diff --git a/dict.c b/dict.c
index fed3a0ac4..780765722 100644
--- a/dict.c
+++ b/dict.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ typedef xmlHashedString xmlDictEntry;
  * The entire dictionary
  */
 struct _xmlDict {
-    int ref_counter;
+    xmlRefCount refCount;
 
     xmlDictEntry *table;
     size_t size;
@@ -74,12 +74,6 @@ struct _xmlDict {
     size_t limit;
 };
 
-/*
- * A mutex for modifying the reference counter for shared
- * dictionaries.
- */
-static xmlMutex xmlDictMutex;
-
 /**
  * @deprecated Alias for #xmlInitParser.
  *
@@ -91,14 +85,6 @@ xmlInitializeDict(void) {
     return(0);
 }
 
-/**
- * Initialize mutex.
- */
-void
-xmlInitDictInternal(void) {
-    xmlInitMutex(&xmlDictMutex);
-}
-
 /**
  * @deprecated This function is a no-op. Call #xmlCleanupParser
  * to free global state but see the warnings there. #xmlCleanupParser
@@ -109,14 +95,6 @@ void
 xmlDictCleanup(void) {
 }
 
-/**
- * Free the dictionary mutex.
- */
-void
-xmlCleanupDictInternal(void) {
-    xmlCleanupMutex(&xmlDictMutex);
-}
-
 /*
  * @param dict  the dictionary
  * @param name  the name of the userdata
@@ -258,7 +236,6 @@ xmlDictCreate(void) {
     dict = xmlMalloc(sizeof(xmlDict));
     if (dict == NULL)
         return(NULL);
-    dict->ref_counter = 1;
     dict->limit = 0;
 
     dict->size = 0;
@@ -270,6 +247,9 @@ xmlDictCreate(void) {
 #ifdef FUZZING_BUILD_MODE_UNSAFE_FOR_PRODUCTION
     dict->seed = 0;
 #endif
+
+    xmlRefCountInit(&dict->refCount);
+
     return(dict);
 }
 
@@ -303,9 +283,7 @@ xmlDictCreateSub(xmlDict *sub) {
 int
 xmlDictReference(xmlDict *dict) {
     if (dict == NULL) return -1;
-    xmlMutexLock(&xmlDictMutex);
-    dict->ref_counter++;
-    xmlMutexUnlock(&xmlDictMutex);
+    xmlRefCountInc(&dict->refCount);
     return(0);
 }
 
@@ -323,14 +301,8 @@ xmlDictFree(xmlDict *dict) {
 	return;
 
     /* decrement the counter, it may be shared by a parser and docs */
-    xmlMutexLock(&xmlDictMutex);
-    dict->ref_counter--;
-    if (dict->ref_counter > 0) {
-        xmlMutexUnlock(&xmlDictMutex);
+    if (xmlRefCountDec(&dict->refCount) > 0)
         return;
-    }
-
-    xmlMutexUnlock(&xmlDictMutex);
 
     if (dict->subdict != NULL) {
         xmlDictFree(dict->subdict);
diff --git a/include/private/dict.h b/include/private/dict.h
index 4f2edb85a..8fe474b7c 100644
--- a/include/private/dict.h
+++ b/include/private/dict.h
@@ -50,11 +50,6 @@ typedef struct {
     const xmlChar *name;
 } xmlHashedString;
 
-XML_HIDDEN void
-xmlInitDictInternal(void);
-XML_HIDDEN void
-xmlCleanupDictInternal(void);
-
 XML_HIDDEN unsigned
 xmlDictComputeHash(const xmlDict *dict, const xmlChar *string);
 XML_HIDDEN unsigned
diff --git a/include/private/threads.h b/include/private/threads.h
index bb187869c..92a8a0291 100644
--- a/include/private/threads.h
+++ b/include/private/threads.h
@@ -48,6 +48,141 @@ struct _xmlRMutex {
 #endif
 };
 
+#if defined(LIBXML_THREAD_ENABLED) && \
+    __STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L && !defined(__STDC_NO_ATOMICS__)
+
+/** Atomic reference count */
+typedef _Atomic size_t xmlRefCount;
+
+/**
+ * Initialize refcount.
+ *
+ * @param r  refcount
+ */
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInit(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    *r = 1;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Increase refcount.
+ *
+ * @param r  refcount
+ */
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInc(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    *r += 1;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Decrease refcount.
+ *
+ * @param r  refcount
+ * @returns 0 if refcount reached zero, 1 otherwise
+ */
+static XML_INLINE int
+xmlRefCountDec(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    return --*r > 0;
+}
+
+#elif defined(HAVE_POSIX_THREADS)
+
+typedef struct {
+    pthread_mutex_t mutex;
+    size_t count;
+} xmlRefCount;
+
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInit(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    pthread_mutex_init(&r->mutex, NULL);
+    r->count = 1;
+}
+
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInc(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&r->mutex);
+    r->count += 1;
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&r->mutex);
+}
+
+static XML_INLINE int
+xmlRefCountDec(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    size_t val;
+
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&r->mutex);
+    val = --r->count;
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&r->mutex);
+
+    if (val > 0)
+        return 1;
+
+    pthread_mutex_destroy(&r->mutex);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+#elif defined(HAVE_WIN32_THREADS)
+
+#ifdef _WIN64
+
+typedef __int64 xmlRefCount;
+
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInit(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    *r = 1;
+}
+
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInc(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    InterlockedIncrement64(r);
+}
+
+static XML_INLINE int
+xmlRefCountDec(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    return InterlockedDecrement64(r) > 0;
+}
+
+#else /* 32-bit */
+
+typedef long xmlRefCount;
+
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInit(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    *r = 1;
+}
+
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInc(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    InterlockedIncrement(r);
+}
+
+static XML_INLINE int
+xmlRefCountDec(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    return InterlockedDecrement(r) > 0;
+}
+
+#endif
+
+#else /* no threads */
+
+typedef size_t xmlRefCount;
+
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInit(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    *r = 1;
+}
+
+static XML_INLINE void
+xmlRefCountInc(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    *r += 1;
+}
+
+static XML_INLINE int
+xmlRefCountDec(xmlRefCount *r) {
+    return --*r > 0;
+}
+
+#endif
+
 XML_HIDDEN void
 xmlInitMutex(xmlMutex *mutex);
 XML_HIDDEN void
diff --git a/threads.c b/threads.c
index c4fe93ae8..8958a4628 100644
--- a/threads.c
+++ b/threads.c
@@ -361,7 +361,6 @@ xmlInitParserInternal(void) {
     xmlInitMemoryInternal();
     xmlInitThreadsInternal();
     xmlInitGlobalsInternal();
-    xmlInitDictInternal();
     xmlInitEncodingInternal();
 #if defined(LIBXML_XPATH_ENABLED)
     xmlInitXPathInternal();
@@ -470,7 +469,6 @@ xmlCleanupParser(void) {
     xmlCleanupRelaxNGInternal();
 #endif
 
-    xmlCleanupDictInternal();
     xmlCleanupRandom();
     xmlCleanupGlobalsInternal();
     xmlCleanupThreadsInternal();