diff --git a/iocore/eventsystem/I_Thread.h b/iocore/eventsystem/I_Thread.h
index 844cfaeb01f..76d5cabd867 100644
--- a/iocore/eventsystem/I_Thread.h
+++ b/iocore/eventsystem/I_Thread.h
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@
 #include "tscore/ink_thread.h"
 #include "I_ProxyAllocator.h"
 
+#include <atomic>
+
 class ProxyMutex;
 
 constexpr int MAX_THREAD_NAME_LENGTH = 16;
@@ -177,7 +179,7 @@ class Thread
 protected:
   Thread();
 
-  static ink_hrtime cur_time;
+  static std::atomic<ink_hrtime> cur_time;
 };
 
 extern Thread *this_thread();
diff --git a/iocore/eventsystem/Thread.cc b/iocore/eventsystem/Thread.cc
index 38c6c340908..11db72acda3 100644
--- a/iocore/eventsystem/Thread.cc
+++ b/iocore/eventsystem/Thread.cc
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 // Common Interface impl                     //
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-ink_hrtime Thread::cur_time = ink_get_hrtime_internal();
+std::atomic<ink_hrtime> Thread::cur_time = ink_get_hrtime_internal();
 thread_local Thread *Thread::this_thread_ptr;
 
 Thread::Thread()