diff --git a/tools/perf/util/thread.c b/tools/perf/util/thread.c
index 1c8fbc9588c5fddc978e8a07562aecc167a2a752..1b265521836c464df8a50cc942673390f0cd5dcc 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/thread.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/thread.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ struct thread *thread__new(pid_t pid, pid_t tid)
 			goto err_thread;
 
 		list_add(&comm->list, &thread->comm_list);
-
+		atomic_set(&thread->refcnt, 0);
 	}
 
 	return thread;
@@ -84,13 +84,13 @@ void thread__delete(struct thread *thread)
 
 struct thread *thread__get(struct thread *thread)
 {
-	++thread->refcnt;
+	atomic_inc(&thread->refcnt);
 	return thread;
 }
 
 void thread__put(struct thread *thread)
 {
-	if (thread && --thread->refcnt == 0) {
+	if (thread && atomic_dec_and_test(&thread->refcnt)) {
 		list_del_init(&thread->node);
 		thread__delete(thread);
 	}
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/thread.h b/tools/perf/util/thread.h
index 9b8a54dc34a81963d8026e226bcd3334713b1606..f33c48cfdaa090f937e7c5895d81c1a8298db0bf 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/thread.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/thread.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef __PERF_THREAD_H
 #define __PERF_THREAD_H
 
+#include <linux/atomic.h>
 #include <linux/rbtree.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ struct thread {
 	pid_t			tid;
 	pid_t			ppid;
 	int			cpu;
-	int			refcnt;
+	atomic_t		refcnt;
 	char			shortname[3];
 	bool			comm_set;
 	bool			dead; /* if set thread has exited */