diff --git a/client/cherami/outputhostconnection.go b/client/cherami/outputhostconnection.go
index 8a45c31..a9bcf12 100644
--- a/client/cherami/outputhostconnection.go
+++ b/client/cherami/outputhostconnection.go
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ type (
 		logger            bark.Logger
 		reporter          metrics.Reporter
 
-		lk     sync.Mutex
 		opened int32
 		closed int32
 		wg     sync.WaitGroup
@@ -109,10 +108,8 @@ func newOutputHostConnection(ackClient cherami.TChanBOut, wsConnector WSConnecto
 }
 
 func (conn *outputHostConnection) open() error {
-	conn.lk.Lock()
-	defer conn.lk.Unlock()
 
-	if atomic.LoadInt32(&conn.opened) == 0 {
+	if atomic.CompareAndSwapInt32(&conn.opened, 0, 1) {
 		switch conn.protocol {
 		case cherami.Protocol_WS:
 			conn.logger.Infof("Using websocket to connect to output host %s", conn.connKey)
@@ -145,7 +142,6 @@ func (conn *outputHostConnection) open() error {
 		conn.wg.Add(1)
 		go conn.writeAcksPump()
 
-		atomic.StoreInt32(&conn.opened, 1)
 		conn.logger.Info("Output host connection opened.")
 	}
 
@@ -153,8 +149,6 @@ func (conn *outputHostConnection) open() error {
 }
 
 func (conn *outputHostConnection) close() {
-	conn.lk.Lock()
-	defer conn.lk.Unlock()
 
 	if atomic.CompareAndSwapInt32(&conn.closed, 0, 1) {
 		select {
@@ -165,7 +159,8 @@ func (conn *outputHostConnection) close() {
 
 		close(conn.closeChannel)
 		conn.closeAcksBatchCh() // necessary to shutdown writeAcksPump within the connection
-		conn.wg.Wait()          // wait for the goroutines to finish up
+
+		conn.wg.Wait() // wait for the goroutines to finish up
 		conn.logger.Info("Output host connection closed.")
 	}
 }