diff --git a/userspace/gui/compositor/compositor.c b/userspace/gui/compositor/compositor.c
index 183cf4dd..8de5f6e2 100644
--- a/userspace/gui/compositor/compositor.c
+++ b/userspace/gui/compositor/compositor.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "lib/yutani.h"
 #include "lib/hashmap.h"
 #include "lib/list.h"
+#include "lib/spinlock.h"
 
 #include "yutani_int.h"
 
@@ -105,16 +106,6 @@ int32_t max(int32_t a, int32_t b) {
 	return (a > b) ? a : b;
 }
 
-static void spin_lock(int volatile * lock) {
-	while(__sync_lock_test_and_set(lock, 0x01)) {
-		syscall_yield();
-	}
-}
-
-static void spin_unlock(int volatile * lock) {
-	__sync_lock_release(lock);
-}
-
 static int next_buf_id(void) {
 	static int _next = 1;
 	return _next++;
diff --git a/userspace/gui/terminal/lib/termemu.c b/userspace/gui/terminal/lib/termemu.c
index 07069044..726b8e38 100644
--- a/userspace/gui/terminal/lib/termemu.c
+++ b/userspace/gui/terminal/lib/termemu.c
@@ -9,21 +9,12 @@
 #include <syscall.h>
 
 #include "lib/graphics.h"
+#include "lib/spinlock.h"
 
 #define MAX_ARGS 1024
 
 static wchar_t box_chars[] = L"▒␉␌␍␊°±␤␋┘┐┌└┼⎺⎻─⎼⎽├┤┴┬│≤≥";
 
-static void spin_lock(int volatile * lock) {
-	while(__sync_lock_test_and_set(lock, 0x01)) {
-		syscall_yield();
-	}
-}
-
-static void spin_unlock(int volatile * lock) {
-	__sync_lock_release(lock);
-}
-
 /* Returns the lower of two shorts */
 static uint16_t min(uint16_t a, uint16_t b) {
 	return (a < b) ? a : b;
diff --git a/userspace/gui/terminal/terminal.c b/userspace/gui/terminal/terminal.c
index 9b6cf38e..e30fc662 100644
--- a/userspace/gui/terminal/terminal.c
+++ b/userspace/gui/terminal/terminal.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "lib/decorations.h"
 #include "lib/pthread.h"
 #include "lib/kbd.h"
+#include "lib/spinlock.h"
 
 #include "terminal-palette.h"
 #include "terminal-font.h"
@@ -124,16 +125,6 @@ static void set_term_font_size(float s) {
 	reinit(1);
 }
 
-static void spin_lock(int volatile * lock) {
-	while(__sync_lock_test_and_set(lock, 0x01)) {
-		syscall_yield();
-	}
-}
-
-static void spin_unlock(int volatile * lock) {
-	__sync_lock_release(lock);
-}
-
 /* Returns the lower of two shorts */
 int32_t min(int32_t a, int32_t b) {
 	return (a < b) ? a : b;
diff --git a/userspace/tests/test-threads.c b/userspace/tests/test-threads.c
index 7740aae7..5c1ef20d 100644
--- a/userspace/tests/test-threads.c
+++ b/userspace/tests/test-threads.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include "lib/pthread.h"
+#include "lib/spinlock.h"
 
 #define NUM_THREADS 5
 #define VALUE      0x1000000
@@ -20,17 +21,7 @@
 volatile uint32_t result = 0;
 int8_t use_locks = 0;
 
-volatile uint8_t the_lock = 0;
-
-void spin_lock(uint8_t volatile * lock) {
-	while(__sync_lock_test_and_set(lock, 0x01)) {
-		;; /* oh god */
-	}
-}
-
-void spin_unlock(uint8_t volatile * lock) {
-	__sync_lock_release(lock);
-}
+volatile int the_lock = 0;
 
 void *print_pid(void * garbage) {
 	int i;