diff --git a/src/libexpr/include/nix/expr/value.hh b/src/libexpr/include/nix/expr/value.hh
index c74588a31a2..1732250134a 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/include/nix/expr/value.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/include/nix/expr/value.hh
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 
 #include <nlohmann/json_fwd.hpp>
 
+#if defined(__x86_64__) && defined(__SSE2__)
+#  include <emmintrin.h>
+#endif
+
 namespace nix {
 
 struct Value;
@@ -362,6 +366,11 @@ protected:
     {
         return internalType;
     }
+
+    static bool isAtomic()
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
 };
 
 namespace detail {
@@ -395,7 +404,11 @@ class alignas(16) ValueStorage<ptrSize, std::enable_if_t<detail::useBitPackedVal
 
     using PackedPointer = typename PackedPointerTypeStruct<ptrSize>::type;
     using Payload = std::array<PackedPointer, 2>;
-    Payload payload = {};
+#if defined(__x86_64__) && defined(__SSE2__)
+    __m128i payloadWords;
+#else
+    Payload payloadWords = {};
+#endif
 
     static constexpr int discriminatorBits = 3;
     static constexpr PackedPointer discriminatorMask = (PackedPointer(1) << discriminatorBits) - 1;
@@ -439,6 +452,54 @@ class alignas(16) ValueStorage<ptrSize, std::enable_if_t<detail::useBitPackedVal
         pdPairOfPointers, //< layout: Pair of pointers payload
     };
 
+#if defined(__x86_64__) && defined(__SSE2__)
+    /* Why do we even bother with hand-rolling these arch-specific intrinsics
+     * and don't use libatomic directly for 16 byte atomics? Here's why:
+     *  - https://gcc.gnu.org/legacy-ml/gcc/2018-02/msg00224.html
+     *  - https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=84563
+     *
+     * Basically, we don't really ever want to go through libatomic. As is
+     * so happens on x86_64 with AVX, MOVDQA/MOVAPS instructions (16-byte aligned
+     * 128-bit loads and stores) are atomic [^]. Note that
+     * these instructions are not part of AVX but rather SSE2, which is x86_64-v1.
+     * They are just not guaranteed to be atomic without AVX.
+     *
+     * For more details see:
+     *  - [^] Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer’s Manual (10.1.1 Guaranteed Atomic Operations).
+     *  - https://patchwork.sourceware.org/project/gcc/patch/YhxkfzGEEQ9KHbBC@tucnak/
+     *  - https://ibraheem.ca/posts/128-bit-atomics/
+     *  - https://rigtorp.se/isatomic/
+     */
+    [[gnu::always_inline]]
+    void updatePayload(Payload payload) noexcept
+    {
+        /* This intrinsic corresponds to MOVAPS. Note that Value (and thus the first member
+           payloadWords) is 16 bytes aligned. */
+        _mm_store_si128(&payloadWords, std::bit_cast<__m128i>(payload));
+    }
+
+    [[gnu::always_inline]]
+    Payload loadPayload() const noexcept
+    {
+        /* This intrinsic corresponds to MOVDQA. Note that Value (and thus the first member
+           payloadWords) is 16 bytes aligned. */
+        __m128i res = _mm_load_si128(&payloadWords);
+        return std::bit_cast<Payload>(res);
+    }
+#else
+    [[gnu::always_inline]]
+    void updatePayload(Payload payload) noexcept
+    {
+        payloadWords = payload;
+    }
+
+    [[gnu::always_inline]]
+    Payload loadPayload() const noexcept
+    {
+        return payloadWords;
+    }
+#endif
+
     template<typename T>
         requires std::is_pointer_v<T>
     static T untagPointer(PackedPointer val) noexcept
@@ -446,9 +507,9 @@ class alignas(16) ValueStorage<ptrSize, std::enable_if_t<detail::useBitPackedVal
         return std::bit_cast<T>(val & ~discriminatorMask);
     }
 
-    PrimaryDiscriminator getPrimaryDiscriminator() const noexcept
+    PrimaryDiscriminator getPrimaryDiscriminator(PackedPointer firstDWord) const noexcept
     {
-        return static_cast<PrimaryDiscriminator>(payload[0] & discriminatorMask);
+        return static_cast<PrimaryDiscriminator>(firstDWord & discriminatorMask);
     }
 
     static void assertAligned(PackedPointer val) noexcept
@@ -459,25 +520,30 @@ class alignas(16) ValueStorage<ptrSize, std::enable_if_t<detail::useBitPackedVal
     template<InternalType type>
     void setSingleDWordPayload(PackedPointer untaggedVal) noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload;
         /* There's plenty of free upper bits in the first dword, which is
            used only for the discriminator. */
         payload[0] = static_cast<int>(pdSingleDWord) | (static_cast<int>(type) << discriminatorBits);
         payload[1] = untaggedVal;
+        updatePayload(payload);
     }
 
     template<PrimaryDiscriminator discriminator, typename T, typename U>
     void setUntaggablePayload(T * firstPtrField, U untaggableField) noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload;
         static_assert(discriminator >= pdListN && discriminator <= pdPath);
         auto firstFieldPayload = std::bit_cast<PackedPointer>(firstPtrField);
         assertAligned(firstFieldPayload);
         payload[0] = static_cast<int>(discriminator) | firstFieldPayload;
         payload[1] = std::bit_cast<PackedPointer>(untaggableField);
+        updatePayload(payload);
     }
 
     template<InternalType type, typename T, typename U>
     void setPairOfPointersPayload(T * firstPtrField, U * secondPtrField) noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload;
         static_assert(type >= tListSmall && type <= tLambda);
         {
             auto firstFieldPayload = std::bit_cast<PackedPointer>(firstPtrField);
@@ -489,21 +555,58 @@ class alignas(16) ValueStorage<ptrSize, std::enable_if_t<detail::useBitPackedVal
             assertAligned(secondFieldPayload);
             payload[1] = (type - tListSmall) | secondFieldPayload;
         }
+        updatePayload(payload);
     }
 
     template<typename T, typename U>
         requires std::is_pointer_v<T> && std::is_pointer_v<U>
     void getPairOfPointersPayload(T & firstPtrField, U & secondPtrField) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         firstPtrField = untagPointer<T>(payload[0]);
         secondPtrField = untagPointer<U>(payload[1]);
     }
 
+public:
+    ValueStorage()
+    {
+        updatePayload({});
+    }
+
+    ValueStorage(const ValueStorage & other)
+    {
+        updatePayload(other.loadPayload());
+    }
+
+    ValueStorage & operator=(const ValueStorage & other)
+    {
+        updatePayload(other.loadPayload());
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    ValueStorage(ValueStorage && other) noexcept
+    {
+        updatePayload(other.loadPayload());
+        other.updatePayload({}); // Zero out rhs
+    }
+
+    ValueStorage & operator=(ValueStorage && other) noexcept
+    {
+        updatePayload(other.loadPayload());
+        other.updatePayload({}); // Zero out rhs
+        return *this;
+    }
+
+    ~ValueStorage() noexcept {}
+
 protected:
+    static bool isAtomic();
+
     /** Get internal type currently occupying the storage. */
     InternalType getInternalType() const noexcept
     {
-        switch (auto pd = getPrimaryDiscriminator()) {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
+        switch (auto pd = getPrimaryDiscriminator(payload[0])) {
         case pdUninitialized:
             /* Discriminator value of zero is used to distinguish uninitialized values. */
             return tUninitialized;
@@ -545,6 +648,7 @@ protected:
 
     void getStorage(NixInt & integer) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         /* PackedPointerType -> int64_t here is well-formed, since the standard requires
            this conversion to follow 2's complement rules. This is just a no-op. */
         integer = NixInt(payload[1]);
@@ -552,6 +656,7 @@ protected:
 
     void getStorage(bool & boolean) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         boolean = payload[1];
     }
 
@@ -559,38 +664,45 @@ protected:
 
     void getStorage(NixFloat & fpoint) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         fpoint = std::bit_cast<NixFloat>(payload[1]);
     }
 
     void getStorage(ExternalValueBase *& external) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         external = std::bit_cast<ExternalValueBase *>(payload[1]);
     }
 
     void getStorage(PrimOp *& primOp) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         primOp = std::bit_cast<PrimOp *>(payload[1]);
     }
 
     void getStorage(Bindings *& attrs) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         attrs = std::bit_cast<Bindings *>(payload[1]);
     }
 
     void getStorage(List & list) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         list.elems = untagPointer<decltype(list.elems)>(payload[0]);
         list.size = payload[1];
     }
 
     void getStorage(StringWithContext & string) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         string.context = untagPointer<decltype(string.context)>(payload[0]);
         string.c_str = std::bit_cast<const char *>(payload[1]);
     }
 
     void getStorage(Path & path) const noexcept
     {
+        Payload payload = loadPayload();
         path.accessor = untagPointer<decltype(path.accessor)>(payload[0]);
         path.path = std::bit_cast<const char *>(payload[1]);
     }
diff --git a/src/libexpr/meson.build b/src/libexpr/meson.build
index 40d3f390b4b..9c841be09e9 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/meson.build
+++ b/src/libexpr/meson.build
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ configdata_priv.set(
 
 deps_other += toml11
 
+cpuid = dependency('libcpuid', 'cpuid', required : false)
+configdata_priv.set('HAVE_LIBCPUID', cpuid.found().to_int())
+deps_private += cpuid
+
 config_priv_h = configure_file(
   configuration : configdata_priv,
   output : 'expr-config-private.hh',
diff --git a/src/libexpr/package.nix b/src/libexpr/package.nix
index a67a8cc49ab..aec02619752 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/package.nix
+++ b/src/libexpr/package.nix
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
   boehmgc,
   nlohmann_json,
   toml11,
+  libcpuid,
 
   # Configuration Options
 
@@ -64,7 +65,8 @@ mkMesonLibrary (finalAttrs: {
 
   buildInputs = [
     toml11
-  ];
+  ]
+  ++ lib.optional stdenv.hostPlatform.isx86_64 libcpuid;
 
   propagatedBuildInputs = [
     nix-util
diff --git a/src/libexpr/value.cc b/src/libexpr/value.cc
index 07d036b0dd4..8dbb277750b 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/value.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/value.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #include "nix/expr/value.hh"
 
+#include "expr-config-private.hh"
+
+#if HAVE_LIBCPUID
+#  include <libcpuid/libcpuid.h>
+#endif
+
 namespace nix {
 
 Value Value::vEmptyList = []() {
@@ -26,4 +32,19 @@ Value Value::vFalse = []() {
     return res;
 }();
 
+template<>
+bool ValueStorage<8>::isAtomic()
+{
+#if HAVE_LIBCPUID
+    struct cpu_id_t data;
+
+    if (cpu_identify(NULL, &data) < 0)
+        return false;
+
+    return data.flags[CPU_FEATURE_AVX];
+#else
+    return false; // Can't tell
+#endif
+}
+
 } // namespace nix