diff --git a/items.c b/items.c
index faf43b5c4f..43f77d963a 100644
--- a/items.c
+++ b/items.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ item *do_item_alloc(char *key, const size_t nkey, const int flags, const rel_tim
     rel_time_t oldest_live = settings.oldest_live;
 
     search = tails[id];
-    if (search != NULL && (__sync_add_and_fetch(&search->refcount, 1) == 2)) {
+    if (search != NULL && (refcount_incr(&search->refcount) == 2)) {
         if ((search->exptime != 0 && search->exptime < current_time)
             || (search->time < oldest_live)) {  // dead by flush
             STATS_LOCK();
@@ -147,13 +147,13 @@ item *do_item_alloc(char *key, const size_t nkey, const int flags, const rel_tim
             /* Initialize the item block: */
             it->slabs_clsid = 0;
         } else {
-            __sync_sub_and_fetch(&search->refcount, 1);
+            refcount_decr(&search->refcount);
         }
     } else {
         /* If the LRU is empty or locked, attempt to allocate memory */
         it = slabs_alloc(ntotal, id);
         if (search != NULL)
-            __sync_sub_and_fetch(&search->refcount, 1);
+            refcount_decr(&search->refcount);
     }
 
     if (it == NULL) {
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ int do_item_link(item *it, const uint32_t hv) {
     ITEM_set_cas(it, (settings.use_cas) ? get_cas_id() : 0);
     assoc_insert(it, hv);
     item_link_q(it);
-    __sync_add_and_fetch(&it->refcount, 1);
+    refcount_incr(&it->refcount);
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&cache_lock);
 
     return 1;
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ void do_item_remove(item *it) {
     MEMCACHED_ITEM_REMOVE(ITEM_key(it), it->nkey, it->nbytes);
     assert((it->it_flags & ITEM_SLABBED) == 0);
 
-    if (__sync_sub_and_fetch(&it->refcount, 1) == 0) {
+    if (refcount_decr(&it->refcount) == 0) {
         item_free(it);
     }
 }
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ item *do_item_get(const char *key, const size_t nkey, const uint32_t hv) {
     mutex_lock(&cache_lock);
     item *it = assoc_find(key, nkey, hv);
     if (it != NULL) {
-        __sync_add_and_fetch(&it->refcount, 1);
+        refcount_incr(&it->refcount);
         /* Optimization for slab reassignment. prevents popular items from
          * jamming in busy wait. Can only do this here to satisfy lock order
          * of item_lock, cache_lock, slabs_lock. */
diff --git a/memcached.h b/memcached.h
index b4dfb3bb39..97a79d081f 100644
--- a/memcached.h
+++ b/memcached.h
@@ -534,6 +534,8 @@ void  item_update(item *it);
 
 void item_lock(uint32_t hv);
 void item_unlock(uint32_t hv);
+unsigned short refcount_incr(unsigned short *refcount);
+unsigned short refcount_decr(unsigned short *refcount);
 void STATS_LOCK(void);
 void STATS_UNLOCK(void);
 void threadlocal_stats_reset(void);
diff --git a/slabs.c b/slabs.c
index a2757d02bc..2483fbf168 100644
--- a/slabs.c
+++ b/slabs.c
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ static int slab_rebalance_move(void) {
         item *it = slab_rebal.slab_pos;
         status = MOVE_PASS;
         if (it->slabs_clsid != 255) {
-            refcount = __sync_add_and_fetch(&it->refcount, 1);
+            refcount = refcount_incr(&it->refcount);
             if (refcount == 1) { /* item is unlinked, unused */
                 if (it->it_flags & ITEM_SLABBED) {
                     /* remove from slab freelist */
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ static int slab_rebalance_move(void) {
             case MOVE_BUSY:
                 slab_rebal.busy_items++;
                 was_busy++;
-                __sync_sub_and_fetch(&it->refcount, 1);
+                refcount_decr(&it->refcount);
                 break;
             case MOVE_PASS:
                 break;
diff --git a/thread.c b/thread.c
index 59063e610a..5735376a64 100644
--- a/thread.c
+++ b/thread.c
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
 
+#ifdef __sun
+#include <atomic.h>
+#endif
+
 #define ITEMS_PER_ALLOC 64
 
 /* An item in the connection queue. */
@@ -39,6 +43,10 @@ pthread_mutex_t cache_lock;
 /* Connection lock around accepting new connections */
 pthread_mutex_t conn_lock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
+#if !defined(__GNUC__) && !defined(__sun)
+pthread_mutex_t atomics_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+#endif
+
 /* Lock for global stats */
 static pthread_mutex_t stats_lock;
 
@@ -70,6 +78,36 @@ static pthread_cond_t init_cond;
 
 static void thread_libevent_process(int fd, short which, void *arg);
 
+inline unsigned short refcount_incr(unsigned short *refcount) {
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+    return __sync_add_and_fetch(refcount, 1);
+#elif defined(__sun)
+    return atomic_inc_ushort_nv(refcount);
+#else
+    unsigned short res;
+    mutex_lock(&atomics_mutex);
+    *refcount++;
+    res = *refcount;
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&atomics_mutex);
+    return res;
+#endif
+}
+
+inline unsigned short refcount_decr(unsigned short *refcount) {
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+    return __sync_sub_and_fetch(refcount, 1);
+#elif defined(__sun)
+    return atomic_dec_ushort_nv(refcount);
+#else
+    unsigned short res;
+    mutex_lock(&atomics_mutex);
+    *refcount--;
+    res = *refcount;
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&atomics_mutex);
+    return res;
+#endif
+}
+
 void item_lock(uint32_t hv) {
     mutex_lock(&item_locks[hv & item_lock_mask]);
 }