diff --git a/CMake/FindAtomics.cmake b/CMake/FindAtomics.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0916321d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMake/FindAtomics.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Original issue:
+# * https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/issues/23021#note_1098733
+#
+# For reference:
+# * https://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/Atomic/GCCMM
+#
+# riscv64 specific:
+# * https://lists.debian.org/debian-riscv/2022/01/msg00009.html
+#
+# ATOMICS_FOUND        - system has c++ atomics
+# ATOMICS_LIBRARIES    - libraries needed to use c++ atomics
+
+include(CheckCXXSourceCompiles)
+
+# RISC-V only has 32-bit and 64-bit atomic instructions. GCC is supposed
+# to convert smaller atomics to those larger ones via masking and
+# shifting like LLVM, but it’s a known bug that it does not. This means
+# anything that wants to use atomics on 1-byte or 2-byte types needs
+# -latomic, but not 4-byte or 8-byte (though it does no harm).
+set(atomic_code
+    "
+     #include <atomic>
+     #include <cstdint>
+     std::atomic<uint8_t> n8 (0); // riscv64
+     std::atomic<uint64_t> n64 (0); // armel, mipsel, powerpc
+     int main() {
+       ++n8;
+       ++n64;
+       return 0;
+     }")
+
+check_cxx_source_compiles("${atomic_code}" ATOMICS_LOCK_FREE_INSTRUCTIONS)
+
+if (ATOMICS_LOCK_FREE_INSTRUCTIONS)
+  set(ATOMICS_FOUND TRUE)
+  set(ATOMICS_LIBRARIES)
+else()
+  set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES "-latomic")
+  check_cxx_source_compiles("${atomic_code}" ATOMICS_IN_LIBRARY)
+  set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES)
+  if (ATOMICS_IN_LIBRARY)
+    set(ATOMICS_LIBRARY atomic)
+    include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+    find_package_handle_standard_args(Atomics DEFAULT_MSG ATOMICS_LIBRARY)
+    set(ATOMICS_LIBRARIES ${ATOMICS_LIBRARY})
+    unset(ATOMICS_LIBRARY)
+  else()
+    if (Atomics_FIND_REQUIRED)
+      message(FATAL_ERROR "Neither lock free instructions nor -latomic found.")
+    endif()
+  endif()
+endif()
+unset(atomic_code)
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c2daf8273..b4c5ccc31 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@ if (THREADS_HAVE_PTHREAD_ARG)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -pthread")
 endif()
 
+find_package(Atomics REQUIRED)
+if (ATOMICS_LIBRARIES)
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} ${ATOMICS_LIBRARIES}")
+endif()
+
 include(TdSetUpCompiler)
 td_set_up_compiler()