diff --git a/lfs.c b/lfs.c
index a950c4a2860..faa5bbe6d30 100644
--- a/lfs.c
+++ b/lfs.c
@@ -2199,25 +2199,27 @@ int lfs_file_sync(lfs_t *lfs, lfs_file_t *file) {
             uint16_t type;
             const void *buffer;
             lfs_size_t size;
+            struct lfs_ctz ctz;
             if (file->flags & LFS_F_INLINE) {
                 // inline the whole file
                 type = LFS_TYPE_INLINESTRUCT;
                 buffer = file->cache.buffer;
                 size = file->ctz.size;
-            } else {
+            } else if (lfs_tole32(0x11223344) == 0x11223344) {
                 // update the ctz reference
                 type = LFS_TYPE_CTZSTRUCT;
-                buffer = &file->ctz;
-                size = sizeof(file->ctz);
+                // copy ctz so alloc will work during a relocate
+                ctz = file->ctz;
+                lfs_ctz_tole32(&ctz);
+                buffer = &ctz;
+                size = sizeof(ctz);
             }
 
             // commit file data and attributes
-            lfs_ctz_tole32(&file->ctz);
             err = lfs_dir_commit(lfs, &file->m,
                     LFS_MKATTR(type, file->id, buffer, size,
                     LFS_MKATTR(LFS_FROM_ATTRS, file->id, file->cfg->attrs, 0,
                     NULL)));
-            lfs_ctz_fromle32(&file->ctz);
             if (err) {
                 if (err == LFS_ERR_NOSPC && (file->flags & LFS_F_INLINE)) {
                     goto relocate;
diff --git a/lfs_util.h b/lfs_util.h
index 80b4002b2aa..8a65694c1f5 100644
--- a/lfs_util.h
+++ b/lfs_util.h
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 // LFS_CONFIG as a header file to include (-DLFS_CONFIG=lfs_config.h).
 //
 // If LFS_CONFIG is used, none of the default utils will be emitted and must be
-// provided by the config file. To start I would suggest copying lfs_util.h and
-// modifying as needed.
+// provided by the config file. To start, I would suggest copying lfs_util.h
+// and modifying as needed.
 #ifdef LFS_CONFIG
 #define LFS_STRINGIZE(x) LFS_STRINGIZE2(x)
 #define LFS_STRINGIZE2(x) #x
@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@ static inline uint32_t lfs_min(uint32_t a, uint32_t b) {
     return (a < b) ? a : b;
 }
 
+// Align to nearest multiple of a size
+static inline uint32_t lfs_aligndown(uint32_t a, uint32_t alignment) {
+    return a - (a % alignment);
+}
+
+static inline uint32_t lfs_alignup(uint32_t a, uint32_t alignment) {
+    return lfs_aligndown(a + alignment-1, alignment);
+}
+
 // Find the next smallest power of 2 less than or equal to a
 static inline uint32_t lfs_npw2(uint32_t a) {
 #if !defined(LFS_NO_INTRINSICS) && (defined(__GNUC__) || defined(__CC_ARM))
@@ -177,15 +186,6 @@ static inline uint16_t lfs_tole16(uint16_t a) {
     return lfs_fromle16(a);
 }
 
-// Align to nearest multiple of a size
-static inline uint32_t lfs_aligndown(uint32_t a, uint32_t alignment) {
-    return a - (a % alignment);
-}
-
-static inline uint32_t lfs_alignup(uint32_t a, uint32_t alignment) {
-    return lfs_aligndown(a + alignment-1, alignment);
-}
-
 // Calculate CRC-32 with polynomial = 0x04c11db7
 uint32_t lfs_crc(uint32_t crc, const void *buffer, size_t size);