diff --git a/newbrt/brtloader-callback.c b/newbrt/brtloader-callback.c
index ac0e336f123..2a9c55384bb 100644
--- a/newbrt/brtloader-callback.c
+++ b/newbrt/brtloader-callback.c
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "brtloader-internal.h"
 
+static void error_callback_lock(brtloader_error_callback loader_error) {
+    int r = toku_pthread_mutex_lock(&loader_error->mutex); assert(r == 0);
+}
+
+static void error_callback_unlock(brtloader_error_callback loader_error) {
+    int r = toku_pthread_mutex_unlock(&loader_error->mutex); assert(r == 0);
+}
+
 int brt_loader_init_error_callback(brtloader_error_callback loader_error) {
     memset(loader_error, 0, sizeof *loader_error);
     int r = toku_pthread_mutex_init(&loader_error->mutex, NULL); assert(r == 0);
@@ -25,7 +33,10 @@ void brt_loader_destroy_error_callback(brtloader_error_callback loader_error) {
 }
 
 int brt_loader_get_error(brtloader_error_callback loader_error) {
-    return loader_error->error;
+    error_callback_lock(loader_error);
+    int r = loader_error->error;
+    error_callback_unlock(loader_error);
+    return r;
 }
 
 void brt_loader_set_error_function(brtloader_error_callback loader_error, brt_loader_error_func error_function, void *error_extra) {
@@ -33,14 +44,6 @@ void brt_loader_set_error_function(brtloader_error_callback loader_error, brt_lo
     loader_error->extra = error_extra;
 }
 
-static void error_callback_lock(brtloader_error_callback loader_error) {
-    int r = toku_pthread_mutex_lock(&loader_error->mutex); assert(r == 0);
-}
-
-static void error_callback_unlock(brtloader_error_callback loader_error) {
-    int r = toku_pthread_mutex_unlock(&loader_error->mutex); assert(r == 0);
-}
-
 static void copy_dbt(DBT *dest, DBT *src) {
     if (src) {
         dest->data = toku_malloc(src->size);
diff --git a/newbrt/tests/brtloader-error-injector.h b/newbrt/tests/brtloader-error-injector.h
index 501bee69ec6..e1530b5efcb 100644
--- a/newbrt/tests/brtloader-error-injector.h
+++ b/newbrt/tests/brtloader-error-injector.h
@@ -15,11 +15,20 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include "toku_atomic.h"
 
+static toku_pthread_mutex_t event_mutex = TOKU_PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+static void lock_events(void) {
+    int r = toku_pthread_mutex_lock(&event_mutex); assert(r == 0);
+}
+static void unlock_events(void) {
+    int r = toku_pthread_mutex_unlock(&event_mutex); assert(r == 0);
+}
 static int event_count, event_count_trigger;
 
 __attribute__((__unused__))
 static void reset_event_counts(void) {
+    lock_events();
     event_count = event_count_trigger = 0;
+    unlock_events();
 }
 
 __attribute__((__unused__))
@@ -28,7 +37,11 @@ static void event_hit(void) {
 
 __attribute__((__unused__))
 static int event_add_and_fetch(void) {
-    return toku_sync_increment_and_fetch_int32(&event_count);
+    lock_events();
+    int r = ++event_count;
+    unlock_events();
+    return r;
+    // return toku_sync_increment_and_fetch_int32(&event_count);
 }
 
 static int do_user_errors = 0;
diff --git a/toku_include/toku_atomic.h b/toku_include/toku_atomic.h
index 07282964ca6..0602e38e5ba 100644
--- a/toku_include/toku_atomic.h
+++ b/toku_include/toku_atomic.h
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ static inline uint32_t
 toku_sync_fetch_and_add_uint32(volatile uint32_t *a, uint32_t b) {
     // icc previously required _InterlockedExchangeAdd((LONG*)a, b);
     return __sync_fetch_and_add(a, b);
-
 }
 
 static inline uint32_t toku_sync_fetch_and_increment_uint32(volatile uint32_t *a) {
@@ -38,11 +37,11 @@ static inline int32_t toku_sync_add_and_fetch_int32(volatile int32_t *a, int32_t
 }
 
 static inline int32_t toku_sync_increment_and_fetch_int32(volatile int32_t *a) {
-    return toku_sync_add_and_fetch_int32(a, 1);
+    return __sync_add_and_fetch(a, 1);
 }
 
 static inline int32_t toku_sync_decrement_and_fetch_int32(volatile int32_t *a) {
-    return toku_sync_add_and_fetch_int32(a, -1);
+    return __sync_add_and_fetch(a, -1);
 }
 
 #if __GNUC__ && __i386__