diff --git a/osdep/atomics.h b/osdep/atomics.h
index bfcaa38977..1d5134f646 100644
--- a/osdep/atomics.h
+++ b/osdep/atomics.h
@@ -80,6 +80,49 @@ typedef struct { volatile unsigned long long v; } atomic_ullong;
        if (!ok_) *(old) = val_;         \
        ok_; })
 
+#elif defined(__GNUC__)
+
+#include <pthread.h>
+
+extern pthread_mutex_t mp_atomic_mutex;
+
+#define atomic_load(p)                                  \
+    ({ __typeof__(p) p_ = (p);                          \
+       pthread_mutex_lock(&mp_atomic_mutex);            \
+       __typeof__(p_->v) v = p_->v;                     \
+       pthread_mutex_unlock(&mp_atomic_mutex);          \
+       v; })
+#define atomic_store(p, val)                            \
+    ({ __typeof__(val) val_ = (val);                    \
+       __typeof__(p) p_ = (p);                          \
+       pthread_mutex_lock(&mp_atomic_mutex);            \
+       p_->v = val_;                                    \
+       pthread_mutex_unlock(&mp_atomic_mutex); })
+#define atomic_fetch_op(a, b, op)                       \
+    ({ __typeof__(a) a_ = (a);                          \
+       __typeof__(b) b_ = (b);                          \
+       pthread_mutex_lock(&mp_atomic_mutex);            \
+       __typeof__(a_->v) v = a_->v;                     \
+       a_->v = v op b_;                                 \
+       pthread_mutex_unlock(&mp_atomic_mutex);          \
+       v; })
+#define atomic_fetch_add(a, b) atomic_fetch_op(a, b, +)
+#define atomic_fetch_and(a, b) atomic_fetch_op(a, b, &)
+#define atomic_fetch_or(a, b)  atomic_fetch_op(a, b, |)
+#define atomic_compare_exchange_strong(p, old, new)     \
+    ({ __typeof__(p) p_ = (p);                          \
+       __typeof__(old) old_ = (old);                    \
+       __typeof__(new) new_ = (new);                    \
+       pthread_mutex_lock(&mp_atomic_mutex);            \
+       int res = p_->v == *old_;                        \
+       if (res) {                                       \
+           p_->v = new_;                                \
+       } else {                                         \
+           *old_ = p_->v;                               \
+       }                                                \
+       pthread_mutex_unlock(&mp_atomic_mutex);          \
+       res; })
+
 #else
 # error "this should have been a configuration error, report a bug please"
 #endif /* no atomics */
diff --git a/player/main.c b/player/main.c
index 0bf207f5b7..b1aa30f9c3 100644
--- a/player/main.c
+++ b/player/main.c
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@
 #define FULLCONFIG "(missing)\n"
 #endif
 
+#if !(HAVE_STDATOMIC || HAVE_ATOMIC_BUILTINS || HAVE_SYNC_BUILTINS)
+pthread_mutex_t mp_atomic_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+#endif
+
 enum exit_reason {
   EXIT_NONE,
   EXIT_NORMAL,
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index 5553b23c72..7eed072bb6 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -148,6 +148,10 @@ main_dependencies = [
         'func': check_pthreads,
         'req': True,
         'fmsg': 'Unable to find pthreads support.'
+    }, {
+        'name': 'gnuc',
+        'desc': 'GNU C extensions',
+        'func': check_statement([], "__GNUC__"),
     }, {
         'name': 'stdatomic',
         'desc': 'stdatomic.h',
@@ -173,10 +177,10 @@ main_dependencies = [
         'deps_neg': [ 'stdatomic', 'atomic-builtins' ],
     }, {
         'name': 'atomics',
-        'desc': 'compiler support for usable thread synchronization built-ins',
+        'desc': 'stdatomic.h support or emulation',
         'func': check_true,
         'req': True,
-        'deps_any': ['stdatomic', 'atomic-builtins', 'sync-builtins'],
+        'deps_any': ['stdatomic', 'atomic-builtins', 'sync-builtins', 'gnuc'],
     }, {
         'name': 'c11-tls',
         'desc': 'C11 TLS support',