diff --git a/engine/common/common.c b/engine/common/common.c
index 37bf2c34d..7c880cbc9 100644
--- a/engine/common/common.c
+++ b/engine/common/common.c
@@ -6215,6 +6215,22 @@ static void COM_InitWorkerThread(void)
 	Cvar_Register(&worker_sleeptime, NULL);
 	Cvar_ForceCallback(&worker_count);
 }
+
+qint32_t FTE_Atomic32Mutex_Add(qint32_t *ptr, qint32_t change)
+{
+	qint32_t r;
+	Sys_LockMutex(com_resourcemutex);
+	r = (*ptr += change);
+	Sys_UnlockMutex(com_resourcemutex);
+	return r;
+}
+#else
+qint32_t FTE_Atomic32Mutex_Add(qint32_t *ptr, qint32_t change)
+{
+	qint32_t r;
+	r = (*ptr += change);
+	return r;
+}
 #endif
 
 /*
diff --git a/engine/common/fs_pak.c b/engine/common/fs_pak.c
index a3e139daa..6817c2adf 100644
--- a/engine/common/fs_pak.c
+++ b/engine/common/fs_pak.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ typedef struct pack_s
 	void		*mutex;
 	vfsfile_t	*handle;
 	unsigned int filepos;	//the pos the subfiles left it at (to optimize calls to vfs_seek)
-	int references;	//seeing as all vfiles from a pak file use the parent's vfsfile, we need to keep the parent open until all subfiles are closed.
+	qatomic32_t references;	//seeing as all vfiles from a pak file use the parent's vfsfile, we need to keep the parent open until all subfiles are closed.
 } pack_t;
 
 //
@@ -67,15 +67,17 @@ static void QDECL FSPAK_GetPathDetails(searchpathfuncs_t *handle, char *out, siz
 	if (pak->references != 1)
 		Q_snprintfz(out, outlen, "(%i)", pak->references-1);
 }
+static void QDECL FSPAK_AddReference(searchpathfuncs_t *handle)
+{
+	pack_t *pak = (void*)handle;
+	FTE_Atomic32_Inc(&pak->references);
+}
 static void QDECL FSPAK_ClosePath(searchpathfuncs_t *handle)
 {
 	qboolean stillopen;
 	pack_t *pak = (void*)handle;
 
-	if (!Sys_LockMutex(pak->mutex))
-		return;	//ohnoes
-	stillopen = --pak->references > 0;
-	Sys_UnlockMutex(pak->mutex);
+	stillopen = FTE_Atomic32_Dec(&pak->references) > 0;
 	if (stillopen)
 		return;	//not free yet
 
@@ -260,13 +262,7 @@ static vfsfile_t *QDECL FSPAK_OpenVFS(searchpathfuncs_t *handle, flocation_t *lo
 	vfs = Z_Malloc(sizeof(vfspack_t));
 
 	vfs->parentpak = pack;
-	if (!Sys_LockMutex(pack->mutex))
-	{
-		Z_Free(vfs);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-	vfs->parentpak->references++;
-	Sys_UnlockMutex(pack->mutex);
+	FTE_Atomic32_Inc(&vfs->parentpak->references);
 
 	vfs->startpos = loc->offset;
 	vfs->length = loc->len;
@@ -381,6 +377,7 @@ searchpathfuncs_t *QDECL FSPAK_LoadArchive (vfsfile_t *file, searchpathfuncs_t *
 
 	pack->pub.fsver			= FSVER;
 	pack->pub.GetPathDetails = FSPAK_GetPathDetails;
+	pack->pub.AddReference = FSPAK_AddReference;
 	pack->pub.ClosePath = FSPAK_ClosePath;
 	pack->pub.BuildHash = FSPAK_BuildHash;
 	pack->pub.FindFile = FSPAK_FLocate;
diff --git a/engine/common/fs_zip.c b/engine/common/fs_zip.c
index 40899f1c2..e98142558 100644
--- a/engine/common/fs_zip.c
+++ b/engine/common/fs_zip.c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ typedef struct zipfile_s
 	qofs_t			rawsize;
 	vfsfile_t		*raw;
 
-	int				references;	//number of files open inside, so things don't crash if is closed in the wrong order.
+	qatomic32_t		references;	//number of files open inside, so things don't crash if is closed in the wrong order.
 } zipfile_t;
 
 
@@ -599,10 +599,7 @@ static void QDECL FSZIP_GetPathDetails(searchpathfuncs_t *handle, char *out, siz
 static void QDECL FSZIP_UnclosePath(searchpathfuncs_t *handle)
 {
 	zipfile_t *zip = (void*)handle;
-	if (!Sys_LockMutex(zip->mutex))
-		return;	//ohnoes
-	zip->references++;
-	Sys_UnlockMutex(zip->mutex);
+	FTE_Atomic32_Inc(&zip->references);
 }
 static void QDECL FSZIP_ClosePath(searchpathfuncs_t *handle)
 {
@@ -610,10 +607,7 @@ static void QDECL FSZIP_ClosePath(searchpathfuncs_t *handle)
 	qboolean stillopen;
 	zipfile_t *zip = (void*)handle;
 
-	if (!Sys_LockMutex(zip->mutex))
-		return;	//ohnoes
-	stillopen = --zip->references > 0;
-	Sys_UnlockMutex(zip->mutex);
+	stillopen = FTE_Atomic32_Dec(&zip->references) > 0;
 	if (stillopen)
 		return;	//not free yet
 
@@ -1417,21 +1411,7 @@ static vfsfile_t *QDECL FSZIP_OpenVFS(searchpathfuncs_t *handle, flocation_t *lo
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (Sys_LockMutex(zip->mutex))
-	{
-		zip->references++;
-		Sys_UnlockMutex(zip->mutex);
-	}
-	else
-	{
-#ifdef DO_ZIP_DECOMPRESS
-		if (vfsz->decompress)
-			vfsz->decompress->Destroy(vfsz->decompress);
-#endif
-		Z_Free(vfsz);
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
+	FTE_Atomic32_Inc(&zip->references);
 	return (vfsfile_t*)vfsz;
 }
 
diff --git a/engine/common/sys.h b/engine/common/sys.h
index e30f349ef..63372cf4e 100644
--- a/engine/common/sys.h
+++ b/engine/common/sys.h
@@ -101,6 +101,20 @@ void Sys_Vibrate(float count);
 
 qboolean Sys_GetDesktopParameters(int *width, int *height, int *bpp, int *refreshrate);
 
+#if defined(__GNUC__)
+	#define qatomic32_t qint32_t
+	#define FTE_Atomic32_Inc(ptr) __sync_add_and_fetch(ptr, 1)	//returns the AFTER the operation.
+	#define FTE_Atomic32_Dec(ptr) __sync_add_and_fetch(ptr, 1)	//returns the AFTER the operation.
+#elif defined(_WIN32)
+	#define qatomic32_t LONG
+	#define FTE_Atomic32_Inc(ptr) InterlockedIncrement(ptr)
+	#define FTE_Atomic32_Dec(ptr) InterlockedDecrement(ptr)
+#else
+	#define qatomic32_t qint32_t
+	#define FTE_Atomic32_Inc(ptr) FTE_Atomic32Mutex_Add(ptr, 1)
+	#define FTE_Atomic32_Dec(ptr) FTE_Atomic32Mutex_Add(ptr, -1)
+#endif
+
 #ifdef MULTITHREAD
 #if defined(_WIN32) && defined(_DEBUG)
 void Sys_SetThreadName(unsigned int dwThreadID, char *threadName);