diff --git a/ft/ft-internal.h b/ft/ft-internal.h
index 130d3c302..2379cdb44 100644
--- a/ft/ft-internal.h
+++ b/ft/ft-internal.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ extern "C" {
 extern uint force_recovery;
 }
 
-extern int writing_rollback;
+extern std::atomic_int writing_rollback;
 
 // The ft_header is not managed by the cachetable.  Instead, it hangs off the cachefile as userdata.
 struct ft_header {
diff --git a/ft/logger/logger.cc b/ft/logger/logger.cc
index 60280a940..8e9e26921 100644
--- a/ft/logger/logger.cc
+++ b/ft/logger/logger.cc
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2006, 2015, Percona and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 
 #include "util/status.h"
 
-int writing_rollback = 0;
+std::atomic_int writing_rollback = {0};
 extern "C" {
   uint force_recovery = 0;
 }
diff --git a/ft/node.h b/ft/node.h
index 61093f3ed..ef0f0d84d 100644
--- a/ft/node.h
+++ b/ft/node.h
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ class ftnode_pivot_keys {
     size_t _total_size;
 };
 
-extern int writing_rollback;
+extern std::atomic_int writing_rollback;
 
 extern "C" {
 extern uint force_recovery;
diff --git a/ft/txn/rollback.cc b/ft/txn/rollback.cc
index 105f980dc..6c7445eb0 100644
--- a/ft/txn/rollback.cc
+++ b/ft/txn/rollback.cc
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2006, 2015, Percona and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 #include "ft/logger/log-internal.h"
 #include "ft/txn/rollback-ct-callbacks.h"
 
-extern int writing_rollback;
+extern std::atomic_int writing_rollback;
 
 static void rollback_unpin_remove_callback(CACHEKEY* cachekey, bool for_checkpoint, void* extra) {
     FT CAST_FROM_VOIDP(ft, extra);
diff --git a/portability/toku_atomic.h b/portability/toku_atomic.h
index 88644f569..5dcdb2fd3 100644
--- a/portability/toku_atomic.h
+++ b/portability/toku_atomic.h
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2006, 2015, Percona and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
+#include <atomic>
 
 __attribute__((const, always_inline))
 static inline intptr_t which_cache_line(intptr_t addr) {
diff --git a/src/ydb.cc b/src/ydb.cc
index d88d7a26e..27f935f7d 100644
--- a/src/ydb.cc
+++ b/src/ydb.cc
@@ -39,9 +39,6 @@ Copyright (c) 2006, 2015, Percona and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 extern const char *toku_patent_string;
 const char *toku_copyright_string = "Copyright (c) 2006, 2015, Percona and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.";
 
-
-extern int writing_rollback;
-
 #include <db.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -90,6 +87,8 @@ extern int writing_rollback;
  int toku_close_trace_file (void) { return 0; } 
 #endif
 
+extern std::atomic_int writing_rollback;
+
 extern uint force_recovery;
 
 // Set when env is panicked, never cleared.