diff --git a/src/platform_linux/laio.c b/src/platform_linux/laio.c
index 3e1f7e1e..2e2395a6 100644
--- a/src/platform_linux/laio.c
+++ b/src/platform_linux/laio.c
@@ -594,13 +594,16 @@ laio_handle_create(io_config *cfg, platform_heap_id hid)
       return NULL;
    }
 
-   if (S_ISREG(statbuf.st_mode) && statbuf.st_size < 128 * 1024) {
-      r = fallocate(io->fd, 0, 0, 128 * 1024);
-      if (r == EOPNOTSUPP) {
+
+#define SUPERBLOCK_SIZE 128 * 1024
+
+   if (S_ISREG(statbuf.st_mode) && statbuf.st_size < SUPERBLOCK_SIZE) {
+      r = fallocate(io->fd, 0, 0, SUPERBLOCK_SIZE);
+      if (r && errno == EOPNOTSUPP) {
          if (statbuf.st_size == 0) {
-            uint8_t zeroes[128 * 1024] = {0};
-            r                          = pwrite(io->fd, &zeroes, 128 * 1024, 0);
-            if (r) {
+            uint8_t zeroes[SUPERBLOCK_SIZE] = {0};
+            r = pwrite(io->fd, &zeroes, SUPERBLOCK_SIZE, 0);
+            if (r != SUPERBLOCK_SIZE) {
                platform_error_log("fallocate not supported by filesystem and "
                                   "fallback write failed: %s\n",
                                   strerror(errno));
@@ -626,6 +629,8 @@ laio_handle_create(io_config *cfg, platform_heap_id hid)
       }
    }
 
+#undef SUPERBLOCK_SIZE
+
    io->pecnode.termination = laio_process_termination_callback;
    io->pecnode.arg         = io;
    platform_linux_add_process_event_callback(&io->pecnode);