diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/expr-bytes.ts b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/expr-bytes.ts
index c16ae856a..41ddf2b9d 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/expr-bytes.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/expr-bytes.ts
@@ -1118,7 +1118,9 @@ export function emitInlineAtomicsOp(
   if (op !== 0 && op !== 1 && op !== 3 && ATOMIC_RMW[op] === undefined) return null;
   const elem = array.type.elem;
   const B = host.B;
-  const receiver = host.emitExpr(array).name;
+  // The instruction and scr_atomics_op borrow the array: an unchanged local
+  // owns it across the later operands and the operation.
+  const receiver = emitBorrowedInput(host, array).name;
   const idxValue = host.emitExpr(index);
   const operand = host.emitExpr(value);
   const swap = host.emitExpr(replacement);
diff --git a/tests/harness/atomics-emission.test.ts b/tests/harness/atomics-emission.test.ts
index 9ae06d904..2d708e382 100644
--- a/tests/harness/atomics-emission.test.ts
+++ b/tests/harness/atomics-emission.test.ts
@@ -61,3 +61,32 @@ console.log(work(new Int32Array(buffer), new Uint8Array(buffer), new Int16Array(
   expect(calls).toHaveLength(9);
   for (const call of calls) expect(call).toMatch(/\) cold$/);
 });
+
+test("an unchanged local array is borrowed across Atomics operations", async () => {
+  const llvm = await emittedLlvm(
+    "borrow",
+    `function count(buffer: SharedArrayBuffer, n: number): number {
+  const cells = new Int32Array(buffer);
+  for (let i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+    Atomics.add(cells, 0, 1);
+    Atomics.compareExchange(cells, 1, Atomics.load(cells, 1), i);
+  }
+  return Atomics.load(cells, 0);
+}
+function swap(buffer: SharedArrayBuffer, other: SharedArrayBuffer): number {
+  let cells = new Int32Array(buffer);
+  return Atomics.add(cells, ((cells = new Int32Array(other)), 0), 1);
+}
+const buffer = new SharedArrayBuffer(16);
+console.log(count(buffer, 3), swap(buffer, new SharedArrayBuffer(16)));
+`,
+  );
+  // The local owns the array across each operation: no reference count
+  // operations around the atomic instructions.
+  const counted = body(llvm, "sc_bf_count");
+  expect(counted).toMatch(/atomicrmw add ptr/);
+  expect(counted).not.toMatch(/call ptr @scr_bytes_retain_v/);
+  // An operand that reassigns the binding releases the old array, so the
+  // operation keeps its own reference.
+  expect(body(llvm, "sc_bf_swap")).toMatch(/call ptr @scr_bytes_retain_v/);
+});