diff --git a/src/log.cpp b/src/log.cpp
index 591ceda..27a6a47 100644
--- a/src/log.cpp
+++ b/src/log.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ struct logger_gbl_t {
 
         auto it = config.find(name);
         if(it!=config.end()) {
-            epics::atomic::set(logger->lvl, it->second);
+            logger->lvl.store(it->second, std::memory_order_relaxed);
             return it->second;
         }
 
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ struct logger_gbl_t {
         // apply to existing loggers
         auto iters = loggers.equal_range(name);
         for(; iters.first!=iters.second; ++iters.first) {
-            epics::atomic::set(iters.first->second->lvl, lvl);
+            iters.first->second->lvl.store(lvl, std::memory_order_relaxed);
         }
     }
 } *logger_gbl;
@@ -116,17 +116,20 @@ int logger_init(logger *logger)
 {
     assert(logger->name);
 
-    if(epics::atomic::compareAndSwap(logger->lvl, -1, PLVL_ERR)!=-1) {
-        // raced concurrent init and lost
-        return epics::atomic::get(logger->lvl);
+    int lvl = logger->lvl.load();
+    if(lvl==-1) {
+        // maybe we initialize
+        if(logger->lvl.compare_exchange_strong(lvl, PLVL_ERR)) {
+            // logger now has default config of PLVL_ERR
+            // we will fully initialize
+            epicsThreadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
+            assert(logger_gbl);
+
+            Guard G(logger_gbl->lock);
+            lvl = logger_gbl->init(logger);
+        }
     }
-    // logger now has default config of PLVL_ERR
-
-    epicsThreadOnce(&logger_once, &logger_prepare, nullptr);
-    assert(logger_gbl);
-
-    Guard G(logger_gbl->lock);
-    return logger_gbl->init(logger);
+    return lvl;
 }
 
 void xerrlogHexPrintf(const void *buf, size_t buflen,
diff --git a/src/pvxs/log.h b/src/pvxs/log.h
index 3a0ef9e..ec123b6 100644
--- a/src/pvxs/log.h
+++ b/src/pvxs/log.h
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@
 #ifndef PVXS_LOG_H
 #define PVXS_LOG_H
 
+#include <atomic>
+
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
 #include <compilerDependencies.h>
-#include <epicsAtomic.h>
 #include <errlog.h>
 
 #include <pvxs/version.h>
@@ -25,10 +26,10 @@ namespace pvxs {
 struct logger {
     const char *name;
     // atomic using epicsAtomic (std::atomic<> may not be statically initializable)
-    int lvl;
+    std::atomic<int> lvl;
 };
 
-#define LOGGER_INIT(NAME) {NAME, -1}
+#define LOGGER_INIT(NAME) {NAME, {-1}}
 
 #define DEFINE_LOGGER(VAR, NAME) static ::pvxs::logger VAR = LOGGER_INIT(NAME)
 
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ PVXS_API int logger_init(logger *logger);
 static inline
 bool _log_test(logger& logger, int lvl)
 {
-    int cur = ::epics::atomic::get(logger.lvl);
+    int cur = logger.lvl.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
     if(cur==-1) cur = logger_init(&logger);
     return cur>=lvl;
 }