diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/z/zLock.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/z/zLock.hpp
index 640a9fb02d3..a843f2389d7 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/z/zLock.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/z/zLock.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2015, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #define SHARE_GC_Z_ZLOCK_HPP
 
 #include "memory/allocation.hpp"
+#include "runtime/atomic.hpp"
 #include "runtime/mutex.hpp"
 
 class ZLock : public CHeapObj<mtGC> {
@@ -39,9 +40,9 @@ public:
 
 class ZReentrantLock {
 private:
-  ZLock            _lock;
-  Thread* volatile _owner;
-  uint64_t         _count;
+  ZLock           _lock;
+  Atomic<Thread*> _owner;
+  uint64_t        _count;
 
 public:
   ZReentrantLock();
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/gc/z/zLock.inline.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/gc/z/zLock.inline.hpp
index edf59be5b4c..ba5d6692521 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/gc/z/zLock.inline.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/gc/z/zLock.inline.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2015, 2025, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 
 #include "gc/z/zLock.hpp"
 
-#include "runtime/atomicAccess.hpp"
 #include "runtime/javaThread.hpp"
 #include "runtime/os.inline.hpp"
 #include "utilities/debug.hpp"
@@ -50,11 +49,11 @@ inline ZReentrantLock::ZReentrantLock()
 
 inline void ZReentrantLock::lock() {
   Thread* const thread = Thread::current();
-  Thread* const owner = AtomicAccess::load(&_owner);
+  Thread* const owner = _owner.load_relaxed();
 
   if (owner != thread) {
     _lock.lock();
-    AtomicAccess::store(&_owner, thread);
+    _owner.store_relaxed(thread);
   }
 
   _count++;
@@ -67,14 +66,14 @@ inline void ZReentrantLock::unlock() {
   _count--;
 
   if (_count == 0) {
-    AtomicAccess::store(&_owner, (Thread*)nullptr);
+    _owner.store_relaxed(nullptr);
     _lock.unlock();
   }
 }
 
 inline bool ZReentrantLock::is_owned() const {
   Thread* const thread = Thread::current();
-  Thread* const owner = AtomicAccess::load(&_owner);
+  Thread* const owner = _owner.load_relaxed();
   return owner == thread;
 }