diff --git a/lib/librte_distributor/rte_distributor.c b/lib/librte_distributor/rte_distributor.c
index 21eb1fb0a..7bf96e224 100644
--- a/lib/librte_distributor/rte_distributor.c
+++ b/lib/librte_distributor/rte_distributor.c
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ rte_distributor_request_pkt_v1705(struct rte_distributor *d,
 
 	retptr64 = &(buf->retptr64[0]);
 	/* Spin while handshake bits are set (scheduler clears it) */
-	while (unlikely(*retptr64 & RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF)) {
+	while (unlikely(__atomic_load_n(retptr64, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE)
+			& RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF)) {
 		rte_pause();
 		uint64_t t = rte_rdtsc()+100;
 
@@ -76,7 +77,8 @@ rte_distributor_request_pkt_v1705(struct rte_distributor *d,
 	 * Finally, set the GET_BUF  to signal to distributor that cache
 	 * line is ready for processing
 	 */
-	*retptr64 |= RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF;
+	__atomic_store_n(retptr64, *retptr64 | RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF,
+			__ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 }
 BIND_DEFAULT_SYMBOL(rte_distributor_request_pkt, _v1705, 17.05);
 MAP_STATIC_SYMBOL(void rte_distributor_request_pkt(struct rte_distributor *d,
@@ -99,7 +101,8 @@ rte_distributor_poll_pkt_v1705(struct rte_distributor *d,
 	}
 
 	/* If bit is set, return */
-	if (buf->bufptr64[0] & RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF)
+	if (__atomic_load_n(&(buf->bufptr64[0]), __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE)
+		& RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF)
 		return -1;
 
 	/* since bufptr64 is signed, this should be an arithmetic shift */
@@ -116,6 +119,8 @@ rte_distributor_poll_pkt_v1705(struct rte_distributor *d,
 	 * on the next cacheline while we're working.
 	 */
 	buf->bufptr64[0] |= RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF;
+	__atomic_store_n(&(buf->bufptr64[0]),
+		buf->bufptr64[0] | RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 
 	return count;
 }
@@ -183,7 +188,8 @@ rte_distributor_return_pkt_v1705(struct rte_distributor *d,
 			RTE_DISTRIB_FLAG_BITS) | RTE_DISTRIB_RETURN_BUF;
 
 	/* set the GET_BUF but even if we got no returns */
-	buf->retptr64[0] |= RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF;
+	__atomic_store_n(&(buf->retptr64[0]),
+		buf->retptr64[0] | RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -273,7 +279,8 @@ handle_returns(struct rte_distributor *d, unsigned int wkr)
 	unsigned int count = 0;
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	if (buf->retptr64[0] & RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF) {
+	if (__atomic_load_n(&(buf->retptr64[0]), __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE)
+		& RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF) {
 		for (i = 0; i < RTE_DIST_BURST_SIZE; i++) {
 			if (buf->retptr64[i] & RTE_DISTRIB_RETURN_BUF) {
 				oldbuf = ((uintptr_t)(buf->retptr64[i] >>
@@ -287,7 +294,7 @@ handle_returns(struct rte_distributor *d, unsigned int wkr)
 		d->returns.start = ret_start;
 		d->returns.count = ret_count;
 		/* Clear for the worker to populate with more returns */
-		buf->retptr64[0] = 0;
+		__atomic_store_n(&(buf->retptr64[0]), 0, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 	}
 	return count;
 }
@@ -307,7 +314,8 @@ release(struct rte_distributor *d, unsigned int wkr)
 	struct rte_distributor_buffer *buf = &(d->bufs[wkr]);
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	while (!(d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64[0] & RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF))
+	while (!(__atomic_load_n(&(d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64[0]), __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE)
+		& RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF))
 		rte_pause();
 
 	handle_returns(d, wkr);
@@ -328,7 +336,8 @@ release(struct rte_distributor *d, unsigned int wkr)
 	d->backlog[wkr].count = 0;
 
 	/* Clear the GET bit */
-	buf->bufptr64[0] &= ~RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF;
+	__atomic_store_n(&(buf->bufptr64[0]),
+		buf->bufptr64[0] & ~RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 	return  buf->count;
 
 }
@@ -574,7 +583,8 @@ rte_distributor_clear_returns_v1705(struct rte_distributor *d)
 
 	/* throw away returns, so workers can exit */
 	for (wkr = 0; wkr < d->num_workers; wkr++)
-		d->bufs[wkr].retptr64[0] = 0;
+		__atomic_store_n(&(d->bufs[wkr].retptr64[0]), 0,
+				__ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 }
 BIND_DEFAULT_SYMBOL(rte_distributor_clear_returns, _v1705, 17.05);
 MAP_STATIC_SYMBOL(void rte_distributor_clear_returns(struct rte_distributor *d),
diff --git a/lib/librte_distributor/rte_distributor_v20.c b/lib/librte_distributor/rte_distributor_v20.c
index cdc0969a8..3a5810c6d 100644
--- a/lib/librte_distributor/rte_distributor_v20.c
+++ b/lib/librte_distributor/rte_distributor_v20.c
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ rte_distributor_request_pkt_v20(struct rte_distributor_v20 *d,
 	union rte_distributor_buffer_v20 *buf = &d->bufs[worker_id];
 	int64_t req = (((int64_t)(uintptr_t)oldpkt) << RTE_DISTRIB_FLAG_BITS)
 			| RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF;
-	while (unlikely(buf->bufptr64 & RTE_DISTRIB_FLAGS_MASK))
+	while (unlikely(__atomic_load_n(&(buf->bufptr64), __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE)
+		& RTE_DISTRIB_FLAGS_MASK))
 		rte_pause();
-	buf->bufptr64 = req;
+	__atomic_store_n(&(buf->bufptr64), req, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 }
 VERSION_SYMBOL(rte_distributor_request_pkt, _v20, 2.0);
 
@@ -45,7 +46,8 @@ rte_distributor_poll_pkt_v20(struct rte_distributor_v20 *d,
 		unsigned worker_id)
 {
 	union rte_distributor_buffer_v20 *buf = &d->bufs[worker_id];
-	if (buf->bufptr64 & RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF)
+	if (__atomic_load_n(&(buf->bufptr64), __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE)
+		& RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* since bufptr64 is signed, this should be an arithmetic shift */
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@ rte_distributor_return_pkt_v20(struct rte_distributor_v20 *d,
 	union rte_distributor_buffer_v20 *buf = &d->bufs[worker_id];
 	uint64_t req = (((int64_t)(uintptr_t)oldpkt) << RTE_DISTRIB_FLAG_BITS)
 			| RTE_DISTRIB_RETURN_BUF;
-	buf->bufptr64 = req;
+	__atomic_store_n(&(buf->bufptr64), req, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 	return 0;
 }
 VERSION_SYMBOL(rte_distributor_return_pkt, _v20, 2.0);
@@ -117,7 +119,7 @@ handle_worker_shutdown(struct rte_distributor_v20 *d, unsigned int wkr)
 {
 	d->in_flight_tags[wkr] = 0;
 	d->in_flight_bitmask &= ~(1UL << wkr);
-	d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64 = 0;
+	__atomic_store_n(&(d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64), 0, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 	if (unlikely(d->backlog[wkr].count != 0)) {
 		/* On return of a packet, we need to move the
 		 * queued packets for this core elsewhere.
@@ -165,13 +167,17 @@ process_returns(struct rte_distributor_v20 *d)
 		const int64_t data = d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64;
 		uintptr_t oldbuf = 0;
 
-		if (data & RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF) {
+		if (__atomic_load_n(&data, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE)
+			& RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF) {
 			flushed++;
 			if (d->backlog[wkr].count)
-				d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64 =
-						backlog_pop(&d->backlog[wkr]);
+				__atomic_store_n(&(d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64),
+					backlog_pop(&d->backlog[wkr]),
+					__ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 			else {
-				d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64 = RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF;
+				__atomic_store_n(&(d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64),
+					RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF,
+					__ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 				d->in_flight_tags[wkr] = 0;
 				d->in_flight_bitmask &= ~(1UL << wkr);
 			}
@@ -251,7 +257,8 @@ rte_distributor_process_v20(struct rte_distributor_v20 *d,
 			}
 		}
 
-		if ((data & RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF) &&
+		if ((__atomic_load_n(&data, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE)
+			& RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF) &&
 				(d->backlog[wkr].count || next_mb)) {
 
 			if (d->backlog[wkr].count)
@@ -280,13 +287,16 @@ rte_distributor_process_v20(struct rte_distributor_v20 *d,
 	 * if they are ready */
 	for (wkr = 0; wkr < d->num_workers; wkr++)
 		if (d->backlog[wkr].count &&
-				(d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64 & RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF)) {
+				(__atomic_load_n(&(d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64),
+				__ATOMIC_ACQUIRE) & RTE_DISTRIB_GET_BUF)) {
 
 			int64_t oldbuf = d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64 >>
 					RTE_DISTRIB_FLAG_BITS;
 			store_return(oldbuf, d, &ret_start, &ret_count);
 
-			d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64 = backlog_pop(&d->backlog[wkr]);
+			__atomic_store_n(&(d->bufs[wkr].bufptr64),
+				backlog_pop(&d->backlog[wkr]),
+				__ATOMIC_RELEASE);
 		}
 
 	d->returns.start = ret_start;
