diff --git a/src/nb_internals.h b/src/nb_internals.h
index b168fdb7..1ffdf0dd 100644
--- a/src/nb_internals.h
+++ b/src/nb_internals.h
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 
 #include <nanobind/nanobind.h>
 #include <tsl/robin_map.h>
+#if defined(NB_FREE_THREADED)
+#include <atomic>
+#endif
 #include <cstring>
 #include <string_view>
 #include <functional>
@@ -236,6 +239,32 @@ struct NB_SHARD_ALIGNMENT nb_shard {
 #endif
 };
 
+
+/**
+ * Wraps a std::atomic if free-threading is enabled, otherwise a raw value.
+ */
+#if defined(NB_FREE_THREADED)
+template<typename T>
+struct nb_maybe_atomic {
+  nb_maybe_atomic(T v) : value(v) {}
+
+  std::atomic<T> value;
+  T load_acquire() { return value.load(std::memory_order_acquire); }
+  T load_relaxed() { return value.load(std::memory_order_relaxed); }
+  void store_release(T w) { value.store(w, std::memory_order_release); }
+};
+#else
+template<typename T>
+struct nb_maybe_atomic {
+  nb_maybe_atomic(T v) : value(v) {}
+
+  T value;
+  T load_acquire() { return value; }
+  T load_relaxed() { return value; }
+  void store_release(T w) { value = w; }
+};
+#endif
+
 /**
  * `nb_internals` is the central data structure storing information related to
  * function/type bindings and instances. Separate nanobind extensions within the
@@ -318,7 +347,7 @@ struct nb_internals {
     PyTypeObject *nb_func, *nb_method, *nb_bound_method;
 
     /// Property variant for static attributes (created on demand)
-    PyTypeObject *nb_static_property = nullptr;
+    nb_maybe_atomic<PyTypeObject *> nb_static_property = nullptr;
     descrsetfunc nb_static_property_descr_set = nullptr;
 
 #if defined(NB_FREE_THREADED)
@@ -328,7 +357,7 @@ struct nb_internals {
 #endif
 
     /// N-dimensional array wrapper (created on demand)
-    PyTypeObject *nb_ndarray = nullptr;
+    nb_maybe_atomic<PyTypeObject *> nb_ndarray = nullptr;
 
 #if defined(NB_FREE_THREADED)
     nb_shard *shards = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/nb_ndarray.cpp b/src/nb_ndarray.cpp
index cd118d76..74bcd8fd 100644
--- a/src/nb_ndarray.cpp
+++ b/src/nb_ndarray.cpp
@@ -175,11 +175,11 @@ static PyMethodDef nb_ndarray_members[] = {
 
 static PyTypeObject *nd_ndarray_tp() noexcept {
     nb_internals *internals_ = internals;
-    PyTypeObject *tp = internals_->nb_ndarray;
+    PyTypeObject *tp = internals_->nb_ndarray.load_acquire();
 
     if (NB_UNLIKELY(!tp)) {
         lock_internals guard(internals_);
-        tp = internals_->nb_ndarray;
+        tp = internals_->nb_ndarray.load_relaxed();
         if (tp)
             return tp;
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ static PyTypeObject *nd_ndarray_tp() noexcept {
         tp->tp_as_buffer->bf_releasebuffer = nb_ndarray_releasebuffer;
 #endif
 
-        internals_->nb_ndarray = tp;
+        internals_->nb_ndarray.store_release(tp);
     }
 
     return tp;
diff --git a/src/nb_static_property.cpp b/src/nb_static_property.cpp
index 0c8bc639..51be6610 100644
--- a/src/nb_static_property.cpp
+++ b/src/nb_static_property.cpp
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ static int nb_static_property_descr_set(PyObject *self, PyObject *obj, PyObject
 
 PyTypeObject *nb_static_property_tp() noexcept {
     nb_internals *internals_ = internals;
-    PyTypeObject *tp = internals_->nb_static_property;
+    PyTypeObject *tp = internals_->nb_static_property.load_acquire();
 
     if (NB_UNLIKELY(!tp)) {
         lock_internals guard(internals_);
 
-        tp = internals_->nb_static_property;
+        tp = internals_->nb_static_property.load_relaxed();
         if (tp)
             return tp;
 
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ PyTypeObject *nb_static_property_tp() noexcept {
         tp = (PyTypeObject *) PyType_FromSpec(&spec);
         check(tp, "nb_static_property type creation failed!");
 
-        internals_->nb_static_property = tp;
         internals_->nb_static_property_descr_set = nb_static_property_descr_set;
+        internals_->nb_static_property.store_release(tp);
     }
 
     return tp;
diff --git a/src/nb_type.cpp b/src/nb_type.cpp
index a536416a..94e07d56 100644
--- a/src/nb_type.cpp
+++ b/src/nb_type.cpp
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ int nb_type_setattro(PyObject* obj, PyObject* name, PyObject* value) {
 #endif
 
     if (cur) {
-        PyTypeObject *tp = int_p->nb_static_property;
+        PyTypeObject *tp = int_p->nb_static_property.load_acquire();
         // For type.static_prop = value, call the setter.
         // For type.static_prop = another_static_prop, replace the descriptor.
         if (Py_TYPE(cur) == tp && Py_TYPE(value) != tp) {