diff --git a/bin/dnssec/dnssec-signzone.c b/bin/dnssec/dnssec-signzone.c
index e518ab3720..b01d15b58c 100644
--- a/bin/dnssec/dnssec-signzone.c
+++ b/bin/dnssec/dnssec-signzone.c
@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ static unsigned char *gsalt = saltbuf;
 static size_t salt_length = 0;
 static isc_task_t *master = NULL;
 static unsigned int ntasks = 0;
-static atomic_bool shuttingdown = ATOMIC_VAR_INIT(false);
-static atomic_bool finished = ATOMIC_VAR_INIT(false);
+static atomic_bool shuttingdown;
+static atomic_bool finished;
 static bool nokeys = false;
 static bool removefile = false;
 static bool generateds = false;
@@ -3216,6 +3216,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	bool set_iter = false;
 	bool nonsecify = false;
 
+	atomic_init(&shuttingdown, false);
+	atomic_init(&finished, false);
+
 	/* Unused letters: Bb G J q Yy (and F is reserved). */
 #define CMDLINE_FLAGS \
 	"3:AaCc:Dd:E:e:f:FghH:i:I:j:K:k:L:l:m:M:n:N:o:O:PpQRr:s:ST:tuUv:VX:xzZ:"
diff --git a/lib/dns/lib.c b/lib/dns/lib.c
index 8d51a0a762..e2b92a99d7 100644
--- a/lib/dns/lib.c
+++ b/lib/dns/lib.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static isc_once_t init_once = ISC_ONCE_INIT;
 static isc_mem_t *dns_g_mctx = NULL;
 static dns_dbimplementation_t *dbimp = NULL;
 static bool initialize_done = false;
-static isc_refcount_t references = 0;
+static isc_refcount_t references;
 
 static void
 initialize(void) {
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ initialize(void) {
 
 	REQUIRE(initialize_done == false);
 
+	isc_refcount_init(&references, 0);
+
 	result = isc_mem_create(0, 0, &dns_g_mctx);
 	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS)
 		return;
diff --git a/lib/dns/resolver.c b/lib/dns/resolver.c
index 2af562a5cc..37efaa3af6 100644
--- a/lib/dns/resolver.c
+++ b/lib/dns/resolver.c
@@ -9814,7 +9814,7 @@ destroy(dns_resolver_t *res) {
 	unsigned int i;
 	alternate_t *a;
 
-	REQUIRE(res->references == 0);
+	REQUIRE(atomic_load(&res->references) == 0);
 	REQUIRE(!res->priming);
 	REQUIRE(res->primefetch == NULL);
 
@@ -10039,7 +10039,7 @@ dns_resolver_create(dns_view_t *view,
 		isc_mem_setname(res->buckets[i].mctx, name, NULL);
 		isc_task_setname(res->buckets[i].task, name, res);
 		ISC_LIST_INIT(res->buckets[i].fctxs);
-		atomic_store_release(&res->buckets[i].exiting, false);
+		atomic_init(&res->buckets[i].exiting, false);
 		buckets_created++;
 	}
 
@@ -10362,7 +10362,7 @@ dns_resolver_shutdown(dns_resolver_t *res) {
 				dns_dispatchset_cancelall(res->dispatches6,
 							  res->buckets[i].task);
 			}
-			res->buckets[i].exiting = true;
+			atomic_store(&res->buckets[i].exiting, true);
 			if (ISC_LIST_EMPTY(res->buckets[i].fctxs)) {
 				INSIST(res->activebuckets > 0);
 				res->activebuckets--;
@@ -10583,7 +10583,7 @@ dns_resolver_createfetch(dns_resolver_t *res, const dns_name_t *name,
 	UNLOCK(&res->lock);
 	LOCK(&res->buckets[bucketnum].lock);
 
-	if (res->buckets[bucketnum].exiting) {
+	if (atomic_load(&res->buckets[bucketnum].exiting)) {
 		result = ISC_R_SHUTTINGDOWN;
 		goto unlock;
 	}
diff --git a/lib/dns/zone.c b/lib/dns/zone.c
index 9706d9e2b2..25c8fcfa2a 100644
--- a/lib/dns/zone.c
+++ b/lib/dns/zone.c
@@ -17392,7 +17392,7 @@ dns_zonemgr_unreachable(dns_zonemgr_t *zmgr, isc_sockaddr_t *remote,
 
 	RWLOCK(&zmgr->urlock, isc_rwlocktype_read);
 	for (i = 0; i < UNREACH_CACHE_SIZE; i++) {
-		if (zmgr->unreachable[i].expire >= seconds &&
+		if (atomic_load(&zmgr->unreachable[i].expire) >= seconds &&
 		    isc_sockaddr_equal(&zmgr->unreachable[i].remote, remote) &&
 		    isc_sockaddr_equal(&zmgr->unreachable[i].local, local)) {
 			atomic_store_relaxed(&zmgr->unreachable[i].last,
diff --git a/lib/isc/task.c b/lib/isc/task.c
index f0446eafbe..b97ba306b6 100644
--- a/lib/isc/task.c
+++ b/lib/isc/task.c
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ task_finished(isc__task_t *task) {
 	REQUIRE(EMPTY(task->events));
 	REQUIRE(task->nevents == 0);
 	REQUIRE(EMPTY(task->on_shutdown));
-	REQUIRE(task->references == 0);
+	REQUIRE(atomic_load(&task->references) == 0);
 	REQUIRE(task->state == task_state_done);
 
 	XTRACE("task_finished");
@@ -1243,7 +1243,8 @@ dispatch(isc__taskmgr_t *manager, unsigned int threadid) {
 		 * we're stuck.  Automatically drop privileges at that
 		 * point and continue with the regular ready queue.
 		 */
-		if (manager->mode != isc_taskmgrmode_normal &&
+		if (atomic_load_relaxed(&manager->mode) !=
+		    isc_taskmgrmode_normal &&
 		    atomic_load_explicit(&manager->tasks_running,
 					 memory_order_acquire) == 0)
 		{
@@ -1256,7 +1257,8 @@ dispatch(isc__taskmgr_t *manager, unsigned int threadid) {
 			 * we'll end up in a deadlock over queue locks.
 			 *
 			 */
-			if (manager->mode != isc_taskmgrmode_normal &&
+			if (atomic_load(&manager->mode) !=
+			    isc_taskmgrmode_normal &&
 			    atomic_load_explicit(&manager->tasks_running,
 						 memory_order_acquire) == 0)
 			{
@@ -1360,10 +1362,10 @@ isc_taskmgr_create(isc_mem_t *mctx, unsigned int workers,
 	manager->queues = isc_mem_get(mctx, workers * sizeof(isc__taskqueue_t));
 	RUNTIME_CHECK(manager->queues != NULL);
 
-	manager->tasks_running = 0;
-	manager->tasks_ready = 0;
-	manager->curq = 0;
-	manager->exiting = false;
+	atomic_init(&manager->tasks_running, 0);
+	atomic_init(&manager->tasks_ready, 0);
+	atomic_init(&manager->curq, 0);
+	atomic_init(&manager->exiting, false);
 	manager->excl = NULL;
 	manager->halted = 0;
 	atomic_store_relaxed(&manager->exclusive_req, false);
@@ -1529,8 +1531,8 @@ void
 isc__taskmgr_resume(isc_taskmgr_t *manager0) {
 	isc__taskmgr_t *manager = (isc__taskmgr_t *)manager0;
 	LOCK(&manager->halt_lock);
-	if (manager->pause_req) {
-		manager->pause_req = false;
+	if (atomic_load(&manager->pause_req)) {
+		atomic_store(&manager->pause_req, false);
 		while (manager->halted > 0) {
 			BROADCAST(&manager->halt_cond);
 			WAIT(&manager->halt_cond, &manager->halt_lock);