diff --git a/tokio/src/runtime/task/list.rs b/tokio/src/runtime/task/list.rs
index 27c8d1c560e..ab1aad7b168 100644
--- a/tokio/src/runtime/task/list.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/runtime/task/list.rs
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ impl<S: 'static> OwnedTasks<S> {
             task.header().set_owner_id(self.id);
         }
         // check close flag
-        if self.closed.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+        if self.closed.load(Ordering::Acquire) {
             task.shutdown();
             return None;
         }
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ impl<S: 'static> OwnedTasks<S> {
     fn push_inner(&self, task_id: super::Id, task: Task<S>) {
         let mut lock = self.lists[task_id.0 as usize & (self.grain - 1)].lock();
         lock.list.push_front(task);
-        self.count.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        self.count.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Release);
     }
 
     /// Asserts that the given task is owned by this OwnedTasks and convert it to
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ impl<S: 'static> OwnedTasks<S> {
     {
         // The first iteration of the loop was unrolled so it can set the
         // closed bool.
-        self.closed.fetch_and(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        self.closed.fetch_and(true, Ordering::Release);
 
         for i in 0..self.lists.len() {
             let first_task = self.pop_back_inner(i);
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ impl<S: 'static> OwnedTasks<S> {
         debug_assert!(index < self.lists.len());
         match self.lists[index].lock().list.pop_back() {
             Some(task) => {
-                self.count.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+                self.count.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::Release);
                 Some(task)
             }
             None => None,
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ impl<S: 'static> OwnedTasks<S> {
             .remove(task.header_ptr())
         {
             Some(task) => {
-                self.count.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+                self.count.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::Release);
                 Some(task)
             }
             None => None,
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ impl<S: 'static> OwnedTasks<S> {
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
-        self.count.load(Ordering::SeqCst) == 0
+        self.count.load(Ordering::Acquire) == 0
     }
 }