diff --git a/starboard/common/ref_counted.cc b/starboard/common/ref_counted.cc
index 4d8992d7d2f75..4b858357899b5 100644
--- a/starboard/common/ref_counted.cc
+++ b/starboard/common/ref_counted.cc
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ bool RefCountedBase::Release() const {
 }
 
 bool RefCountedThreadSafeBase::HasOneRef() const {
-  return (SbAtomicAcquire_Load(
-              &const_cast<RefCountedThreadSafeBase*>(this)->ref_count_) == 1);
+  return ref_count_.load(std::memory_order_acquire) == 1;
 }
 
 RefCountedThreadSafeBase::RefCountedThreadSafeBase() : ref_count_(0) {
@@ -75,15 +74,15 @@ void RefCountedThreadSafeBase::AddRef() const {
 #ifndef NDEBUG
   SB_DCHECK(!in_dtor_);
 #endif
-  SbAtomicNoBarrier_Increment(&ref_count_, 1);
+  ref_count_.fetch_add(1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
 }
 
 bool RefCountedThreadSafeBase::Release() const {
 #ifndef NDEBUG
   SB_DCHECK(!in_dtor_);
-  SB_DCHECK(!(SbAtomicAcquire_Load(&ref_count_) == 0));
+  SB_DCHECK(!(ref_count_.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) == 0));
 #endif
-  if (SbAtomicBarrier_Increment(&ref_count_, -1) == 0) {
+  if (ref_count_.fetch_sub(1, std::memory_order_acq_rel) == 1) {
 #ifndef NDEBUG
     in_dtor_ = true;
 #endif
diff --git a/starboard/common/ref_counted.h b/starboard/common/ref_counted.h
index 4c3c8c3f5847f..d9f5db76ae5c4 100644
--- a/starboard/common/ref_counted.h
+++ b/starboard/common/ref_counted.h
@@ -6,11 +6,10 @@
 #define STARBOARD_COMMON_REF_COUNTED_H_
 
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <atomic>
 #include <utility>
 
-#include "starboard/atomic.h"
 #include "starboard/common/log.h"
-#include "starboard/common/thread_collision_warner.h"
 
 namespace starboard {
 namespace subtle {
@@ -33,8 +32,6 @@ class RefCountedBase {
 #ifndef NDEBUG
   mutable bool in_dtor_;
 #endif
-
-  DFAKE_MUTEX(add_release_);
 };
 
 class RefCountedThreadSafeBase {
@@ -51,7 +48,7 @@ class RefCountedThreadSafeBase {
   bool Release() const;
 
  private:
-  mutable SbAtomic32 ref_count_;
+  mutable std::atomic<int32_t> ref_count_;
 #ifndef NDEBUG
   mutable bool in_dtor_;
 #endif