diff --git a/ldebug.c b/ldebug.c
index b8a0ecbde..ed9900e04 100644
--- a/ldebug.c
+++ b/ldebug.c
@@ -169,12 +169,12 @@ LUA_API int lua_gethookcount (lua_State *L) {
 ** gcc ensures that for all platforms where it runs).
 */
 LUA_API void lua_setglobalhook (lua_State *L, lua_Hook func) {
-  G(L)->globalhook = func;
+  LUA_ATOMIC_STORE_RELEASE(G(L)->globalhook, func);
 }
 
 
 LUA_API lua_Hook lua_getglobalhook (lua_State *L) {
-  return G(L)->globalhook;
+  return LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(G(L)->globalhook);
 }
 
 
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ static int changedline (const Proto *p, int oldpc, int newpc) {
 
 int luaG_traceexec (lua_State *L, const Instruction *pc) {
   CallInfo *ci = L->ci;
-  lua_Hook globalhook = G(L)->globalhook;
+  lua_Hook globalhook = LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(G(L)->globalhook);
   lu_byte mask = L->hookmask;
   int counthook;
   if (!globalhook && !(mask & (LUA_MASKLINE | LUA_MASKCOUNT))) {  /* no hooks? */
diff --git a/ldo.c b/ldo.c
index c4e406cfa..2a3027ae1 100644
--- a/ldo.c
+++ b/ldo.c
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ void luaD_hook (lua_State *L, lua_Hook hook, int event, int line,
 ** active.
 */
 void luaD_hookcall (lua_State *L, CallInfo *ci) {
-  lua_Hook globalhook = G(L)->globalhook;
+  lua_Hook globalhook = LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(G(L)->globalhook);
   int hook = (ci->callstatus & CIST_TAIL) ? LUA_HOOKTAILCALL : LUA_HOOKCALL;
   Proto *p;
   if (!globalhook && !(L->hookmask & LUA_MASKCALL))  /* some other hook? */
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ void luaD_hookcall (lua_State *L, CallInfo *ci) {
 static StkId rethook (lua_State *L, CallInfo *ci, StkId firstres, int nres) {
   ptrdiff_t oldtop = savestack(L, L->top);  /* hook may change top */
   int delta = 0;
-  lua_Hook globalhook = G(L)->globalhook;
+  lua_Hook globalhook = LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(G(L)->globalhook);
   if (isLuacode(ci)) {
     Proto *p = clLvalue(s2v(ci->func))->p;
     if (p->is_vararg)
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ void luaD_call (lua_State *L, StkId func, int nresults) {
      Cfunc: {
       int n;  /* number of returns */
       CallInfo *ci;
-      lua_Hook globalhook = G(L)->globalhook;
+      lua_Hook globalhook = LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(G(L)->globalhook);
       checkstackp(L, LUA_MINSTACK, func);  /* ensure minimum stack size */
       ci = next_ci(L);
       ci->nresults = nresults;
diff --git a/lstate.c b/lstate.c
index 09bd6c6b0..5c6b5e6b6 100644
--- a/lstate.c
+++ b/lstate.c
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ LUA_API lua_State *lua_newstate (lua_Alloc f, void *ud) {
   g->gcstepsize = LUAI_GCSTEPSIZE;
   setgcparam(g->genmajormul, LUAI_GENMAJORMUL);
   g->genminormul = LUAI_GENMINORMUL;
-  g->globalhook = NULL;
+  LUA_ATOMIC_STORE_RELEASE(g->globalhook, NULL);
   for (i=0; i < LUA_NUMTAGS; i++) g->mt[i] = NULL;
   if (luaD_rawrunprotected(L, f_luaopen, NULL) != LUA_OK) {
     /* memory allocation error: free partial state */
diff --git a/lstate.h b/lstate.h
index f49d4dc8d..843764521 100644
--- a/lstate.h
+++ b/lstate.h
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ typedef struct global_State {
   lua_WarnFunction warnf;  /* warning function */
   void *ud_warn;         /* auxiliary data to 'warnf' */
   unsigned int Cstacklimit;  /* current limit for the C stack */
-  volatile lua_Hook globalhook;
+  LUA_ATOMIC(lua_Hook) globalhook;
 } global_State;
 
 
diff --git a/lua.c b/lua.c
index 2269a8307..dc343cb7b 100644
--- a/lua.c
+++ b/lua.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 #define LUA_INITVARVERSION	LUA_INIT_VAR LUA_VERSUFFIX
 
 
-static lua_State *globalL = NULL;
+static LUA_ATOMIC(lua_State *) globalL;
 
 static const char *progname = LUA_PROGNAME;
 
@@ -47,6 +47,16 @@ static void lstop (lua_State *L, lua_Debug *ar) {
 }
 
 
+/*
+** If pointers aren't lock-free, then signal handlers can't safely set them,
+** since what they interrupted might be holding the lock they need to take,
+** resulting in a deadlock. Fail at compile time if we detect that.
+*/
+#if defined(ATOMIC_POINTER_LOCK_FREE) && ATOMIC_POINTER_LOCK_FREE != 2
+#error "Hooks can't be safely set from signal handlers!"
+#endif
+
+
 /*
 ** Function to be called at a C signal. Because a C signal cannot
 ** just change a Lua state (as there is no proper synchronization),
@@ -55,7 +65,7 @@ static void lstop (lua_State *L, lua_Debug *ar) {
 */
 static void laction (int i) {
   signal(i, SIG_DFL); /* if another SIGINT happens, terminate process */
-  lua_setglobalhook(globalL, lstop);
+  lua_setglobalhook(LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(globalL), lstop);
 }
 
 
@@ -133,7 +143,7 @@ static int docall (lua_State *L, int narg, int nres) {
   int base = lua_gettop(L) - narg;  /* function index */
   lua_pushcfunction(L, msghandler);  /* push message handler */
   lua_insert(L, base);  /* put it under function and args */
-  globalL = L;  /* to be available to 'laction' */
+  LUA_ATOMIC_STORE_RELEASE(globalL, L);  /* to be available to 'laction' */
   signal(SIGINT, laction);  /* set C-signal handler */
   status = lua_pcall(L, narg, nres, base);
   signal(SIGINT, SIG_DFL); /* reset C-signal handler */
diff --git a/lua.h b/lua.h
index 8c0c4ea89..91ece9b46 100644
--- a/lua.h
+++ b/lua.h
@@ -29,6 +29,38 @@
 #define LUA_AUTHORS	"R. Ierusalimschy, L. H. de Figueiredo, W. Celes"
 
 
+/*
+** Stuff to use atomics if able, or falling back to the technically-incorrect
+** but probably good enough "volatile" if not
+*/
+#if defined(__cplusplus) && __cplusplus >= 201103L
+
+/* C++11 atomics */
+#include <atomic>
+
+#define LUA_ATOMIC(t) std::atomic<t>
+#define LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(obj) obj.load(std::memory_order_acquire)
+#define LUA_ATOMIC_STORE_RELEASE(obj, desired) obj.store(desired, std::memory_order_release)
+
+#elif __STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L && !defined(__STDC_NO_ATOMICS__)
+
+/* C11 atomics */
+#include <stdatomic.h>
+
+#define LUA_ATOMIC(t) _Atomic(t)
+#define LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(obj) atomic_load_explicit(&obj, memory_order_acquire)
+#define LUA_ATOMIC_STORE_RELEASE(obj, desired) atomic_store_explicit(&obj, desired, memory_order_release)
+
+#else
+
+/* no atomics */
+#define LUA_ATOMIC(t) t volatile
+#define LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(obj) (obj)
+#define LUA_ATOMIC_STORE_RELEASE(obj, desired) (obj = desired)
+
+#endif
+
+
 /* mark for precompiled code ('<esc>Lua') */
 #define LUA_SIGNATURE	"\x1bLua"
 
diff --git a/lvm.c b/lvm.c
index 37e83e2b7..466142c4e 100644
--- a/lvm.c
+++ b/lvm.c
@@ -1044,7 +1044,7 @@ void luaV_finishOp (lua_State *L) {
 
 
 
-#define updatetrap(ci)  (trap = ci->u.l.trap || G(L)->globalhook)
+#define updatetrap(ci)  (trap = ci->u.l.trap || LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(G(L)->globalhook))
 
 #define updatebase(ci)	(base = ci->func + 1)
 
@@ -1134,7 +1134,7 @@ void luaV_execute (lua_State *L, CallInfo *ci) {
 #include "ljumptab.h"
 #endif
  tailcall:
-  trap = L->hookmask || G(L)->globalhook;
+  trap = L->hookmask || LUA_ATOMIC_LOAD_ACQUIRE(G(L)->globalhook);
   cl = clLvalue(s2v(ci->func));
   k = cl->p->k;
   pc = ci->u.l.savedpc;
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 2c68f4547..e63ccc7a6 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ LOCAL = $(TESTS) $(CWARNS)
 
 
 # enable Linux goodies
-MYCFLAGS= $(LOCAL) -std=c99 -DLUA_USE_LINUX -DLUA_USE_READLINE
+MYCFLAGS= $(LOCAL) -std=c11 -DLUA_USE_LINUX -DLUA_USE_READLINE
 MYLDFLAGS= $(LOCAL) -Wl,-E
 MYLIBS= -ldl -lreadline