diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-log.c b/drivers/md/dm-log.c
index 13e2a1a1a941b723c63231bfad9efd3afa8dbd05..691cb9c22b5643381783fe22979eb39acf85f700 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-log.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-log.c
@@ -326,8 +326,6 @@ static void header_from_disk(struct log_header *core, struct log_header *disk)
 static int rw_header(struct log_c *lc, int rw)
 {
 	lc->io_req.bi_rw = rw;
-	lc->io_req.mem.ptr.vma = lc->disk_header;
-	lc->io_req.notify.fn = NULL;
 
 	return dm_io(&lc->io_req, 1, &lc->header_location, NULL);
 }
@@ -362,12 +360,6 @@ static int read_header(struct log_c *log)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static inline int write_header(struct log_c *log)
-{
-	header_to_disk(&log->header, log->disk_header);
-	return rw_header(log, WRITE);
-}
-
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------
  * core log constructor/destructor
  *
@@ -454,7 +446,9 @@ static int create_log_context(struct dm_dirty_log *log, struct dm_target *ti,
 		buf_size = dm_round_up((LOG_OFFSET << SECTOR_SHIFT) +
 				       bitset_size, ti->limits.hardsect_size);
 		lc->header_location.count = buf_size >> SECTOR_SHIFT;
+
 		lc->io_req.mem.type = DM_IO_VMA;
+		lc->io_req.notify.fn = NULL;
 		lc->io_req.client = dm_io_client_create(dm_div_up(buf_size,
 								   PAGE_SIZE));
 		if (IS_ERR(lc->io_req.client)) {
@@ -472,6 +466,7 @@ static int create_log_context(struct dm_dirty_log *log, struct dm_target *ti,
 			return -ENOMEM;
 		}
 
+		lc->io_req.mem.ptr.vma = lc->disk_header;
 		lc->clean_bits = (void *)lc->disk_header +
 				 (LOG_OFFSET << SECTOR_SHIFT);
 	}
@@ -636,8 +631,10 @@ static int disk_resume(struct dm_dirty_log *log)
 	/* set the correct number of regions in the header */
 	lc->header.nr_regions = lc->region_count;
 
+	header_to_disk(&lc->header, lc->disk_header);
+
 	/* write the new header */
-	r = write_header(lc);
+	r = rw_header(lc, WRITE);
 	if (r) {
 		DMWARN("%s: Failed to write header on dirty region log device",
 		       lc->log_dev->name);
@@ -687,7 +684,7 @@ static int disk_flush(struct dm_dirty_log *log)
 	if (!lc->touched)
 		return 0;
 
-	r = write_header(lc);
+	r = rw_header(lc, WRITE);
 	if (r)
 		fail_log_device(lc);
 	else