diff --git a/opal/class/opal_fifo.h b/opal/class/opal_fifo.h
index d435f11f27e..556688bc765 100644
--- a/opal/class/opal_fifo.h
+++ b/opal/class/opal_fifo.h
@@ -86,8 +86,11 @@ static inline opal_list_item_t *opal_fifo_push_atomic (opal_fifo_t *fifo,
                                                        opal_list_item_t *item)
 {
     opal_counted_pointer_t tail = {.value = fifo->opal_fifo_tail.value};
+    const opal_list_item_t * const ghost = &fifo->opal_fifo_ghost;
 
-    item->opal_list_next = &fifo->opal_fifo_ghost;
+    item->opal_list_next = (opal_list_item_t *) ghost;
+
+    opal_atomic_wmb ();
 
     do {
         if (opal_update_counted_pointer (&fifo->opal_fifo_tail, &tail, item)) {
@@ -97,7 +100,7 @@ static inline opal_list_item_t *opal_fifo_push_atomic (opal_fifo_t *fifo,
 
     opal_atomic_wmb ();
 
-    if (&fifo->opal_fifo_ghost == tail.data.item) {
+    if (ghost == tail.data.item) {
         /* update the head */
         opal_counted_pointer_t head = {.value = fifo->opal_fifo_head.value};
         opal_update_counted_pointer (&fifo->opal_fifo_head, &head, item);
@@ -115,7 +118,9 @@ static inline opal_list_item_t *opal_fifo_push_atomic (opal_fifo_t *fifo,
 static inline opal_list_item_t *opal_fifo_pop_atomic (opal_fifo_t *fifo)
 {
     opal_list_item_t *item, *next, *ghost = &fifo->opal_fifo_ghost;
-    opal_counted_pointer_t head = {.value = fifo->opal_fifo_head.value}, tail;
+    opal_counted_pointer_t head, tail;
+
+    opal_read_counted_pointer (&fifo->opal_fifo_head, &head);
 
     do {
         tail.value = fifo->opal_fifo_tail.value;
@@ -130,7 +135,7 @@ static inline opal_list_item_t *opal_fifo_pop_atomic (opal_fifo_t *fifo)
 
         /* the head or next pointer are in an inconsistent state. keep looping. */
         if (tail.data.item != item && ghost != tail.data.item && ghost == next) {
-            head.value =  fifo->opal_fifo_head.value;
+            opal_read_counted_pointer (&fifo->opal_fifo_head, &head);
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -160,12 +165,7 @@ static inline opal_list_item_t *opal_fifo_pop_atomic (opal_fifo_t *fifo)
              * will be attempting to update the head until after it has been updated
              * with the next pointer. push will not see an empty list and other pop
              * operations will loop until the head is consistent. */
-            head.value = fifo->opal_fifo_head.value;
-            next = (opal_list_item_t *) item->opal_list_next;
-
-            assert (ghost == head.data.item);
-
-            fifo->opal_fifo_head.data.item = next;
+            fifo->opal_fifo_head.data.item = (opal_list_item_t *) item->opal_list_next;
             opal_atomic_wmb ();
         }
     }
diff --git a/opal/class/opal_lifo.h b/opal/class/opal_lifo.h
index c37e5f905c2..945932683b4 100644
--- a/opal/class/opal_lifo.h
+++ b/opal/class/opal_lifo.h
@@ -74,8 +74,33 @@ static inline bool opal_update_counted_pointer (volatile opal_counted_pointer_t
     return opal_atomic_compare_exchange_strong_128 (&addr->value, &old->value, new_p.value);
 }
 
+__opal_attribute_always_inline__
+static inline void opal_read_counted_pointer (volatile opal_counted_pointer_t *addr, opal_counted_pointer_t *value)
+{
+    /* most platforms do not read the value atomically so make sure we read the counted pointer in a specific order */
+    value->data.counter = addr->data.counter;
+    opal_atomic_rmb ();
+    value->data.item = addr->data.item;
+}
+
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * @brief Helper function for lifo/fifo to sleep this thread if excessive contention is detected
+ */
+static inline void _opal_lifo_release_cpu (void)
+{
+    /* NTH: there are many ways to cause the current thread to be suspended. This one
+     * should work well in most cases. Another approach would be to use poll (NULL, 0, ) but
+     * the interval will be forced to be in ms (instead of ns or us). Note that there
+     * is a performance improvement for the lifo test when this call is made on detection
+     * of contention but it may not translate into actually MPI or application performance
+     * improvements. */
+    static struct timespec interval = { .tv_sec = 0, .tv_nsec = 100 };
+    nanosleep (&interval, NULL);
+}
+
+
 /* Atomic Last In First Out lists. If we are in a multi-threaded environment then the
  * atomicity is insured via the compare-and-swap operation, if not we simply do a read
  * and/or a write.
@@ -141,9 +166,7 @@ static inline opal_list_item_t *opal_lifo_pop_atomic (opal_lifo_t* lifo)
     opal_counted_pointer_t old_head;
     opal_list_item_t *item;
 
-    old_head.data.counter = lifo->opal_lifo_head.data.counter;
-    opal_atomic_rmb ();
-    old_head.data.item = (opal_list_item_t *) lifo->opal_lifo_head.data.item;
+    opal_read_counted_pointer (&lifo->opal_lifo_head, &old_head);
 
     do {
         item = (opal_list_item_t *) old_head.data.item;
@@ -189,18 +212,6 @@ static inline opal_list_item_t *opal_lifo_push_atomic (opal_lifo_t *lifo,
 
 #if OPAL_HAVE_ATOMIC_LLSC_PTR
 
-static inline void _opal_lifo_release_cpu (void)
-{
-    /* NTH: there are many ways to cause the current thread to be suspended. This one
-     * should work well in most cases. Another approach would be to use poll (NULL, 0, ) but
-     * the interval will be forced to be in ms (instead of ns or us). Note that there
-     * is a performance improvement for the lifo test when this call is made on detection
-     * of contention but it may not translate into actually MPI or application performance
-     * improvements. */
-    static struct timespec interval = { .tv_sec = 0, .tv_nsec = 100 };
-    nanosleep (&interval, NULL);
-}
-
 /* Retrieve one element from the LIFO. If we reach the ghost element then the LIFO
  * is empty so we return NULL.
  */