diff --git a/src/julid.rs b/src/julid.rs
index 3f3edae..b769b00 100644
--- a/src/julid.rs
+++ b/src/julid.rs
@@ -1,17 +1,20 @@
 use core::{fmt, str::FromStr};
-use std::{sync::Mutex, time::Duration};
+use std::{
+    sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering},
+    time::Duration,
+};
 
 use rand::{random, thread_rng, Rng};
 
 use crate::base32::{self, DecodeError};
 
-/// This ID is used to ensure monotonicity for new IDs.
-static LAST_ID: Mutex<Julid> = Mutex::new(Julid::alpha());
+/// This is used to ensure monotonicity for new IDs.
+static LAST_SORTABLE: AtomicU64 = AtomicU64::new(0);
 
 /// The number of bits in a Julid's time portion
 pub const TIME_BITS: u8 = 48;
 /// The number of bits in the monotonic counter for intra-millisecond IDs
-pub const MBITS: u8 = 16;
+pub const COUNTER_BITS: u8 = 16;
 /// The number of random bits + bits in the monotonic counter
 pub const UNIQUE_BITS: u8 = 80;
 pub const RANDOM_BITS: u8 = 64;
@@ -44,36 +47,36 @@ impl Julid {
     pub fn new() -> Self {
         let lsb: u64 = random();
         loop {
-            if let Ok(mut guard) = LAST_ID.try_lock() {
-                let ts = std::time::SystemTime::now()
-                    .duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH)
-                    .unwrap_or(Duration::ZERO)
-                    .as_millis() as u64;
-                let ots = guard.timestamp();
-                if ots < ts {
-                    let new = Julid::new_time(ts, lsb);
-                    *guard = new;
-                    break new;
-                } else {
-                    let counter = guard.counter().saturating_add(1);
-                    let tbits = ots & bitmask!(TIME_BITS);
-                    let msb = (tbits << MBITS) + counter as u64;
-                    let new: Julid = (msb, lsb).into();
-                    *guard = new;
-                    break new;
+            let ts = std::time::SystemTime::now()
+                .duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH)
+                .unwrap_or(Duration::ZERO)
+                .as_millis() as u64;
+            let last = LAST_SORTABLE.load(Ordering::SeqCst);
+            let ots = last >> COUNTER_BITS;
+            if ots < ts {
+                let msb = ts << COUNTER_BITS;
+                if LAST_SORTABLE
+                    .compare_exchange(last, msb, Ordering::SeqCst, Ordering::Relaxed)
+                    .is_ok()
+                {
+                    break (msb, lsb).into();
+                }
+            } else {
+                let counter = ((last & bitmask!(COUNTER_BITS) as u64) as u16).saturating_add(1);
+                let msb = (ots << COUNTER_BITS) + counter as u64;
+                if LAST_SORTABLE
+                    .compare_exchange(last, msb, Ordering::SeqCst, Ordering::Relaxed)
+                    .is_ok()
+                {
+                    break (msb, lsb).into();
                 }
             }
+            // we didn't update the global counter, try again
             let micros = thread_rng().gen_range(10..50);
             std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_micros(micros));
         }
     }
 
-    fn new_time(time: u64, lsb: u64) -> Self {
-        let tbits = time & bitmask!(TIME_BITS);
-        let msb = tbits << MBITS;
-        (msb, lsb).into()
-    }
-
     /// Creates a Julid from a Crockford Base32 encoded string
     ///
     /// An DecodeError will be returned when the given string is not formated
@@ -103,6 +106,10 @@ impl Julid {
         Julid(0)
     }
 
+    /// The 'Omega Julid'.
+    ///
+    /// The Omega Julid is special form of Julid that is specified to have
+    /// all 128 bits set to one.
     pub const fn omega() -> Self {
         Julid(u128::MAX)
     }
@@ -113,12 +120,12 @@ impl Julid {
     }
 
     pub const fn counter(&self) -> u16 {
-        let mask = bitmask!(MBITS);
+        let mask = bitmask!(COUNTER_BITS);
         ((self.0 >> RANDOM_BITS) & mask) as u16
     }
 
     pub const fn sortable(&self) -> u64 {
-        let mask = bitmask!(TIME_BITS + MBITS);
+        let mask = bitmask!(TIME_BITS + COUNTER_BITS);
         ((self.0 >> RANDOM_BITS) & mask) as u64
     }