diff --git a/tcmalloc/span.h b/tcmalloc/span.h
index a7a90998f..b90a9c33c 100644
--- a/tcmalloc/span.h
+++ b/tcmalloc/span.h
@@ -304,7 +304,18 @@ class ABSL_CACHELINE_ALIGNED Span final : public SpanList::Elem {
     uint16_t embed_count_;
     uint16_t freelist_;
   };
-  std::atomic<uint16_t> allocated_;  // Number of non-free objects
+#ifdef TCMALLOC_INTERNAL_LEGACY_LOCKING
+  std::atomic<uint16_t>
+#else
+  struct {
+    uint16_t value;
+
+    uint16_t load(std::memory_order) const { return value; }
+
+    void store(uint16_t v, std::memory_order) { value = v; }
+  }
+#endif
+      allocated_;  // Number of non-free objects
 #ifndef TCMALLOC_INTERNAL_LEGACY_LOCKING
   uint8_t cache_size_;
 #else