diff --git a/temporal-sdk/src/main/java/io/temporal/internal/worker/StickyQueueBalancer.java b/temporal-sdk/src/main/java/io/temporal/internal/worker/StickyQueueBalancer.java
index 087a7b614..ec5b8129f 100644
--- a/temporal-sdk/src/main/java/io/temporal/internal/worker/StickyQueueBalancer.java
+++ b/temporal-sdk/src/main/java/io/temporal/internal/worker/StickyQueueBalancer.java
@@ -21,19 +21,16 @@
 package io.temporal.internal.worker;
 
 import io.temporal.api.enums.v1.TaskQueueKind;
-import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
-import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import javax.annotation.concurrent.ThreadSafe;
 
 @ThreadSafe
 public class StickyQueueBalancer {
   private final int pollersCount;
   private final boolean stickyQueueEnabled;
-  private final AtomicInteger stickyPollers = new AtomicInteger(0);
-  private final AtomicInteger normalPollers = new AtomicInteger(0);
-  private final AtomicBoolean disableNormalPoll = new AtomicBoolean(false);
-
-  private volatile long stickyBacklogSize = 0;
+  private int stickyPollers = 0;
+  private int normalPollers = 0;
+  private boolean disableNormalPoll = false;
+  private long stickyBacklogSize = 0;
 
   public StickyQueueBalancer(int pollersCount, boolean stickyQueueEnabled) {
     this.pollersCount = pollersCount;
@@ -43,35 +40,35 @@ public StickyQueueBalancer(int pollersCount, boolean stickyQueueEnabled) {
   /**
    * @return task queue kind that should be used for the next poll
    */
-  public TaskQueueKind makePoll() {
+  public synchronized TaskQueueKind makePoll() {
     if (stickyQueueEnabled) {
-      if (disableNormalPoll.get()) {
-        stickyPollers.incrementAndGet();
+      if (disableNormalPoll) {
+        stickyPollers++;
         return TaskQueueKind.TASK_QUEUE_KIND_STICKY;
       }
       // If pollersCount >= stickyBacklogSize > 0 we want to go back to a normal ratio to avoid a
       // situation that too many pollers (all of them in the worst case) will open only sticky queue
       // polls observing a stickyBacklogSize == 1 for example (which actually can be 0 already at
       // that moment) and get stuck causing dip in worker load.
-      if (stickyBacklogSize > pollersCount || stickyPollers.get() <= normalPollers.get()) {
-        stickyPollers.incrementAndGet();
+      if (stickyBacklogSize > pollersCount || stickyPollers <= normalPollers) {
+        stickyPollers++;
         return TaskQueueKind.TASK_QUEUE_KIND_STICKY;
       }
     }
-    normalPollers.incrementAndGet();
+    normalPollers++;
     return TaskQueueKind.TASK_QUEUE_KIND_NORMAL;
   }
 
   /**
    * @param taskQueueKind what kind of task queue poll was just finished
    */
-  public void finishPoll(TaskQueueKind taskQueueKind) {
+  public synchronized void finishPoll(TaskQueueKind taskQueueKind) {
     switch (taskQueueKind) {
       case TASK_QUEUE_KIND_NORMAL:
-        normalPollers.decrementAndGet();
+        normalPollers--;
         break;
       case TASK_QUEUE_KIND_STICKY:
-        stickyPollers.decrementAndGet();
+        stickyPollers--;
         break;
       default:
         throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid task queue kind: " + taskQueueKind);
@@ -83,18 +80,14 @@ public void finishPoll(TaskQueueKind taskQueueKind) {
    * @param backlogSize backlog size from the poll response, helps to determine if the sticky queue
    *     is backlogged
    */
-  public void finishPoll(TaskQueueKind taskQueueKind, long backlogSize) {
+  public synchronized void finishPoll(TaskQueueKind taskQueueKind, long backlogSize) {
     finishPoll(taskQueueKind);
     if (TaskQueueKind.TASK_QUEUE_KIND_STICKY.equals(taskQueueKind)) {
       stickyBacklogSize = backlogSize;
     }
   }
 
-  public void disableNormalPoll() {
-    disableNormalPoll.set(true);
-  }
-
-  public int getNormalPollerCount() {
-    return normalPollers.get();
+  public synchronized void disableNormalPoll() {
+    disableNormalPoll = true;
   }
 }