diff --git a/sys/mips/include/atomic.h b/sys/mips/include/atomic.h
index 668d311d24a..9838a6953ac 100644
--- a/sys/mips/include/atomic.h
+++ b/sys/mips/include/atomic.h
@@ -342,20 +342,21 @@ atomic_store_rel_##WIDTH(__volatile uint##WIDTH##_t *p, uint##WIDTH##_t v)\
 ATOMIC_STORE_LOAD(32)
 ATOMIC_STORE_LOAD(64)
 #if !defined(__mips_n64) && !defined(__mips_n32)
-void atomic_store_64(__volatile uint64_t *, uint64_t *);
-void atomic_load_64(__volatile uint64_t *, uint64_t *);
-#else
+void atomic_store_64(__volatile uint64_t *, uint64_t);
+uint64_t atomic_load_64(__volatile uint64_t *);
+#elif defined (__mips_n32)
 static __inline void
-atomic_store_64(__volatile uint64_t *p, uint64_t *v)
+atomic_store_64(__volatile uint64_t *p, uint64_t v)
 {
-	*p = *v;
+	*p = v;
 }
 
-static __inline void
-atomic_load_64(__volatile uint64_t *p, uint64_t *v)
+static __inline uint64_t
+atomic_load_64(__volatile uint64_t *p)
 {
-	*v = *p;
+	return (*p);
 }
+/* #else atomic_common.h definitions of atomic_load/store_64 are used */
 #endif
 
 #undef ATOMIC_STORE_LOAD
diff --git a/sys/mips/mips/db_interface.c b/sys/mips/mips/db_interface.c
index 9a7f346d95f..3426bf48a00 100644
--- a/sys/mips/mips/db_interface.c
+++ b/sys/mips/mips/db_interface.c
@@ -164,9 +164,9 @@ db_read_bytes(vm_offset_t addr, size_t size, char *data)
 				*(uint32_t *)data = *(uint32_t *)addr;
 				break;
 			case 8:
-				atomic_load_64((volatile u_int64_t *)addr,
-				    (u_int64_t *)data);
-			break;
+				*(uint64_t *)data = atomic_load_64(
+				    (void *)addr);
+				break;
 			}
 		} else {
 			char *src;
@@ -207,9 +207,9 @@ db_write_bytes(vm_offset_t addr, size_t size, char *data)
 				*(uint32_t *)addr = *(uint32_t *)data;
 				break;
 			case 8:
-				atomic_store_64((volatile u_int64_t *)addr,
-				    (u_int64_t *)data);
-			break;
+				atomic_store_64((uint64_t *)addr,
+				    *(uint64_t *)data);
+				break;
 			}
 		} else {
 			char *dst;