diff --git a/lib/std/once.nim b/lib/std/once.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b2853f82c3bda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/std/once.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+when compileOption("threads"):
+  import std/[atomics, locks]
+
+
+type
+  Once* = object    ## A object that ensures a block of code is executed once.
+    when compileOption("threads"):
+      finished: Atomic[bool]
+      lock: Lock
+    else:
+      finished: bool
+
+proc `=destroy`*(once: var Once) {.inline.} =
+  when compileOption("threads"):
+    deinitLock(once.lock)
+
+proc init*(once: var Once) =
+  ## Initializes a `Once` object.
+  when compileOption("threads"):
+    once.finished.store(false, moRelaxed)
+    initLock(once.lock)
+
+template once*(cond: var Once, body: untyped) =
+  ## Executes a block of code only once (the first time the block is reached).
+  ## It is thread-safe.
+  runnableExamples("--gc:orc --threads:on"):
+    var block1: Once
+    var count = 0
+    init(block1)
+
+    for i in 1 .. 10:
+      once(block1):
+        inc count
+
+      # only the first `block1` is executed
+      once(block1):
+        count = 888
+
+    assert count == 1
+
+  when compileOption("threads"):
+    if not cond.finished.load(moAcquire):
+      withLock cond.lock:
+        if not cond.finished.load(moRelaxed):
+          try:
+            body
+          finally:
+            cond.finished.store(true, moRelease)
+  else:
+    if not cond.finished:
+      try:
+        body
+      finally:
+        cond.finished = true
+
+
+## The code block is executed only once among threads.
+runnableExamples("--gc:orc --threads:on"):
+  block:
+    var thr: array[0..4, Thread[void]]
+    var block1: Once
+    var count = 0
+    init(block1)
+    proc threadFunc() {.thread.} =
+      for i in 1 .. 10:
+        once(block1):
+          inc count
+    for i in 0..high(thr):
+      createThread(thr[i], threadFunc)
+    joinThreads(thr)
+    assert count == 1
+
+## The code blocks is executed per thread.
+runnableExamples("--gc:orc --threads:on"):
+  block:
+    var thr: array[0..4, Thread[void]]
+    var count = 0
+    proc threadFunc() {.thread.} =
+      var block1: Once
+      init(block1)
+      for i in 1 .. 10:
+        once(block1):
+          inc count
+    for i in 0..high(thr):
+      createThread(thr[i], threadFunc)
+    joinThreads(thr)
+    assert count == thr.len
diff --git a/tests/stdlib/tonce.nim b/tests/stdlib/tonce.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..4e35cc06c3cb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/stdlib/tonce.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+discard """
+  matrix: "--gc:orc --threads:on"
+"""
+import std/once
+
+
+block:
+  var thr: array[0..4, Thread[void]]
+  var block1: Once
+  var count = 0
+  initOnce(block1)
+  proc threadFunc() {.thread.} =
+    for i in 1 .. 10:
+      once(block1):
+        inc count
+  for i in 0..high(thr):
+    createThread(thr[i], threadFunc)
+  joinThreads(thr)
+  doAssert count == 1
+
+
+block:
+  var thr: array[0..4, Thread[void]]
+  var count = 0
+  proc threadFunc() {.thread.} =
+    var block1: Once
+    initOnce(block1)
+    for i in 1 .. 10:
+      once(block1):
+        inc count
+  for i in 0..high(thr):
+    createThread(thr[i], threadFunc)
+  joinThreads(thr)
+  doAssert count == 5