+		s64 pos, const s64 count);
+
 extern runlist_element *ntfs_runlists_merge(runlist_element *drl,
 		runlist_element *srl);
 
diff --git a/libntfs/attrib.c b/libntfs/attrib.c
index acd897db..100678ad 100644
--- a/libntfs/attrib.c
+++ b/libntfs/attrib.c
@@ -1119,32 +1119,11 @@ s64 ntfs_attr_pwrite(ntfs_attr *na, const s64 pos, s64 count, const void *b)
 				0, NULL, 0, ctx))
 			goto err_out;
 		/* If write starts beyond initialized_size, zero the gap. */
-		if (pos > na->initialized_size) {
-			char *buf;
+		if (pos > na->initialized_size && ntfs_rl_fill_zero(vol,
+				na->rl, na->initialized_size,
+				pos - na->initialized_size))
+			goto err_out;
 
-			buf = ntfs_malloc(NTFS_BUF_SIZE);
-			if (!buf)
-				goto err_out;
-
-			memset(buf, 0, NTFS_BUF_SIZE);
-			ofs = na->initialized_size;
-			while (ofs < pos) {
-				to_write = min(pos - ofs, NTFS_BUF_SIZE);
-				written = ntfs_rl_pwrite(vol, na->rl, ofs,
-							to_write, buf);
-				if (written <= 0) {
-					int err = errno;
-					ntfs_log_trace("Failed to zero space "
-							"between initialized "
-							"size and @pos.\n");
-					free(buf);
-					errno = err;
-					goto err_out;
-				}
-				ofs += written;
-			}
-			free(buf);
-		}
 		ctx->attr->initialized_size = cpu_to_sle64(pos + count);
 		if (ntfs_mft_record_write(vol, ctx->ntfs_ino->mft_no,
 				ctx->mrec)) {
@@ -1321,34 +1300,6 @@ s64 ntfs_attr_pwrite(ntfs_attr *na, const s64 pos, s64 count, const void *b)
 				errno = EIO;
 				goto err_out;
 			}
-			if (ofs) {
-				/*
-				 * Need to clear region between start of
-				 * @cur_vcn cluster and @ofs.
-				 */
-				char *buf;
-
-				buf = malloc(ofs);
-				if (!buf) {
-					ntfs_log_trace("Not enough memory to "
-							"allocate %lld "
-							"bytes.\n", ofs);
-					errno = ENOMEM;
-					goto err_out;
-				}
-				memset(buf, 0, ofs);
-				if (ntfs_rl_pwrite(vol, na->rl, cur_vcn <<
-							vol->cluster_size_bits,
-							ofs, buf) < 0) {
-					eo = errno;
-					ntfs_log_trace("Failed to zero "
-							"area.\n");
-					free(buf);
-					errno = eo;
-					goto err_out;
-				}
-				free(buf);
-			}
 			if (rl->vcn < cur_vcn) {
 				/*
 				 * Clusters that replaced hole are merged with
@@ -1365,6 +1316,13 @@ s64 ntfs_attr_pwrite(ntfs_attr *na, const s64 pos, s64 count, const void *b)
 				ofs -= (rl->vcn - cur_vcn) <<
 					vol->cluster_size_bits;
 			}
+			/*
+			 * Clear region between start of @rl->vcn cluster and
+			 * @ofs if necessary.
+			 */
+			if (ofs && ntfs_rl_fill_zero(vol, na->rl, rl->vcn <<
+					vol->cluster_size_bits, ofs))
+				goto err_out;
 		}
 		/* It is a real lcn, write it to the volume. */
 		to_write = min(count, (rl->length << vol->cluster_size_bits) -
diff --git a/libntfs/runlist.c b/libntfs/runlist.c
index e0170b6b..2fca1918 100644
--- a/libntfs/runlist.c
+++ b/libntfs/runlist.c
@@ -1208,6 +1208,48 @@ rl_err_out:
 	return -1;
 }
 
+/**
+ * ntfs_rl_fill_zero - fill given region with zeroes
+ * @vol:	ntfs volume to write to
+ * @rl:		runlist specifying where to write zeroes to
+ * @pos:	byte position within runlist @rl at which to begin the zeroing
+ * @count:	number of bytes to fill with zeros
+ *
+ * Return 0 on success and -1 on error with errno set to the error code.
+ */
+int ntfs_rl_fill_zero(const ntfs_volume *vol, const runlist *rl, s64 pos,
+		const s64 count)
+{
+	char *buf;
+	s64 written, size, end = pos + count;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	ntfs_log_trace("pos %lld, count %lld\n", (long long)pos,
+			(long long)count);
+
+	if (!vol || !rl || pos < 0 || count < 0) {
+		errno = EINVAL;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	buf = ntfs_calloc(NTFS_BUF_SIZE);
+	if (!buf)
+		return -1;
+
+	while (pos < end) {
+		size = min(end - pos, NTFS_BUF_SIZE);
+		written = ntfs_rl_pwrite(vol, rl, pos, size, buf);
+		if (written <= 0) {
+			ntfs_log_perror("Failed to zero space");
+			ret = -1;
+			break;
+		}
+		pos += written;
+	}
+	free(buf);
+	return ret;
+}
+
 /**
  * ntfs_get_nr_significant_bytes - get number of bytes needed to store a number
  * @n:		number for which to get the number of bytes for