diff --git a/common/msg.c b/common/msg.c
index 0984cf0f5e..c2ec9e26ee 100644
--- a/common/msg.c
+++ b/common/msg.c
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ void mp_msg_init(struct mpv_global *global)
     struct mp_log_root *root = talloc_zero(NULL, struct mp_log_root);
     *root = (struct mp_log_root){
         .global = global,
-        .reload_counter = ATOMIC_VAR_INIT(1),
+        .reload_counter = 1,
     };
 
     pthread_mutex_init(&root->lock, NULL);
diff --git a/filters/f_async_queue.c b/filters/f_async_queue.c
index ef8ae15946..80c330524a 100644
--- a/filters/f_async_queue.c
+++ b/filters/f_async_queue.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ struct mp_async_queue *mp_async_queue_create(void)
     struct mp_async_queue *r = talloc_zero(NULL, struct mp_async_queue);
     r->q = talloc_zero(NULL, struct async_queue);
     *r->q = (struct async_queue){
-        .refcount = ATOMIC_VAR_INIT(1),
+        .refcount = 1,
     };
     pthread_mutex_init(&r->q->lock, NULL);
     talloc_set_destructor(r, on_free_queue);
diff --git a/misc/thread_tools.c b/misc/thread_tools.c
index e97c51d07e..d75a37be78 100644
--- a/misc/thread_tools.c
+++ b/misc/thread_tools.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ struct mp_cancel *mp_cancel_new(void *talloc_ctx)
     struct mp_cancel *c = talloc_ptrtype(talloc_ctx, c);
     talloc_set_destructor(c, cancel_destroy);
     *c = (struct mp_cancel){
-        .triggered = ATOMIC_VAR_INIT(false),
+        .triggered = false,
         .wakeup_pipe = {-1, -1},
     };
     pthread_mutex_init(&c->lock, NULL);
diff --git a/osdep/windows_utils.c b/osdep/windows_utils.c
index 6a5abff291..b83a7ced9c 100644
--- a/osdep/windows_utils.c
+++ b/osdep/windows_utils.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ char *mp_HRESULT_to_str_buf(char *buf, size_t buf_size, HRESULT hr)
 bool mp_w32_create_anon_pipe(HANDLE *server, HANDLE *client,
                              struct w32_create_anon_pipe_opts *opts)
 {
-    static atomic_ulong counter = ATOMIC_VAR_INIT(0);
+    static atomic_ulong counter = 0;
 
     // Generate pipe name
     unsigned long id = atomic_fetch_add(&counter, 1);
diff --git a/sub/osd.c b/sub/osd.c
index fcdc7dd4df..88baecb768 100644
--- a/sub/osd.c
+++ b/sub/osd.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ struct osd_state *osd_create(struct mpv_global *global)
         .opts_cache = m_config_cache_alloc(osd, global, &mp_osd_render_sub_opts),
         .global = global,
         .log = mp_log_new(osd, global->log, "osd"),
-        .force_video_pts = ATOMIC_VAR_INIT(MP_NOPTS_VALUE),
+        .force_video_pts = MP_NOPTS_VALUE,
         .stats = stats_ctx_create(osd, global, "osd"),
     };
     pthread_mutex_init(&osd->lock, NULL);
diff --git a/video/out/dr_helper.c b/video/out/dr_helper.c
index e681b1aa35..a381923526 100644
--- a/video/out/dr_helper.c
+++ b/video/out/dr_helper.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ struct dr_helper *dr_helper_create(struct mp_dispatch_queue *dispatch,
     talloc_set_destructor(dr, dr_helper_destroy);
     *dr = (struct dr_helper){
         .dispatch = dispatch,
-        .dr_in_flight = ATOMIC_VAR_INIT(0),
+        .dr_in_flight = 0,
         .get_image = get_image,
         .get_image_ctx = get_image_ctx,
     };