diff --git a/attr.c b/attr.c
index e3298516a7..40818246f3 100644
--- a/attr.c
+++ b/attr.c
@@ -906,32 +906,22 @@ int git_check_attrs(const char *path, int num, struct attr_check_item *check)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int git_all_attrs(const char *path, int *num, struct attr_check_item **check)
+void git_all_attrs(const char *path, struct attr_check *check)
 {
-	int i, count, j;
+	int i;
 
-	collect_some_attrs(path, 0, NULL);
+	attr_check_reset(check);
+	collect_some_attrs(path, check->nr, check->items);
 
-	/* Count the number of attributes that are set. */
-	count = 0;
 	for (i = 0; i < attr_nr; i++) {
+		const char *name = check_all_attr[i].attr->name;
 		const char *value = check_all_attr[i].value;
-		if (value != ATTR__UNSET && value != ATTR__UNKNOWN)
-			++count;
+		struct attr_check_item *item;
+		if (value == ATTR__UNSET || value == ATTR__UNKNOWN)
+			continue;
+		item = attr_check_append(check, git_attr(name));
+		item->value = value;
 	}
-	*num = count;
-	ALLOC_ARRAY(*check, count);
-	j = 0;
-	for (i = 0; i < attr_nr; i++) {
-		const char *value = check_all_attr[i].value;
-		if (value != ATTR__UNSET && value != ATTR__UNKNOWN) {
-			(*check)[j].attr = check_all_attr[i].attr;
-			(*check)[j].value = value;
-			++j;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return 0;
 }
 
 int git_check_attr(const char *path, struct attr_check *check)
diff --git a/attr.h b/attr.h
index e611b139af..9f2729842d 100644
--- a/attr.h
+++ b/attr.h
@@ -56,13 +56,10 @@ int git_check_attrs(const char *path, int, struct attr_check_item *);
 extern int git_check_attr(const char *path, struct attr_check *check);
 
 /*
- * Retrieve all attributes that apply to the specified path.  *num
- * will be set to the number of attributes on the path; **check will
- * be set to point at a newly-allocated array of git_attr_check
- * objects describing the attributes and their values.  *check must be
- * free()ed by the caller.
+ * Retrieve all attributes that apply to the specified path.
+ * check holds the attributes and their values.
  */
-int git_all_attrs(const char *path, int *num, struct attr_check_item **check);
+extern void git_all_attrs(const char *path, struct attr_check *check);
 
 enum git_attr_direction {
 	GIT_ATTR_CHECKIN,
diff --git a/builtin/check-attr.c b/builtin/check-attr.c
index 889264a5be..40cdff13e9 100644
--- a/builtin/check-attr.c
+++ b/builtin/check-attr.c
@@ -24,12 +24,13 @@ static const struct option check_attr_options[] = {
 	OPT_END()
 };
 
-static void output_attr(int cnt, struct attr_check_item *check,
-			const char *file)
+static void output_attr(struct attr_check *check, const char *file)
 {
 	int j;
+	int cnt = check->nr;
+
 	for (j = 0; j < cnt; j++) {
-		const char *value = check[j].value;
+		const char *value = check->items[j].value;
 
 		if (ATTR_TRUE(value))
 			value = "set";
@@ -42,36 +43,38 @@ static void output_attr(int cnt, struct attr_check_item *check,
 			printf("%s%c" /* path */
 			       "%s%c" /* attrname */
 			       "%s%c" /* attrvalue */,
-			       file, 0, git_attr_name(check[j].attr), 0, value, 0);
+			       file, 0,
+			       git_attr_name(check->items[j].attr), 0, value, 0);
 		} else {
 			quote_c_style(file, NULL, stdout, 0);
-			printf(": %s: %s\n", git_attr_name(check[j].attr), value);
+			printf(": %s: %s\n",
+			       git_attr_name(check->items[j].attr), value);
 		}
-
 	}
 }
 
 static void check_attr(const char *prefix,
-		       int cnt, struct attr_check_item *check,
+		       struct attr_check *check,
+		       int collect_all,
 		       const char *file)
 {
 	char *full_path =
 		prefix_path(prefix, prefix ? strlen(prefix) : 0, file);
-	if (check != NULL) {
-		if (git_check_attrs(full_path, cnt, check))
-			die("git_check_attrs died");
-		output_attr(cnt, check, file);
+
+	if (collect_all) {
+		git_all_attrs(full_path, check);
 	} else {
-		if (git_all_attrs(full_path, &cnt, &check))
-			die("git_all_attrs died");
-		output_attr(cnt, check, file);
-		free(check);
+		if (git_check_attr(full_path, check))
+			die("git_check_attr died");
 	}
+	output_attr(check, file);
+
 	free(full_path);
 }
 
 static void check_attr_stdin_paths(const char *prefix,
-				   int cnt, struct attr_check_item *check)
+				   struct attr_check *check,
+				   int collect_all)
 {
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf unquoted = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -85,7 +88,7 @@ static void check_attr_stdin_paths(const char *prefix,
 				die("line is badly quoted");
 			strbuf_swap(&buf, &unquoted);
 		}
-		check_attr(prefix, cnt, check, buf.buf);
+		check_attr(prefix, check, collect_all, buf.buf);
 		maybe_flush_or_die(stdout, "attribute to stdout");
 	}
 	strbuf_release(&buf);
@@ -100,7 +103,7 @@ static NORETURN void error_with_usage(const char *msg)
 
 int cmd_check_attr(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	struct attr_check_item *check;
+	struct attr_check *check;
 	int cnt, i, doubledash, filei;
 
 	if (!is_bare_repository())
@@ -160,28 +163,25 @@ int cmd_check_attr(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			error_with_usage("No file specified");
 	}
 
-	if (all_attrs) {
-		check = NULL;
-	} else {
-		check = xcalloc(cnt, sizeof(*check));
+	check = attr_check_alloc();
+	if (!all_attrs) {
 		for (i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
-			const char *name;
-			struct git_attr *a;
-			name = argv[i];
-			a = git_attr(name);
+			struct git_attr *a = git_attr(argv[i]);
 			if (!a)
 				return error("%s: not a valid attribute name",
-					name);
-			check[i].attr = a;
+					     argv[i]);
+			attr_check_append(check, a);
 		}
 	}
 
 	if (stdin_paths)
-		check_attr_stdin_paths(prefix, cnt, check);
+		check_attr_stdin_paths(prefix, check, all_attrs);
 	else {
 		for (i = filei; i < argc; i++)
-			check_attr(prefix, cnt, check, argv[i]);
+			check_attr(prefix, check, all_attrs, argv[i]);
 		maybe_flush_or_die(stdout, "attribute to stdout");
 	}
+
+	attr_check_free(check);
 	return 0;
 }