diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_intr.c b/sys/kern/kern_intr.c
index bfe78bbb77aa..1aebbc17be9d 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_intr.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_intr.c
@@ -830,7 +830,7 @@ intr_event_remove_handler(void *cookie)
 		 * again and remove this handler if it has already passed
 		 * it on the list.
 		 */
-		atomic_store_rel_int(&ie->ie_thread->it_need, 1);
+		ie->ie_thread->it_need = 1;
 	} else
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&ie->ie_handlers, handler, ih_next);
 	thread_unlock(ie->ie_thread->it_thread);
@@ -897,6 +897,10 @@ intr_event_schedule_thread(struct intr_event *ie)
 	 * Set it_need to tell the thread to keep running if it is already
 	 * running.  Then, lock the thread and see if we actually need to
 	 * put it on the runqueue.
+	 *
+	 * Use store_rel to arrange that the store to ih_need in
+	 * swi_sched() is before the store to it_need and prepare for
+	 * transfer of this order to loads in the ithread.
 	 */
 	atomic_store_rel_int(&it->it_need, 1);
 	thread_lock(td);
@@ -976,7 +980,7 @@ intr_event_remove_handler(void *cookie)
 		 * again and remove this handler if it has already passed
 		 * it on the list.
 		 */
-		atomic_store_rel_int(&it->it_need, 1);
+		it->it_need = 1;
 	} else
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&ie->ie_handlers, handler, ih_next);
 	thread_unlock(it->it_thread);
@@ -1048,6 +1052,10 @@ intr_event_schedule_thread(struct intr_event *ie, struct intr_thread *it)
 	 * Set it_need to tell the thread to keep running if it is already
 	 * running.  Then, lock the thread and see if we actually need to
 	 * put it on the runqueue.
+	 *
+	 * Use store_rel to arrange that the store to ih_need in
+	 * swi_sched() is before the store to it_need and prepare for
+	 * transfer of this order to loads in the ithread.
 	 */
 	atomic_store_rel_int(&it->it_need, 1);
 	thread_lock(td);
@@ -1133,7 +1141,7 @@ swi_sched(void *cookie, int flags)
 	 * running it will execute this handler on the next pass.  Otherwise,
 	 * it will execute it the next time it runs.
 	 */
-	atomic_store_rel_int(&ih->ih_need, 1);
+	ih->ih_need = 1;
 
 	if (!(flags & SWI_DELAY)) {
 		PCPU_INC(cnt.v_soft);
@@ -1224,11 +1232,15 @@ intr_event_execute_handlers(struct proc *p, struct intr_event *ie)
 		 * handlers that have their need flag set.  Hardware
 		 * interrupt threads always invoke all of their handlers.
 		 */
-		if (ie->ie_flags & IE_SOFT) {
-			if (atomic_load_acq_int(&ih->ih_need) == 0)
+		if ((ie->ie_flags & IE_SOFT) != 0) {
+			/*
+			 * ih_need can only be 0 or 1.  Failed cmpset
+			 * below means that there is no request to
+			 * execute handlers, so a retry of the cmpset
+			 * is not needed.
+			 */
+			if (atomic_cmpset_int(&ih->ih_need, 1, 0) == 0)
 				continue;
-			else
-				atomic_store_rel_int(&ih->ih_need, 0);
 		}
 
 		/* Execute this handler. */
@@ -1326,16 +1338,13 @@ ithread_loop(void *arg)
 		 * Service interrupts.  If another interrupt arrives while
 		 * we are running, it will set it_need to note that we
 		 * should make another pass.
+		 *
+		 * The load_acq part of the following cmpset ensures
+		 * that the load of ih_need in ithread_execute_handlers()
+		 * is ordered after the load of it_need here.
 		 */
-		while (atomic_cmpset_int(&ithd->it_need, 1, 0) != 0) {
-			/*
-			 * This needs a release barrier to make sure
-			 * that this write posts before any of the
-			 * memory or device accesses in the handlers.
-			 */
-			atomic_thread_fence_acq_rel();
+		while (atomic_cmpset_acq_int(&ithd->it_need, 1, 0) != 0)
 			ithread_execute_handlers(p, ie);
-		}
 		WITNESS_WARN(WARN_PANIC, NULL, "suspending ithread");
 		mtx_assert(&Giant, MA_NOTOWNED);
 
@@ -1505,14 +1514,12 @@ ithread_loop(void *arg)
 		 * Service interrupts.  If another interrupt arrives while
 		 * we are running, it will set it_need to note that we
 		 * should make another pass.
+		 *
+		 * The load_acq part of the following cmpset ensures
+		 * that the load of ih_need in ithread_execute_handlers()
+		 * is ordered after the load of it_need here.
 		 */
-		while (atomic_cmpset_int(&ithd->it_need, 1, 0) != 0) {
-			/*
-			 * This needs a release barrier to make sure
-			 * that this write posts before any of the
-			 * memory or device accesses in the handlers.
-			 */
-			atomic_thread_fence_acq_rel();
+		while (atomic_cmpset_acq_int(&ithd->it_need, 1, 0) != 0) {
 			if (priv)
 				priv_ithread_execute_handler(p, ih);
 			else