diff --git a/video/out/cocoa_cb_common.swift b/video/out/cocoa_cb_common.swift
index 6a3fcedada..70e9deb486 100644
--- a/video/out/cocoa_cb_common.swift
+++ b/video/out/cocoa_cb_common.swift
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class CocoaCB: Common, EventSubscriber {
     }
 
     func preinit(_ vo: UnsafeMutablePointer<vo>) {
-        self.vo = vo
+        eventsLock.withLock { self.vo = vo }
         input = InputHelper(vo.pointee.input_ctx, option)
 
         if backendState == .uninitialized {
@@ -57,12 +57,13 @@ class CocoaCB: Common, EventSubscriber {
     }
 
     func uninit() {
+        eventsLock.withLock { self.vo = nil }
         window?.orderOut(nil)
         window?.close()
     }
 
     func reconfig(_ vo: UnsafeMutablePointer<vo>) {
-        self.vo = vo
+        eventsLock.withLock { self.vo = vo }
         if backendState == .needsInit {
             DispatchQueue.main.sync { self.initBackend(vo) }
         } else if option.vo.auto_window_resize {
diff --git a/video/out/mac/common.swift b/video/out/mac/common.swift
index 7e3af8bd46..b4ef836501 100644
--- a/video/out/mac/common.swift
+++ b/video/out/mac/common.swift
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ class Common: NSObject {
     var option: OptionHelper
     var input: InputHelper?
     var log: LogHelper
-    var vo: UnsafeMutablePointer<vo>?
     let queue: DispatchQueue = DispatchQueue(label: "io.mpv.queue")
 
     @objc var window: Window?
@@ -32,6 +31,7 @@ class Common: NSObject {
     var link: CVDisplayLink?
 
     let eventsLock = NSLock()
+    var vo: UnsafeMutablePointer<vo>?
     var events: Int = 0
 
     var lightSensor: io_connect_t = 0
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ class Common: NSObject {
     }
 
     func uninitCommon() {
+        eventsLock.withLock { self.vo = nil }
         setCursorVisibility(true)
         stopDisplaylink()
         uninitLightSensor()
@@ -455,23 +456,19 @@ class Common: NSObject {
     }
 
     func flagEvents(_ ev: Int) {
-        eventsLock.lock()
-        events |= ev
-        eventsLock.unlock()
-
-        guard let vo = vo else {
-            log.warning("vo nil in flagEvents")
-            return
+        eventsLock.withLock {
+            events |= ev
+            guard let vo = vo else { return }
+            vo_wakeup(vo)
         }
-        vo_wakeup(vo)
     }
 
     func checkEvents() -> Int {
-        eventsLock.lock()
-        let ev = events
-        events = 0
-        eventsLock.unlock()
-        return ev
+        eventsLock.withLock {
+            let ev = events
+            events = 0
+            return ev
+        }
     }
 
     func windowDidEndAnimation() {}
diff --git a/video/out/mac_common.swift b/video/out/mac_common.swift
index d853c9c04a..8df82ce356 100644
--- a/video/out/mac_common.swift
+++ b/video/out/mac_common.swift
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class MacCommon: Common {
         let log = LogHelper(mp_log_new(vo, vo.pointee.log, "mac"))
         let option = OptionHelper(vo, vo.pointee.global)
         super.init(option, log)
-        self.vo = vo
+        eventsLock.withLock { self.vo = vo }
         input = InputHelper(vo.pointee.input_ctx, option)
         presentation = Presentation(common: self)
         timer = PreciseTimer(common: self)
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class MacCommon: Common {
     }
 
     @objc func config(_ vo: UnsafeMutablePointer<vo>) -> Bool {
-        self.vo = vo
+        eventsLock.withLock { self.vo = vo }
 
         DispatchQueue.main.sync {
             let previousActiveApp = getActiveApp()