diff --git a/internal/fusefrontend/xattr.go b/internal/fusefrontend/xattr.go
index 9833368..ac4b15f 100644
--- a/internal/fusefrontend/xattr.go
+++ b/internal/fusefrontend/xattr.go
@@ -36,17 +36,16 @@ func (fs *FS) GetXAttr(path string, attr string, context *fuse.Context) ([]byte,
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fuse.ToStatus(err)
 	}
-	cData64, err := xattr.Get(cPath, cAttr)
+	encryptedData, err := xattr.Get(cPath, cAttr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, unpackXattrErr(err)
 	}
-	// xattr data is decrypted like a symlink target
-	data, err := fs.decryptSymlinkTarget(string(cData64))
+	data, err := fs.decryptXattrValue(encryptedData)
 	if err != nil {
 		tlog.Warn.Printf("GetXAttr: %v", err)
 		return nil, fuse.EIO
 	}
-	return []byte(data), fuse.OK
+	return data, fuse.OK
 }
 
 // SetXAttr implements pathfs.Filesystem.
@@ -65,9 +64,8 @@ func (fs *FS) SetXAttr(path string, attr string, data []byte, flags int, context
 		return fuse.ToStatus(err)
 	}
 	cAttr := fs.encryptXattrName(attr)
-	// xattr data is encrypted like a symlink target
-	cData64 := []byte(fs.encryptSymlinkTarget(string(data)))
-	return unpackXattrErr(xattr.SetWithFlags(cPath, cAttr, cData64, flags))
+	cData := fs.encryptXattrValue(data)
+	return unpackXattrErr(xattr.SetWithFlags(cPath, cAttr, cData, flags))
 }
 
 // RemoveXAttr implements pathfs.Filesystem.
@@ -136,6 +134,37 @@ func (fs *FS) decryptXattrName(cAttr string) (attr string, err error) {
 	return attr, nil
 }
 
+// encryptXattrValue encrypts the xattr value "data".
+// The data is encrypted like a file content block, but without binding it to
+// a file location (block number and file id are set to zero).
+// Special case: an empty value is encrypted to an empty value.
+func (fs *FS) encryptXattrValue(data []byte) (cData []byte) {
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		return []byte{}
+	}
+	return fs.contentEnc.EncryptBlock(data, 0, nil)
+}
+
+// decryptXattrValue decrypts the xattr value "cData".
+func (fs *FS) decryptXattrValue(cData []byte) (data []byte, err error) {
+	if len(cData) == 0 {
+		return []byte{}, nil
+	}
+	data, err1 := fs.contentEnc.DecryptBlock([]byte(cData), 0, nil)
+	if err1 == nil {
+		return data, nil
+	}
+	// This backward compatibility is needed to support old
+	// file systems having xattr values base64-encoded.
+	cData, err2 := fs.nameTransform.B64.DecodeString(string(cData))
+	if err2 != nil {
+		// Looks like the value was not base64-encoded, but just corrupt.
+		// Return the original decryption error: err1
+		return nil, err1
+	}
+	return fs.contentEnc.DecryptBlock([]byte(cData), 0, nil)
+}
+
 // unpackXattrErr unpacks an error value that we got from xattr.Get/Set/etc
 // and converts it to a fuse status.
 func unpackXattrErr(err error) fuse.Status {
diff --git a/tests/xattr/xattr_integration_test.go b/tests/xattr/xattr_integration_test.go
index 50e7fb7..7d4c831 100644
--- a/tests/xattr/xattr_integration_test.go
+++ b/tests/xattr/xattr_integration_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package defaults
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/pkg/xattr"
 
+	"github.com/rfjakob/gocryptfs/internal/cryptocore"
 	"github.com/rfjakob/gocryptfs/tests/test_helpers"
 )
 
@@ -27,6 +29,14 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	test_helpers.ResetTmpDir(true)
+	// Write deterministic diriv so encrypted filenames are deterministic.
+	os.Remove(test_helpers.DefaultCipherDir + "/gocryptfs.diriv")
+	diriv := []byte("1234567890123456")
+	err := ioutil.WriteFile(test_helpers.DefaultCipherDir+"/gocryptfs.diriv", diriv, 0400)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 	test_helpers.MountOrExit(test_helpers.DefaultCipherDir, test_helpers.DefaultPlainDir, "-zerokey")
 	r := m.Run()
 	test_helpers.UnmountPanic(test_helpers.DefaultPlainDir)
@@ -161,3 +171,65 @@ func xattrSupported(path string) bool {
 	}
 	return true
 }
+
+func TestBase64XattrRead(t *testing.T) {
+	attrName := "user.test"
+	attrName2 := "user.test2"
+	encryptedAttrName := "user.gocryptfs.LB1kHHVrX1OEBdLmj3LTKw"
+	encryptedAttrName2 := "user.gocryptfs.d2yn5l7-0zUVqviADw-Oyw"
+	attrValue := fmt.Sprintf("test.%d", cryptocore.RandUint64())
+
+	fileName := "TestBase64Xattr"
+	encryptedFileName := "BaGak7jIoqAZQMlP0N5uCw"
+
+	plainFn := test_helpers.DefaultPlainDir + "/" + fileName
+	encryptedFn := test_helpers.DefaultCipherDir + "/" + encryptedFileName
+	err := ioutil.WriteFile(plainFn, nil, 0700)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("creating empty file failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err2 := os.Stat(encryptedFn); os.IsNotExist(err2) {
+		t.Fatalf("encrypted file does not exist: %v", err2)
+	}
+	xattr.Set(plainFn, attrName, []byte(attrValue))
+
+	encryptedAttrValue, err1 := xattr.Get(encryptedFn, encryptedAttrName)
+	if err1 != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err1)
+	}
+
+	xattr.Set(encryptedFn, encryptedAttrName2, encryptedAttrValue)
+	plainValue, err := xattr.Get(plainFn, attrName2)
+
+	if err != nil || string(plainValue) != attrValue {
+		t.Fatalf("Attribute binary value decryption error %s != %s %v", string(plainValue), attrValue, err)
+	}
+
+	encryptedAttrValue64 := base64.RawURLEncoding.EncodeToString(encryptedAttrValue)
+	xattr.Set(encryptedFn, encryptedAttrName2, []byte(encryptedAttrValue64))
+
+	plainValue, err = xattr.Get(plainFn, attrName2)
+	if err != nil || string(plainValue) != attrValue {
+		t.Fatalf("Attribute base64-encoded value decryption error %s != %s %v", string(plainValue), attrValue, err)
+	}
+
+	// Remount with -wpanic=false so gocryptfs does not panics when it sees
+	// the broken xattrs
+	test_helpers.UnmountPanic(test_helpers.DefaultPlainDir)
+	test_helpers.MountOrExit(test_helpers.DefaultCipherDir, test_helpers.DefaultPlainDir, "-zerokey", "-wpanic=false")
+
+	brokenVals := []string{
+		"111",
+		"raw-test-long-block123",
+		"raw-test-long-block123-xyz11111111111111111111111111111111111111",
+		"$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$",
+	}
+	for _, val := range brokenVals {
+		xattr.Set(encryptedFn, encryptedAttrName2, []byte(val))
+		plainValue, err = xattr.Get(plainFn, attrName2)
+		err2, _ := err.(*xattr.Error)
+		if err == nil || err2.Err != syscall.EIO {
+			t.Fatalf("Incorrect handling of broken data %s %v", string(plainValue), err)
+		}
+	}
+}