diff --git a/daemons/attrd/attrd_attributes.c b/daemons/attrd/attrd_attributes.c
index e08908d553..f1da16a934 100644
--- a/daemons/attrd/attrd_attributes.c
+++ b/daemons/attrd/attrd_attributes.c
@@ -1,185 +1,187 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2013-2022 the Pacemaker project contributors
  *
  * The version control history for this file may have further details.
  *
  * This source code is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2
  * or later (GPLv2+) WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY.
  */
 
 #include <crm_internal.h>
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <glib.h>
 
 #include <crm/msg_xml.h>
 #include <crm/common/logging.h>
 #include <crm/common/results.h>
 #include <crm/common/strings_internal.h>
 #include <crm/common/xml.h>
 
 #include "pacemaker-attrd.h"
 
 static attribute_t *
 attrd_create_attribute(xmlNode *xml)
 {
     int dampen = 0;
     const char *value = crm_element_value(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_DAMPENING);
     attribute_t *a = calloc(1, sizeof(attribute_t));
 
+    CRM_ASSERT(a != NULL);
+
     a->id      = crm_element_value_copy(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_NAME);
     a->set     = crm_element_value_copy(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_SET);
     a->uuid    = crm_element_value_copy(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_UUID);
     a->values = pcmk__strikey_table(NULL, attrd_free_attribute_value);
 
     crm_element_value_int(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_IS_PRIVATE, &a->is_private);
 
     a->user = crm_element_value_copy(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_USER);
     crm_trace("Performing all %s operations as user '%s'", a->id, a->user);
 
     if (value != NULL) {
         dampen = crm_get_msec(value);
     }
     crm_trace("Created attribute %s with %s write delay", a->id,
               (a->timeout_ms == 0)? "no" : pcmk__readable_interval(a->timeout_ms));
 
     if(dampen > 0) {
         a->timeout_ms = dampen;
         a->timer = attrd_add_timer(a->id, a->timeout_ms, a);
     } else if (dampen < 0) {
         crm_warn("Ignoring invalid delay %s for attribute %s", value, a->id);
     }
 
     g_hash_table_replace(attributes, a->id, a);
     return a;
 }
 
 static int
 attrd_update_dampening(attribute_t *a, xmlNode *xml, const char *attr)
 {
     const char *dvalue = crm_element_value(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_DAMPENING);
     int dampen = 0;
 
     if (dvalue == NULL) {
         crm_warn("Could not update %s: peer did not specify value for delay",
                  attr);
         return EINVAL;
     }
 
     dampen = crm_get_msec(dvalue);
     if (dampen < 0) {
         crm_warn("Could not update %s: invalid delay value %dms (%s)",
                  attr, dampen, dvalue);
         return EINVAL;
     }
 
     if (a->timeout_ms != dampen) {
         mainloop_timer_del(a->timer);
         a->timeout_ms = dampen;
         if (dampen > 0) {
             a->timer = attrd_add_timer(attr, a->timeout_ms, a);
             crm_info("Update attribute %s delay to %dms (%s)",
                      attr, dampen, dvalue);
         } else {
             a->timer = NULL;
             crm_info("Update attribute %s to remove delay", attr);
         }
 
         /* If dampening changed, do an immediate write-out,
          * otherwise repeated dampening changes would prevent write-outs
          */
         attrd_write_or_elect_attribute(a);
     }
 
     return pcmk_rc_ok;
 }
 
 GHashTable *attributes = NULL;
 
 /*!
  * \internal
  * \brief Create an XML representation of an attribute for use in peer messages
  *
  * \param[in,out] parent      Create attribute XML as child element of this
  * \param[in]     a           Attribute to represent
  * \param[in]     v           Attribute value to represent
  * \param[in]     force_write If true, value should be written even if unchanged
  *
  * \return XML representation of attribute
  */
 xmlNode *
 attrd_add_value_xml(xmlNode *parent, const attribute_t *a,
                     const attribute_value_t *v, bool force_write)
 {
     xmlNode *xml = create_xml_node(parent, __func__);
 
     crm_xml_add(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_NAME, a->id);
     crm_xml_add(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_SET, a->set);
     crm_xml_add(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_UUID, a->uuid);
     crm_xml_add(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_USER, a->user);
     pcmk__xe_add_node(xml, v->nodename, v->nodeid);
     if (v->is_remote != 0) {
         crm_xml_add_int(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_IS_REMOTE, 1);
     }
     crm_xml_add(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_VALUE, v->current);
     crm_xml_add_int(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_DAMPENING, a->timeout_ms / 1000);
     crm_xml_add_int(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_IS_PRIVATE, a->is_private);
     crm_xml_add_int(xml, PCMK__XA_ATTR_FORCE, force_write);
 
     return xml;
 }
 
 void
 attrd_clear_value_seen(void)
 {
     GHashTableIter aIter;
     GHashTableIter vIter;
     attribute_t *a;
     attribute_value_t *v = NULL;
 
     g_hash_table_iter_init(&aIter, attributes);
     while (g_hash_table_iter_next(&aIter, NULL, (gpointer *) & a)) {
         g_hash_table_iter_init(&vIter, a->values);
         while (g_hash_table_iter_next(&vIter, NULL, (gpointer *) & v)) {
             v->seen = FALSE;
             crm_trace("Clear seen flag %s[%s] = %s.", a->id, v->nodename, v->current);
         }
     }
 }
 
 attribute_t *
 attrd_populate_attribute(xmlNode *xml, const char *attr)
 {
     attribute_t *a = NULL;
     bool update_both = false;
 
     const char *op = crm_element_value(xml, PCMK__XA_TASK);
 
     // NULL because PCMK__ATTRD_CMD_SYNC_RESPONSE has no PCMK__XA_TASK
     update_both = pcmk__str_eq(op, PCMK__ATTRD_CMD_UPDATE_BOTH,
                                pcmk__str_null_matches);
 
     // Look up or create attribute entry
     a = g_hash_table_lookup(attributes, attr);
     if (a == NULL) {
         if (update_both || pcmk__str_eq(op, PCMK__ATTRD_CMD_UPDATE, pcmk__str_none)) {
             a = attrd_create_attribute(xml);
         } else {
             crm_warn("Could not update %s: attribute not found", attr);
             return NULL;
         }
     }
 
     // Update attribute dampening
     if (update_both || pcmk__str_eq(op, PCMK__ATTRD_CMD_UPDATE_DELAY, pcmk__str_none)) {
         int rc = attrd_update_dampening(a, xml, attr);
 
         if (rc != pcmk_rc_ok || !update_both) {
             return NULL;
         }
     }
 
     return a;
 }