diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8fda196f4..bb0a795f1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2468,9 +2468,6 @@ if test x"$GCC" = xyes; then
 	      [glib_cv_gcc_has_builtin_atomic_operations=no])
 
   AC_MSG_RESULT($glib_cv_gcc_has_builtin_atomic_operations)
-  if test $glib_cv_gcc_has_builtin_atomic_operations = yes; then
-    glib_memory_barrier_needed=yes
-  else
     case $host_cpu in
       i386)
         AC_MSG_RESULT([none])
@@ -2567,7 +2564,6 @@ if test x"$GCC" = xyes; then
         glib_memory_barrier_needed=yes
         ;;
     esac
-  fi
 else
   if test $glib_native_win32 = yes; then
     # For Windows but not using gcc. No barriers needed then either.
@@ -2590,7 +2586,7 @@ AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([
 int
 main (void)
 {
-  /* not like this actually runs or anything... */
+  /* it is not like this actually runs or anything... */
   syscall (SYS_futex, NULL, FUTEX_WAKE, FUTEX_WAIT);
   return 0;
 }
@@ -3257,7 +3253,10 @@ _______EOF
 	  echo >>$outfile
 	  echo "#define G_ATOMIC_OP_MEMORY_BARRIER_NEEDED 1" >>$outfile
 	fi
-
+	if test x"$g_gcc_atomic_ops" != xno; then
+          echo >>$outfile
+          echo "#define G_ATOMIC_OP_USE_GCC_BUILTINS 1" >>$outfile
+        fi
 	echo >>$outfile
 	g_bit_sizes="16 32 64"
 	for bits in $g_bit_sizes; do
@@ -3634,6 +3633,7 @@ g_system_thread_sizeof="$glib_cv_sizeof_system_thread"
 g_mutex_contents="$glib_cv_byte_contents_gmutex"
 
 g_memory_barrier_needed="$glib_memory_barrier_needed"
+g_gcc_atomic_ops="$glib_cv_gcc_has_builtin_atomic_operations"
 
 g_module_suffix="$glib_gmodule_suffix"
 
diff --git a/glib/gatomic-gcc.c b/glib/gatomic-gcc.c
index 9f28ceeca..09cd3aafa 100644
--- a/glib/gatomic-gcc.c
+++ b/glib/gatomic-gcc.c
@@ -22,32 +22,48 @@
 
 #include "gatomic.h"
 
+/* All atomic operations are available as macros evaluating
+ * to gcc builtins (when using gcc builtins for atomic operations).
+ * For ABI stability, we provide functions for them too.
+ *
+ * To avoid interference, undefine the macros first.
+ */
+
+#undef g_atomic_int_exchange_and_add
+#undef g_atomic_int_compare_and_exchange
+#undef g_atomic_int_add
+#undef g_atomic_int_get
+#undef g_atomic_int_set
+#undef g_atomic_pointer_compare_and_exchange
+#undef g_atomic_pointer_get
+#undef g_atomic_pointer_set
+
 gint
 g_atomic_int_exchange_and_add (volatile gint G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic,
-			       gint           val)
+                               gint                            val)
 {
   return __sync_fetch_and_add (atomic, val);
 }
 
 void
 g_atomic_int_add (volatile gint G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic,
-		  gint val)
+                  gint                            val)
 {
   __sync_fetch_and_add (atomic, val);
 }
 
 gboolean
 g_atomic_int_compare_and_exchange (volatile gint G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic,
-				   gint           oldval,
-				   gint           newval)
+                                   gint                            oldval,
+                                   gint                            newval)
 {
   return __sync_bool_compare_and_swap (atomic, oldval, newval);
 }
 
 gboolean
 g_atomic_pointer_compare_and_exchange (volatile gpointer G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic,
-				       gpointer           oldval,
-				       gpointer           newval)
+                                       gpointer                            oldval,
+                                       gpointer                            newval)
 {
   return __sync_bool_compare_and_swap (atomic, oldval, newval);
 }
@@ -58,30 +74,30 @@ _g_atomic_thread_init (void)
 }
 
 gint
-(g_atomic_int_get) (volatile gint G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic)
+g_atomic_int_get (volatile gint G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic)
 {
   __sync_synchronize ();
   return *atomic;
 }
 
 void
-(g_atomic_int_set) (volatile gint G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic,
-		    gint           newval)
+g_atomic_int_set (volatile gint G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic,
+                  gint                            newval)
 {
   *atomic = newval;
   __sync_synchronize ();
 }
 
 gpointer
-(g_atomic_pointer_get) (volatile gpointer G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic)
+g_atomic_pointer_get (volatile gpointer G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic)
 {
   __sync_synchronize ();
   return *atomic;
 }
 
 void
-(g_atomic_pointer_set) (volatile gpointer G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic,
-			gpointer           newval)
+g_atomic_pointer_set (volatile gpointer G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic,
+                      gpointer                            newval)
 {
   *atomic = newval;
   __sync_synchronize ();
diff --git a/glib/gatomic.h b/glib/gatomic.h
index ddd39b8a3..969443a0f 100644
--- a/glib/gatomic.h
+++ b/glib/gatomic.h
@@ -56,12 +56,41 @@ gpointer g_atomic_pointer_get                  (volatile gpointer G_GNUC_MAY_ALI
 void     g_atomic_pointer_set                  (volatile gpointer G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *atomic,
 						gpointer           newval);
 
-#ifndef G_ATOMIC_OP_MEMORY_BARRIER_NEEDED
+#if defined(__GNUC__) && defined(G_ATOMIC_OP_USE_GCC_BUILTINS)
+
+#define g_atomic_int_exchange_and_add(atomic,val) \
+  __sync_fetch_and_add((atomic),(val))
+
+#define g_atomic_int_add(atomic,val) \
+  __sync_fetch_and_add((atomic),(val))
+
+#define g_atomic_int_compare_and_exchange(atomic,oldval,newval) \
+  __sync_bool_compare_and_swap((atomic),(oldval),(newval))
+
+#define g_atomic_int_get(atomic) \
+  __extension__ ({ __sync_synchronize(); *(atomic); })
+
+#define g_atomic_int_set(atomic,newval) \
+  __extension__ ({ *(atomic) = (newval); __sync_synchronize(); })
+
+#define g_atomic_pointer_compare_and_exchange(atomic,oldval,newval) \
+  __sync_bool_compare_and_swap((atomic),(oldval),(newval))
+
+#define g_atomic_pointer_get(atomic) \
+  __extension__ ({ __sync_synchronize(); *(atomic); })
+
+#define g_atomic_pointer_set(atomic,newval) \
+  __extension__ ({ *(atomic) = (newval); __sync_synchronize(); })
+
+#elif !defined(G_ATOMIC_OP_MEMORY_BARRIER_NEEDED)
+
 # define g_atomic_int_get(atomic) 		((gint)*(atomic))
 # define g_atomic_int_set(atomic, newval) 	((void) (*(atomic) = (newval)))
 # define g_atomic_pointer_get(atomic) 		((gpointer)*(atomic))
 # define g_atomic_pointer_set(atomic, newval)	((void) (*(atomic) = (newval)))
+
 #else
+
 # define g_atomic_int_get(atomic) \
  ((void) sizeof (gchar [sizeof (*(atomic)) == sizeof (gint) ? 1 : -1]), \
   (g_atomic_int_get) ((volatile gint G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *) (volatile void *) (atomic)))
@@ -74,6 +103,7 @@ void     g_atomic_pointer_set                  (volatile gpointer G_GNUC_MAY_ALI
 # define g_atomic_pointer_set(atomic, newval) \
  ((void) sizeof (gchar [sizeof (*(atomic)) == sizeof (gpointer) ? 1 : -1]), \
   (g_atomic_pointer_set) ((volatile gpointer G_GNUC_MAY_ALIAS *) (volatile void *) (atomic), (newval)))
+
 #endif /* G_ATOMIC_OP_MEMORY_BARRIER_NEEDED */
 
 /**