diff --git a/src/include/sys/atomic.h b/src/include/sys/atomic.h
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/src/include/sys/atomic.h
@@ -0,0 +1,433 @@
+/*
+ * $HEADER$
+ */
+
+/** @file
+ *
+ * Atomic operations.
+ *
+ * This API is patterned after the FreeBSD kernel atomic interface
+ * (which is influenced by Intel's ia64 architecture).  The
+ * FreeBSD interface is documented at
+ *
+ * http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=atomic&sektion=9
+ *
+ * Only the necessary subset of functions are implemented here.
+ */
+
+#ifndef OMPI_ATOMIC_H
+#define OMPI_ATOMIC_H 1
+
+#include "ompi_config.h"
+
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+#define STATIC_INLINE static inline
+#else
+#define STATIC_INLINE
+#endif
+
+/*
+ * prototypes
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of unsigned 32-bit integer.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * Pseudo-code:
+ *
+ * @code
+ *   int ompi_atomic_cmpset_32(addr, oldval, newval)
+ *   {
+ *       if (*addr == oldval) {
+ *           *addr = newval;
+ *           return 1;  // success, set value
+ *       } else {
+ *           return 0;  // failure, do not set value
+ *       }
+ *   }
+ * @endcode
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_32(volatile uint32_t *addr,
+                                        uint32_t oldval,
+                                        uint32_t newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of unsigned 32-bit integer with acquire
+ * semantics.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_32(volatile uint32_t *addr,
+                                            uint32_t oldval,
+                                            uint32_t newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of unsigned 32-bit integer with release
+ * semantics.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_32(volatile uint32_t *addr,
+                                            uint32_t oldval,
+                                            uint32_t newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of unsigned 64-bit integer.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_64(volatile uint64_t *addr,
+                                        uint64_t oldval,
+                                        uint64_t newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of unsigned 64-bit integer with acquire
+ * semantics.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_64(volatile uint64_t *addr,
+                                            uint64_t oldval,
+                                            uint64_t newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of unsigned 64-bit integer with release
+ * semantics.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_64(volatile uint64_t *addr,
+                                            uint64_t oldval,
+                                            uint64_t newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of integer.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_int(volatile int *addr,
+                                         int oldval,
+                                         int newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of integer with acquire semantics.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_int(volatile int *addr,
+                                             int oldval,
+                                             int newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of integer with release semantics.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_int(volatile int *addr,
+                                             int oldval,
+                                             int newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of pointer.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_ptr(volatile void *addr,
+                                         void *oldval,
+                                         void *newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of pointer with acquire semantics.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_ptr(volatile void *addr,
+                                             void *oldval,
+                                             void *newval);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomic compare and set of pointer with release semantics.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param oldval        Comparison value.
+ * @param newval        New value to set if comparision is true.
+ *
+ * See ompi_atomic_cmpset_32 for pseudo-code.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_ptr(volatile void *addr,
+                                             void *oldval,
+                                             void *newval);
+
+/**
+ * Atomically add to a 32-bit integer.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param delta         Value to add.
+ * @return              New value of integer.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE uint32_t ompi_atomic_add_32(uint32_t *addr, int delta);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomically add to a 64-bit integer.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param delta         Value to add.
+ * @return              New value of integer.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE uint64_t ompi_atomic_add_64(uint64_t *addr, int delta);
+
+
+/**
+ * Atomically add to an integer.
+ *
+ * @param addr          Address of integer.
+ * @param delta         Value to add.
+ * @return              New value of integer.
+ */
+STATIC_INLINE int ompi_atomic_add_int(int *addr, int delta);
+ 
+
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+
+/*
+ * Include system specific inline asm definitions. Otherwise
+ * the definitions are in system specific .s files in src/util.
+ */
+
+#if   defined(__alpha__)
+# include "sys/alpha/atomic.h"
+#elif defined(__amd64__)
+# include "sys/amd64/atomic.h"
+#elif defined(__i386__)
+# include "sys/ia32/atomic.h"
+#elif defined(__ia64__)
+# include "sys/ia64/atomic.h"
+#elif defined(__POWERPC__)
+# include "sys/powerpc/atomic.h"
+#elif defined(__sparc__) || defined(__sparc)
+# include "sys/sparc64/atomic.h"
+#endif
+
+#endif
+
+
+/*
+ * implementation (derived)
+ */
+
+#if SIZEOF_INT == 4
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_int(volatile int *addr,
+                                         int oldval,
+                                         int newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_32((volatile uint32_t *) addr,
+                                 (uint32_t) oldval,
+                                 (uint32_t) newval);
+}
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_int(volatile int *addr,
+                                             int oldval,
+                                             int newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_32((volatile uint32_t *) addr,
+                                     (uint32_t) oldval,
+                                     (uint32_t) newval);
+}
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_int(volatile int *addr,
+                                             int oldval,
+                                             int newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_32((volatile uint32_t *) addr,
+                                     (uint32_t) oldval,
+                                     (uint32_t) newval);
+}
+
+#elif SIZEOF_INT == 8
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_int(volatile int *addr,
+                                         int oldval,
+                                         int newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_64((volatile uint64_t *) addr,
+                                 (uint64_t) oldval,
+                                 (uint64_t) newval);
+}
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_int(volatile int *addr,
+                                             int oldval,
+                                             int newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_64((volatile uint64_t *) addr,
+                                     (uint64_t) oldval,
+                                     (uint64_t) newval);
+}
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_int(volatile int *addr,
+                                             int oldval,
+                                             int newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_64((volatile uint64_t *) addr,
+                                     (uint64_t) oldval,
+                                     (uint64_t) newval);
+}
+
+#else 
+
+#error
+
+#endif
+
+
+#if SIZEOF_VOID_P == 4
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_ptr(volatile void *addr,
+                                         void *oldval,
+                                         void *newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_32((volatile uint32_t *) addr,
+                                 (uint32_t) oldval, (uint32_t) newval);
+}
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_ptr(volatile void *addr,
+                                             void *oldval,
+                                             void *newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_32((volatile uint32_t *) addr,
+                                     (uint32_t) oldval, (uint32_t) newval);
+}
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_ptr(volatile void *addr,
+                                             void *oldval,
+                                             void *newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_32((volatile uint32_t *) addr,
+                                     (uint32_t) oldval, (uint32_t) newval);
+}
+
+#elif SIZEOF_VOID_P == 8
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_ptr(volatile void *addr,
+                                         void *oldval,
+                                         void *newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_64((volatile uint64_t *) addr,
+                                 (uint64_t) oldval,
+                                 (uint64_t) newval);
+}
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_ptr(volatile void *addr,
+                                             void *oldval,
+                                             void *newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_acq_64((volatile uint64_t *) addr,
+                                     (uint64_t) oldval,
+                                     (uint64_t) newval);
+}
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_ptr(volatile void *addr,
+                                             void *oldval,
+                                             void *newval)
+{
+    return ompi_atomic_cmpset_rel_64((volatile uint64_t *) addr,
+                                     (uint64_t) oldval,
+                                     (uint64_t) newval);
+}
+
+#else
+
+#error
+
+#endif
+
+
+static inline uint32_t ompi_atomic_add_32(uint32_t *addr, int delta)
+{
+    uint32_t oldval;
+
+    do {
+        oldval = *addr;
+    } while (0 == ompi_atomic_cmpset_32(addr, oldval, oldval + delta));
+    return (oldval + delta);
+}
+
+
+static inline uint64_t ompi_atomic_add_64(uint64_t *addr, int delta)
+{
+    uint64_t oldval;
+
+    do {
+        oldval = *addr;
+    } while (0 == ompi_atomic_cmpset_64(addr, oldval, oldval + delta));
+    return (oldval + delta);
+}
+
+
+static inline int ompi_atomic_add_int(int *addr, int delta)
+{
+    int oldval;
+
+    do {
+        oldval = *addr;
+    } while (0 == ompi_atomic_cmpset_int(addr, oldval, oldval + delta));
+    return (oldval + delta);
+}
+
+#endif /* OMPI_ATOMIC_H */