diff --git a/src/core/capi.c b/src/core/capi.c
index 498ffa97..0f82910b 100644
--- a/src/core/capi.c
+++ b/src/core/capi.c
@@ -509,6 +509,14 @@ JanetAtomicInt janet_atomic_dec(JanetAtomicInt volatile *x) {
 #endif
 }
 
+JanetAtomicInt janet_atomic_load(JanetAtomicInt volatile *x) {
+#ifdef JANET_WINDOWS
+    return InterlockedOr(x, 0);
+#else
+    return __atomic_load_n(x, __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
+#endif
+}
+
 /* Some definitions for function-like macros */
 
 JANET_API JanetStructHead *(janet_struct_head)(JanetStruct st) {
diff --git a/src/core/ev.c b/src/core/ev.c
index 2523809a..0fe1bf7f 100644
--- a/src/core/ev.c
+++ b/src/core/ev.c
@@ -1284,7 +1284,7 @@ void janet_loop1_impl(int has_timeout, JanetTimestamp timeout);
 int janet_loop_done(void) {
     return !((janet_vm.spawn.head != janet_vm.spawn.tail) ||
              janet_vm.tq_count ||
-             janet_vm.listener_count);
+             janet_atomic_load(&janet_vm.listener_count));
 }
 
 JanetFiber *janet_loop1(void) {
@@ -1346,7 +1346,7 @@ JanetFiber *janet_loop1(void) {
     }
 
     /* Poll for events */
-    if (janet_vm.tq_count || janet_vm.listener_count) {
+    if (janet_vm.tq_count || janet_atomic_load(&janet_vm.listener_count)) {
         JanetTimeout to;
         memset(&to, 0, sizeof(to));
         int has_timeout;
@@ -1365,7 +1365,7 @@ JanetFiber *janet_loop1(void) {
             break;
         }
         /* Run polling implementation only if pending timeouts or pending events */
-        if (janet_vm.tq_count || janet_vm.listener_count) {
+        if (janet_vm.tq_count || janet_atomic_load(&janet_vm.listener_count)) {
             janet_loop1_impl(has_timeout, to.when);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/include/janet.h b/src/include/janet.h
index ea7d34db..5724af2b 100644
--- a/src/include/janet.h
+++ b/src/include/janet.h
@@ -647,6 +647,7 @@ typedef int32_t JanetAtomicInt;
 #endif
 JANET_API JanetAtomicInt janet_atomic_inc(JanetAtomicInt volatile *x);
 JANET_API JanetAtomicInt janet_atomic_dec(JanetAtomicInt volatile *x);
+JANET_API JanetAtomicInt janet_atomic_load(JanetAtomicInt volatile *x);
 
 /* We provide three possible implementations of Janets. The preferred
  * nanboxing approach, for 32 or 64 bits, and the standard C version. Code in the rest of the