diff --git a/block/qcow2-cluster.c b/block/qcow2-cluster.c
index b7b7b37062..5bd1e1feb8 100644
--- a/block/qcow2-cluster.c
+++ b/block/qcow2-cluster.c
@@ -383,12 +383,13 @@ fail:
  * cluster which may require a different handling)
  */
 static int count_contiguous_clusters(BlockDriverState *bs, int nb_clusters,
-        int cluster_size, uint64_t *l2_slice, uint64_t stop_flags)
+        int cluster_size, uint64_t *l2_slice, int l2_index, uint64_t stop_flags)
 {
+    BDRVQcow2State *s = bs->opaque;
     int i;
     QCow2ClusterType first_cluster_type;
     uint64_t mask = stop_flags | L2E_OFFSET_MASK | QCOW_OFLAG_COMPRESSED;
-    uint64_t first_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[0]);
+    uint64_t first_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index);
     uint64_t offset = first_entry & mask;
 
     first_cluster_type = qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, first_entry);
@@ -401,7 +402,7 @@ static int count_contiguous_clusters(BlockDriverState *bs, int nb_clusters,
            first_cluster_type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_ZERO_ALLOC);
 
     for (i = 0; i < nb_clusters; i++) {
-        uint64_t l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[i]) & mask;
+        uint64_t l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i) & mask;
         if (offset + (uint64_t) i * cluster_size != l2_entry) {
             break;
         }
@@ -417,14 +418,16 @@ static int count_contiguous_clusters(BlockDriverState *bs, int nb_clusters,
 static int count_contiguous_clusters_unallocated(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                                  int nb_clusters,
                                                  uint64_t *l2_slice,
+                                                 int l2_index,
                                                  QCow2ClusterType wanted_type)
 {
+    BDRVQcow2State *s = bs->opaque;
     int i;
 
     assert(wanted_type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_ZERO_PLAIN ||
            wanted_type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_UNALLOCATED);
     for (i = 0; i < nb_clusters; i++) {
-        uint64_t entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[i]);
+        uint64_t entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
         QCow2ClusterType type = qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, entry);
 
         if (type != wanted_type) {
@@ -575,7 +578,7 @@ int qcow2_get_host_offset(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
     /* find the cluster offset for the given disk offset */
 
     l2_index = offset_to_l2_slice_index(s, offset);
-    l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index]);
+    l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index);
 
     nb_clusters = size_to_clusters(s, bytes_needed);
     /* bytes_needed <= *bytes + offset_in_cluster, both of which are unsigned
@@ -610,7 +613,7 @@ int qcow2_get_host_offset(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
     case QCOW2_CLUSTER_UNALLOCATED:
         /* how many empty clusters ? */
         c = count_contiguous_clusters_unallocated(bs, nb_clusters,
-                                                  &l2_slice[l2_index], type);
+                                                  l2_slice, l2_index, type);
         break;
     case QCOW2_CLUSTER_ZERO_ALLOC:
     case QCOW2_CLUSTER_NORMAL: {
@@ -618,7 +621,7 @@ int qcow2_get_host_offset(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
         *host_offset = host_cluster_offset + offset_in_cluster;
         /* how many allocated clusters ? */
         c = count_contiguous_clusters(bs, nb_clusters, s->cluster_size,
-                                      &l2_slice[l2_index], QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
+                                      l2_slice, l2_index, QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
         if (offset_into_cluster(s, host_cluster_offset)) {
             qcow2_signal_corruption(bs, true, -1, -1,
                                     "Cluster allocation offset %#"
@@ -770,7 +773,7 @@ int qcow2_alloc_compressed_cluster_offset(BlockDriverState *bs,
 
     /* Compression can't overwrite anything. Fail if the cluster was already
      * allocated. */
-    cluster_offset = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index]);
+    cluster_offset = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index);
     if (cluster_offset & L2E_OFFSET_MASK) {
         qcow2_cache_put(s->l2_table_cache, (void **) &l2_slice);
         return -EIO;
@@ -799,7 +802,7 @@ int qcow2_alloc_compressed_cluster_offset(BlockDriverState *bs,
 
     BLKDBG_EVENT(bs->file, BLKDBG_L2_UPDATE_COMPRESSED);
     qcow2_cache_entry_mark_dirty(s->l2_table_cache, l2_slice);
-    l2_slice[l2_index] = cpu_to_be64(cluster_offset);
+    set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index, cluster_offset);
     qcow2_cache_put(s->l2_table_cache, (void **) &l2_slice);
 
     *host_offset = cluster_offset & s->cluster_offset_mask;
@@ -992,14 +995,14 @@ int qcow2_alloc_cluster_link_l2(BlockDriverState *bs, QCowL2Meta *m)
          * cluster the second one has to do RMW (which is done above by
          * perform_cow()), update l2 table with its cluster pointer and free
          * old cluster. This is what this loop does */
-        if (l2_slice[l2_index + i] != 0) {
-            old_cluster[j++] = l2_slice[l2_index + i];
+        if (get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i) != 0) {
+            old_cluster[j++] = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
         }
 
         /* The offset must fit in the offset field of the L2 table entry */
         assert((offset & L2E_OFFSET_MASK) == offset);
 
-        l2_slice[l2_index + i] = cpu_to_be64(offset | QCOW_OFLAG_COPIED);
+        set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i, offset | QCOW_OFLAG_COPIED);
      }
 
 
@@ -1013,8 +1016,7 @@ int qcow2_alloc_cluster_link_l2(BlockDriverState *bs, QCowL2Meta *m)
      */
     if (!m->keep_old_clusters && j != 0) {
         for (i = 0; i < j; i++) {
-            qcow2_free_any_clusters(bs, be64_to_cpu(old_cluster[i]), 1,
-                                    QCOW2_DISCARD_NEVER);
+            qcow2_free_any_clusters(bs, old_cluster[i], 1, QCOW2_DISCARD_NEVER);
         }
     }
 
@@ -1077,7 +1079,7 @@ static void calculate_l2_meta(BlockDriverState *bs,
     if (keep_old) {
         int i;
         for (i = 0; i < nb_clusters; i++) {
-            l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index + i]);
+            l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
             if (qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, l2_entry) != QCOW2_CLUSTER_NORMAL) {
                 break;
             }
@@ -1088,7 +1090,7 @@ static void calculate_l2_meta(BlockDriverState *bs,
     }
 
     /* Get the L2 entry of the first cluster */
-    l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index]);
+    l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index);
     type = qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, l2_entry);
 
     if (type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_NORMAL && keep_old) {
@@ -1098,7 +1100,7 @@ static void calculate_l2_meta(BlockDriverState *bs,
     }
 
     /* Get the L2 entry of the last cluster */
-    l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index + nb_clusters - 1]);
+    l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + nb_clusters - 1);
     type = qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, l2_entry);
 
     if (type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_NORMAL && keep_old) {
@@ -1171,12 +1173,12 @@ static int count_single_write_clusters(BlockDriverState *bs, int nb_clusters,
                                        bool new_alloc)
 {
     BDRVQcow2State *s = bs->opaque;
-    uint64_t l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index]);
+    uint64_t l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index);
     uint64_t expected_offset = l2_entry & L2E_OFFSET_MASK;
     int i;
 
     for (i = 0; i < nb_clusters; i++) {
-        l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index + i]);
+        l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
         if (cluster_needs_new_alloc(bs, l2_entry) != new_alloc) {
             break;
         }
@@ -1312,7 +1314,7 @@ static int handle_copied(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t guest_offset,
         return ret;
     }
 
-    l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index]);
+    l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index);
     cluster_offset = l2_entry & L2E_OFFSET_MASK;
 
     if (!cluster_needs_new_alloc(bs, l2_entry)) {
@@ -1689,7 +1691,7 @@ static int discard_in_l2_slice(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
     for (i = 0; i < nb_clusters; i++) {
         uint64_t old_l2_entry;
 
-        old_l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index + i]);
+        old_l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
 
         /*
          * If full_discard is false, make sure that a discarded area reads back
@@ -1729,9 +1731,9 @@ static int discard_in_l2_slice(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
         /* First remove L2 entries */
         qcow2_cache_entry_mark_dirty(s->l2_table_cache, l2_slice);
         if (!full_discard && s->qcow_version >= 3) {
-            l2_slice[l2_index + i] = cpu_to_be64(QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
+            set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i, QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
         } else {
-            l2_slice[l2_index + i] = cpu_to_be64(0);
+            set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i, 0);
         }
 
         /* Then decrease the refcount */
@@ -1811,7 +1813,7 @@ static int zero_in_l2_slice(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
         uint64_t old_offset;
         QCow2ClusterType cluster_type;
 
-        old_offset = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[l2_index + i]);
+        old_offset = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
 
         /*
          * Minimize L2 changes if the cluster already reads back as
@@ -1825,10 +1827,11 @@ static int zero_in_l2_slice(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
 
         qcow2_cache_entry_mark_dirty(s->l2_table_cache, l2_slice);
         if (cluster_type == QCOW2_CLUSTER_COMPRESSED || unmap) {
-            l2_slice[l2_index + i] = cpu_to_be64(QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
+            set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i, QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
             qcow2_free_any_clusters(bs, old_offset, 1, QCOW2_DISCARD_REQUEST);
         } else {
-            l2_slice[l2_index + i] |= cpu_to_be64(QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
+            uint64_t entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i);
+            set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, l2_index + i, entry | QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO);
         }
     }
 
@@ -1973,7 +1976,7 @@ static int expand_zero_clusters_in_l1(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t *l1_table,
             }
 
             for (j = 0; j < s->l2_slice_size; j++) {
-                uint64_t l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[j]);
+                uint64_t l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, j);
                 int64_t offset = l2_entry & L2E_OFFSET_MASK;
                 QCow2ClusterType cluster_type =
                     qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, l2_entry);
@@ -1987,7 +1990,7 @@ static int expand_zero_clusters_in_l1(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t *l1_table,
                     if (!bs->backing) {
                         /* not backed; therefore we can simply deallocate the
                          * cluster */
-                        l2_slice[j] = 0;
+                        set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, j, 0);
                         l2_dirty = true;
                         continue;
                     }
@@ -2053,9 +2056,9 @@ static int expand_zero_clusters_in_l1(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t *l1_table,
                 }
 
                 if (l2_refcount == 1) {
-                    l2_slice[j] = cpu_to_be64(offset | QCOW_OFLAG_COPIED);
+                    set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, j, offset | QCOW_OFLAG_COPIED);
                 } else {
-                    l2_slice[j] = cpu_to_be64(offset);
+                    set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, j, offset);
                 }
                 l2_dirty = true;
             }
diff --git a/block/qcow2-refcount.c b/block/qcow2-refcount.c
index 0457a6060d..04546838e8 100644
--- a/block/qcow2-refcount.c
+++ b/block/qcow2-refcount.c
@@ -1310,7 +1310,7 @@ int qcow2_update_snapshot_refcount(BlockDriverState *bs,
                     uint64_t cluster_index;
                     uint64_t offset;
 
-                    entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[j]);
+                    entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, j);
                     old_entry = entry;
                     entry &= ~QCOW_OFLAG_COPIED;
                     offset = entry & L2E_OFFSET_MASK;
@@ -1384,7 +1384,7 @@ int qcow2_update_snapshot_refcount(BlockDriverState *bs,
                             qcow2_cache_set_dependency(bs, s->l2_table_cache,
                                                        s->refcount_block_cache);
                         }
-                        l2_slice[j] = cpu_to_be64(entry);
+                        set_l2_entry(s, l2_slice, j, entry);
                         qcow2_cache_entry_mark_dirty(s->l2_table_cache,
                                                      l2_slice);
                     }
@@ -1617,7 +1617,7 @@ static int check_refcounts_l2(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvCheckResult *res,
 
     /* Do the actual checks */
     for(i = 0; i < s->l2_size; i++) {
-        l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_table[i]);
+        l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_table, i);
 
         switch (qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, l2_entry)) {
         case QCOW2_CLUSTER_COMPRESSED:
@@ -1686,7 +1686,7 @@ static int check_refcounts_l2(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvCheckResult *res,
                                            QCOW2_OL_INACTIVE_L2;
 
                         l2_entry = QCOW_OFLAG_ZERO;
-                        l2_table[i] = cpu_to_be64(l2_entry);
+                        set_l2_entry(s, l2_table, i, l2_entry);
                         ret = qcow2_pre_write_overlap_check(bs, ign,
                                 l2e_offset, sizeof(uint64_t), false);
                         if (ret < 0) {
@@ -1914,7 +1914,7 @@ static int check_oflag_copied(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvCheckResult *res,
         }
 
         for (j = 0; j < s->l2_size; j++) {
-            uint64_t l2_entry = be64_to_cpu(l2_table[j]);
+            uint64_t l2_entry = get_l2_entry(s, l2_table, j);
             uint64_t data_offset = l2_entry & L2E_OFFSET_MASK;
             QCow2ClusterType cluster_type = qcow2_get_cluster_type(bs, l2_entry);
 
@@ -1937,9 +1937,10 @@ static int check_oflag_copied(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvCheckResult *res,
                             "l2_entry=%" PRIx64 " refcount=%" PRIu64 "\n",
                             repair ? "Repairing" : "ERROR", l2_entry, refcount);
                     if (repair) {
-                        l2_table[j] = cpu_to_be64(refcount == 1
-                                    ? l2_entry |  QCOW_OFLAG_COPIED
-                                    : l2_entry & ~QCOW_OFLAG_COPIED);
+                        set_l2_entry(s, l2_table, j,
+                                     refcount == 1 ?
+                                     l2_entry |  QCOW_OFLAG_COPIED :
+                                     l2_entry & ~QCOW_OFLAG_COPIED);
                         l2_dirty++;
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/block/qcow2.h b/block/qcow2.h
index 06475e0849..eecbadc4cb 100644
--- a/block/qcow2.h
+++ b/block/qcow2.h
@@ -510,6 +510,18 @@ typedef enum QCow2MetadataOverlap {
 
 #define INV_OFFSET (-1ULL)
 
+static inline uint64_t get_l2_entry(BDRVQcow2State *s, uint64_t *l2_slice,
+                                    int idx)
+{
+    return be64_to_cpu(l2_slice[idx]);
+}
+
+static inline void set_l2_entry(BDRVQcow2State *s, uint64_t *l2_slice,
+                                int idx, uint64_t entry)
+{
+    l2_slice[idx] = cpu_to_be64(entry);
+}
+
 static inline bool has_data_file(BlockDriverState *bs)
 {
     BDRVQcow2State *s = bs->opaque;