diff --git a/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/include/RPC.h b/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/include/RPC.h
index d750ce30e74b0..7b031083647aa 100644
--- a/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/include/RPC.h
+++ b/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/include/RPC.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ struct RPCServerTy {
     std::thread Worker;
 
     /// A boolean indicating whether or not the worker thread should continue.
-    std::atomic<bool> Running;
+    std::atomic<uint32_t> Running;
 
     /// The number of currently executing kernels across all devices that need
     /// the server thread to be running.
diff --git a/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/src/PluginInterface.cpp b/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/src/PluginInterface.cpp
index 76ae0a2dd9c45..48c9b671c1a91 100644
--- a/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/src/PluginInterface.cpp
+++ b/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/src/PluginInterface.cpp
@@ -1058,9 +1058,8 @@ Error GenericDeviceTy::setupRPCServer(GenericPluginTy &Plugin,
   if (auto Err = Server.initDevice(*this, Plugin.getGlobalHandler(), Image))
     return Err;
 
-  if (!Server.Thread->Running.load(std::memory_order_acquire))
-    if (auto Err = Server.startThread())
-      return Err;
+  if (auto Err = Server.startThread())
+    return Err;
 
   RPCServer = &Server;
   DP("Running an RPC server on device %d\n", getDeviceId());
@@ -1635,12 +1634,11 @@ Error GenericPluginTy::deinit() {
   if (GlobalHandler)
     delete GlobalHandler;
 
-  if (RPCServer && RPCServer->Thread->Running.load(std::memory_order_acquire))
+  if (RPCServer) {
     if (Error Err = RPCServer->shutDown())
       return Err;
-
-  if (RPCServer)
     delete RPCServer;
+  }
 
   if (RecordReplay)
     delete RecordReplay;
diff --git a/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/src/RPC.cpp b/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/src/RPC.cpp
index e6750a540b391..4289f920c0e1e 100644
--- a/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/src/RPC.cpp
+++ b/offload/plugins-nextgen/common/src/RPC.cpp
@@ -99,18 +99,15 @@ static rpc::Status runServer(plugin::GenericDeviceTy &Device, void *Buffer) {
 }
 
 void RPCServerTy::ServerThread::startThread() {
-  assert(!Running.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) &&
-         "Attempting to start thread that is already running");
-  Running.store(true, std::memory_order_release);
-  Worker = std::thread([this]() { run(); });
+  if (!Running.fetch_or(true, std::memory_order_acquire))
+    Worker = std::thread([this]() { run(); });
 }
 
 void RPCServerTy::ServerThread::shutDown() {
-  assert(Running.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) &&
-         "Attempting to shut down a thread that is not running");
+  if (!Running.fetch_and(false, std::memory_order_release))
+    return;
   {
     std::lock_guard<decltype(Mutex)> Lock(Mutex);
-    Running.store(false, std::memory_order_release);
     CV.notify_all();
   }
   if (Worker.joinable())