diff --git a/block/vmdk.c b/block/vmdk.c
index d4ea92bdcf..07707779a0 100644
--- a/block/vmdk.c
+++ b/block/vmdk.c
@@ -1160,6 +1160,105 @@ static int vmdk_L2update(VmdkExtent *extent, VmdkMetaData *m_data,
     return VMDK_OK;
 }
 
+/*
+ * vmdk_l2load
+ *
+ * Load a new L2 table into memory. If the table is in the cache, the cache
+ * is used; otherwise the L2 table is loaded from the image file.
+ *
+ * Returns:
+ *   VMDK_OK:       on success
+ *   VMDK_ERROR:    in error cases
+ */
+static int vmdk_l2load(VmdkExtent *extent, uint64_t offset, int l2_offset,
+                       uint32_t **new_l2_table, int *new_l2_index)
+{
+    int min_index, i, j;
+    uint32_t *l2_table;
+    uint32_t min_count;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < L2_CACHE_SIZE; i++) {
+        if (l2_offset == extent->l2_cache_offsets[i]) {
+            /* increment the hit count */
+            if (++extent->l2_cache_counts[i] == UINT32_MAX) {
+                for (j = 0; j < L2_CACHE_SIZE; j++) {
+                    extent->l2_cache_counts[j] >>= 1;
+                }
+            }
+            l2_table = extent->l2_cache + (i * extent->l2_size);
+            goto found;
+        }
+    }
+    /* not found: load a new entry in the least used one */
+    min_index = 0;
+    min_count = UINT32_MAX;
+    for (i = 0; i < L2_CACHE_SIZE; i++) {
+        if (extent->l2_cache_counts[i] < min_count) {
+            min_count = extent->l2_cache_counts[i];
+            min_index = i;
+        }
+    }
+    l2_table = extent->l2_cache + (min_index * extent->l2_size);
+    if (bdrv_pread(extent->file,
+                (int64_t)l2_offset * 512,
+                l2_table,
+                extent->l2_size * sizeof(uint32_t)
+            ) != extent->l2_size * sizeof(uint32_t)) {
+        return VMDK_ERROR;
+    }
+
+    extent->l2_cache_offsets[min_index] = l2_offset;
+    extent->l2_cache_counts[min_index] = 1;
+found:
+    *new_l2_index = ((offset >> 9) / extent->cluster_sectors) % extent->l2_size;
+    *new_l2_table = l2_table;
+
+    return VMDK_OK;
+}
+
+/*
+ * get_cluster_table
+ *
+ * For a given offset, load (and allocate if needed) the l2 table.
+ *
+ * Returns:
+ *   VMDK_OK:        on success
+ *
+ *   VMDK_UNALLOC:   if cluster is not mapped
+ *
+ *   VMDK_ERROR:     in error cases
+ */
+static int get_cluster_table(VmdkExtent *extent, uint64_t offset,
+                             int *new_l1_index, int *new_l2_offset,
+                             int *new_l2_index, uint32_t **new_l2_table)
+{
+    int l1_index, l2_offset, l2_index;
+    uint32_t *l2_table;
+    int ret;
+
+    offset -= (extent->end_sector - extent->sectors) * SECTOR_SIZE;
+    l1_index = (offset >> 9) / extent->l1_entry_sectors;
+    if (l1_index >= extent->l1_size) {
+        return VMDK_ERROR;
+    }
+    l2_offset = extent->l1_table[l1_index];
+    if (!l2_offset) {
+        return VMDK_UNALLOC;
+    }
+
+    ret = vmdk_l2load(extent, offset, l2_offset, &l2_table, &l2_index);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    *new_l1_index = l1_index;
+    *new_l2_offset = l2_offset;
+    *new_l2_index = l2_index;
+    *new_l2_table = l2_table;
+
+    return VMDK_OK;
+}
+
 /**
  * vmdk_get_cluster_offset
  *
@@ -1189,66 +1288,24 @@ static int vmdk_get_cluster_offset(BlockDriverState *bs,
                                    uint64_t skip_start_bytes,
                                    uint64_t skip_end_bytes)
 {
-    unsigned int l1_index, l2_offset, l2_index;
-    int min_index, i, j;
-    uint32_t min_count, *l2_table;
+    int l1_index, l2_offset, l2_index;
+    uint32_t *l2_table;
     bool zeroed = false;
     int64_t ret;
     int64_t cluster_sector;
 
-    if (m_data) {
-        m_data->valid = 0;
-    }
     if (extent->flat) {
         *cluster_offset = extent->flat_start_offset;
         return VMDK_OK;
     }
 
-    offset -= (extent->end_sector - extent->sectors) * SECTOR_SIZE;
-    l1_index = (offset >> 9) / extent->l1_entry_sectors;
-    if (l1_index >= extent->l1_size) {
-        return VMDK_ERROR;
-    }
-    l2_offset = extent->l1_table[l1_index];
-    if (!l2_offset) {
-        return VMDK_UNALLOC;
-    }
-    for (i = 0; i < L2_CACHE_SIZE; i++) {
-        if (l2_offset == extent->l2_cache_offsets[i]) {
-            /* increment the hit count */
-            if (++extent->l2_cache_counts[i] == 0xffffffff) {
-                for (j = 0; j < L2_CACHE_SIZE; j++) {
-                    extent->l2_cache_counts[j] >>= 1;
-                }
-            }
-            l2_table = extent->l2_cache + (i * extent->l2_size);
-            goto found;
-        }
-    }
-    /* not found: load a new entry in the least used one */
-    min_index = 0;
-    min_count = 0xffffffff;
-    for (i = 0; i < L2_CACHE_SIZE; i++) {
-        if (extent->l2_cache_counts[i] < min_count) {
-            min_count = extent->l2_cache_counts[i];
-            min_index = i;
-        }
-    }
-    l2_table = extent->l2_cache + (min_index * extent->l2_size);
-    if (bdrv_pread(extent->file,
-                (int64_t)l2_offset * 512,
-                l2_table,
-                extent->l2_size * sizeof(uint32_t)
-            ) != extent->l2_size * sizeof(uint32_t)) {
-        return VMDK_ERROR;
+    ret = get_cluster_table(extent, offset, &l1_index, &l2_offset,
+                            &l2_index, &l2_table);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        return ret;
     }
 
-    extent->l2_cache_offsets[min_index] = l2_offset;
-    extent->l2_cache_counts[min_index] = 1;
- found:
-    l2_index = ((offset >> 9) / extent->cluster_sectors) % extent->l2_size;
     cluster_sector = le32_to_cpu(l2_table[l2_index]);
-
     if (extent->has_zero_grain && cluster_sector == VMDK_GTE_ZEROED) {
         zeroed = true;
     }
