diff --git a/include/linux/sunrpc/auth.h b/include/linux/sunrpc/auth.h
index e606c28..d5bfc67 100644
--- a/include/linux/sunrpc/auth.h
+++ b/include/linux/sunrpc/auth.h
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@
 struct rpc_auth *	rpcauth_create(rpc_authflavor_t, struct rpc_clnt *);
 void			rpcauth_release(struct rpc_auth *);
 struct rpc_cred *	rpcauth_lookup_credcache(struct rpc_auth *, struct auth_cred *, int);
+void			rpcauth_init_cred(struct rpc_cred *, const struct auth_cred *, struct rpc_auth *, const struct rpc_credops *);
 struct rpc_cred *	rpcauth_lookupcred(struct rpc_auth *, int);
 struct rpc_cred *	rpcauth_bindcred(struct rpc_task *);
 void			rpcauth_holdcred(struct rpc_task *);
diff --git a/include/linux/sunrpc/auth_gss.h b/include/linux/sunrpc/auth_gss.h
index 2db2fbf..0bd1d06 100644
--- a/include/linux/sunrpc/auth_gss.h
+++ b/include/linux/sunrpc/auth_gss.h
@@ -85,11 +85,6 @@
 	struct gss_upcall_msg	*gc_upcall;
 };
 
-#define gc_uid			gc_base.cr_uid
-#define gc_count		gc_base.cr_count
-#define gc_flags		gc_base.cr_flags
-#define gc_expire		gc_base.cr_expire
-
 #endif /* __KERNEL__ */
 #endif /* _LINUX_SUNRPC_AUTH_GSS_H */
 
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth.c b/net/sunrpc/auth.c
index d3f0f94..2156327 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth.c
@@ -264,13 +264,9 @@
 
 	if (!cred) {
 		new = auth->au_ops->crcreate(auth, acred, flags);
-		if (!IS_ERR(new)) {
-#ifdef RPC_DEBUG
-			new->cr_magic = RPCAUTH_CRED_MAGIC;
-#endif
+		if (!IS_ERR(new))
 			goto retry;
-		} else
-			cred = new;
+		cred = new;
 	} else if ((cred->cr_flags & RPCAUTH_CRED_NEW)
 			&& cred->cr_ops->cr_init != NULL
 			&& !(flags & RPCAUTH_LOOKUP_NEW)) {
@@ -302,6 +298,22 @@
 	return ret;
 }
 
+void
+rpcauth_init_cred(struct rpc_cred *cred, const struct auth_cred *acred,
+		  struct rpc_auth *auth, const struct rpc_credops *ops)
+{
+	INIT_HLIST_NODE(&cred->cr_hash);
+	atomic_set(&cred->cr_count, 1);
+	cred->cr_auth = auth;
+	cred->cr_ops = ops;
+	cred->cr_expire = jiffies;
+#ifdef RPC_DEBUG
+	cred->cr_magic = RPCAUTH_CRED_MAGIC;
+#endif
+	cred->cr_uid = acred->uid;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpcauth_init_cred);
+
 struct rpc_cred *
 rpcauth_bindcred(struct rpc_task *task)
 {
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c
index 177a9e4..766de0a 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth_gss/auth_gss.c
@@ -727,15 +727,11 @@
 	if (!(cred = kzalloc(sizeof(*cred), GFP_KERNEL)))
 		goto out_err;
 
-	atomic_set(&cred->gc_count, 1);
-	cred->gc_uid = acred->uid;
+	rpcauth_init_cred(&cred->gc_base, acred, auth, &gss_credops);
 	/*
 	 * Note: in order to force a call to call_refresh(), we deliberately
 	 * fail to flag the credential as RPCAUTH_CRED_UPTODATE.
 	 */
-	cred->gc_flags = 0;
-	cred->gc_base.cr_auth = auth;
-	cred->gc_base.cr_ops = &gss_credops;
 	cred->gc_base.cr_flags = RPCAUTH_CRED_NEW;
 	cred->gc_service = gss_auth->service;
 	return &cred->gc_base;
diff --git a/net/sunrpc/auth_unix.c b/net/sunrpc/auth_unix.c
index 6600c7a..2f1bdb5 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/auth_unix.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/auth_unix.c
@@ -20,9 +20,6 @@
 	gid_t			uc_gids[NFS_NGROUPS];
 };
 #define uc_uid			uc_base.cr_uid
-#define uc_count		uc_base.cr_count
-#define uc_flags		uc_base.cr_flags
-#define uc_expire		uc_base.cr_expire
 
 #define UNX_CRED_EXPIRE		(60 * HZ)
 
@@ -74,8 +71,8 @@
 	if (!(cred = kmalloc(sizeof(*cred), GFP_KERNEL)))
 		return ERR_PTR(-ENOMEM);
 
-	atomic_set(&cred->uc_count, 1);
-	cred->uc_flags = RPCAUTH_CRED_UPTODATE;
+	rpcauth_init_cred(&cred->uc_base, acred, auth, &unix_credops);
+	cred->uc_base.cr_flags = RPCAUTH_CRED_UPTODATE;
 	if (flags & RPCAUTH_LOOKUP_ROOTCREDS) {
 		cred->uc_uid = 0;
 		cred->uc_gid = 0;
@@ -85,15 +82,12 @@
 		if (groups > NFS_NGROUPS)
 			groups = NFS_NGROUPS;
 
-		cred->uc_uid = acred->uid;
 		cred->uc_gid = acred->gid;
 		for (i = 0; i < groups; i++)
 			cred->uc_gids[i] = GROUP_AT(acred->group_info, i);
 		if (i < NFS_NGROUPS)
 		  cred->uc_gids[i] = NOGROUP;
 	}
-	cred->uc_base.cr_auth = &unix_auth;
-	cred->uc_base.cr_ops = &unix_credops;
 
 	return (struct rpc_cred *) cred;
 }